THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION/TRAINING IN TOURISM COMPANIES

 

Geronikolas Harris, University of West Attica

Laloumis Athanasios, University of West Attica

 Lazoura Julia, University of West Attica

Laloumis Dimitrios, University of West Attica

 

 

Abstract

Education/training in general is very important and for the results it has in shaping the attitudes and behaviors of people but also in improving their skills, many have written. However, the purpose of this work is not to refer to the positive points of education in general, but through the study of the bibliography, to show the importance it has for businesses. Its purpose, in other words, is to try to help understand the relationship between business human resource development and competitiveness.

In this article, an attempt will be made to highlight the importance of the role of staff training, especially in tourism companies that seek to improve their position and the importance of human resource development in their competitiveness.

Keywords: education/training, development, tourism business, human resources

 

Introduction

In the age of globalization and technological developments, the human factor and its importance for business development is of particular interest. Globalization, on the one hand, opens new markets for new products, shapes economic developments, but at the same time creates uncertainty for companies, which in turn try to become more flexible and adapt quickly to the new conditions that are created. Businesses and organizations seek improvement and renewal in order to create those conditions that will help them gain a competitive advantage over other companies.

The creation of a competitive advantage is acquired when the productive resources are combined in a way that is not copied by its competitors.

In recent years, more and more companies and organizations are paying special attention to the training and development of their employees, considering the development of human resources as a key factor in improving productivity and competitiveness.

In today 's information society, the development of knowledge, skills, creative thinking and innovation is a necessity, as businesses and organizations need staff with skills and knowledge.

 

The importance of training

It is true that for many, training is something unknown during the practice of their profession and they do not feel the lack of it. On the other hand, some employers consider it a significant burden and it is the first fund that is cut when times get tough. But training today is important, perhaps more than ever. It is certain that nowadays all professions evolve over time and no one can know everything that is necessary for his profession.

Some factors that contribute to this development are:

- Technological development

- The change of systems and procedures

- Changing consumer needs

- New legislation and regulations

- Environmental changes

- The new materials, (hardware/software, and tools)

- New products and services (Peel, 1994: 9).

 

 

Areas that improve training

The qualifications already held by employees can be improved through training. The specific areas that can be improved are the following:

- Knowledge. Improving the stock of observations, facts and information related to the respective job.

- Skills. Development and improvement of mental and interpersonal skills, in order to increase the effectiveness of the employee's action such as e.g. ability to make decisions, handle problems and communicate interpersonal.

- Attitudes. Modify behavior to make it more effective for employees to respond to a variety of environmental factors. Attitudes towards clients and colleagues, tolerance of cultural differences, self-confidence, desire to take responsibility are some examples of attitudes that are sought to be developed through training.

- Competencies. A term that is encountered in recent years and includes all the professional characteristics, knowledge, skills required for the successful execution of a job. (Papalexandri & Bourandas, 2003: 267)

 

 

Training and development

Training focuses on producing lasting cognitive and behavioral changes, as well as developing critical skills to achieve the best job performance (Salas et al., 2006). In short, training is a systematic approach that influences the knowledge, skills and attitudes of individuals, in order to improve individual, team and organizational effectiveness.

According to the bibliography, training is "the provision to employees of specific skills or assistance in order to complete their tasks and focuses exclusively on current work, as well as on the immediate needs of the company" (Terzidis and Tzortzakis, 2004). Furthermore, education is defined as "a systematically designed process that aims to explore knowledge and learn behaviors that will contribute to achieving the goals and strategy of the company" (Xirotyri-Koufidou, 2001).

The term “staff development” refers to "the systematic and intensive efforts of the organization in order to improve the present and future performance of executives by increasing their skills such as knowledge and skills" (Arguinis, Kraiger, 2009: 452).

Gansberghe (2003) defines education/training as a long-term process designed to enhance capacity and effectiveness.

In summary, the benefits of training and developing the human resources of a modern business have to do with:

- Change

- Increased productivity

- Purpose specialization (quality is the goal)

- Reduction of errors

- Standardization (Prior, 2000: 28).

 

Necessity of education/training in tourism companies

Hotel businesses are the industry that must constantly focus on staff training, planning and execution of training programs.

Tourism training is the most important process for the development of tourism and especially in Greece as it is the main factor of economic development for our country. The quality of services is directly related to tourism education/training, but the training received by the staff from the various educational and training institutions is not enough, but specialization is needed on the job they have undertaken.

 

Staff Training in Tourism Enterprises

Staff training in tourism companies is a complex dynamic necessity. Training is the main means of securing employees, who must come in direct contact with the customer, speak many languages ​​and have impeccable technique in their specialty.

Education/training is the organized process by which people acquire knowledge and skills for a specific purpose.

Vocational training in tourism companies is training of both hands and spirit, ie the acquisition of manual specialties framed by technical knowledge and higher intellectual training.

It deals with 3 levels of change in the human body:

· Ability to acquire knowledge,

· Human relations, and

· Technical skills.

The skill in human relationships, ie the ability to control and influence our personal feelings and others, plays an important role mainly in the relationship between the customer and the employee and generally in the tense atmosphere encountered in an active tourism business.

The main purpose of the training is to enrich and familiarize the employees with that special information, which will help them to perform their tasks more safely and efficiently, always having great cooperation.

The aim is to improve the services provided through specialized training and to create economic and social incentives for employees, who will become perfect connoisseurs of their specialized work. (Laloumis, 2018)

 

Peculiarities of training in hotel units

Due to the fact that hotel employees come in both direct and indirect contact with the public, their training has some peculiarities. A defect in a machine is less tragic than a stained sheet in the client's bed.

Also a large percentage of hotel employees tend to switch from one profession to another and thus appear psychologically unstable. Many of them consider their profession temporary and very few return next year.

48% of the 1,600,000 hotel employees are women and only a small percentage are expected to make a career. (1/2 of the above women are 65 years old). 62% of a payroll situation usually consists of unskilled employees who need to be trained on site.

2/3 of them are unskilled workers, e.g. waiters' assistants and 1/3 receptionists, cashiers, storekeepers, etc.

Because of these peculiarities, in the hotel professions the final responsibility for the training of the employees remains with the supervisor and not with the passing trainer. This supervisor rewards or punishes the employee. (Laloumis, 2018)

 

Evaluation of Training

Business executives always want to be sure of the results of the training they fund. Thus, those in charge of training programs use various methods to evaluate the effectiveness of these training programs, such as measuring skills and knowledge before and after training, interviews, etc.

However, it is difficult to discern what exactly is causing an improvement in production, because other factors such as new equipment, better design, etc. also affect.

This is why a more reliable method is to compare two groups, one of which is trained and the other not, so the comparison leads us to more reliable conclusions about the effectiveness of training programs. Such a method of comparison, however, is difficult to apply.

In general, a training program is effective when it places the employee quickly in production, increases his skills and easily addresses the changing needs of the business. (Laloumis, 2018)

 

Educational/Training process

There is a wide variety of methods and techniques that can be used, but their choice depends on the knowledge that needs to be imparted. (Laloumis, 2018)

The main methods:

1. Speeches

2. Discussions

3. Orientation lectures

4. Case study

5. Role play and sketches

6. Visual aids

7. Scheduled teaching

 The most important educational/training media are short and feature films, boards, sketches, slides, videocassettes, microphone cassettes and other visual aids.

Regardless of the method used, in order for the training to be effective, an training plan must be designed, which includes the following stages:

1. Preparation: the purpose of the preparation is to make the trainee feel comfortable and to create interest in his new job. The difficulties of the job are reported as they are and not exaggerated, while the employee is warned about the occupational risks he is going to face in his new job and is encouraged with measures to avoid them.

2. Delivery: the work in which the employee will be trained is developed and demonstrated in a logical order and clarity.

3. Application: the trainee proceeds on his own to perform the taught task, while the trainer corrects or points out details that were not understood.

4. Test/Evaluation: the ability of the employee to perform the work in its entirety and without assistance is measured. The means of helping training are speech, demonstration, aids and questions. (Laloumis, 2018)

 

Conclusions

There is a lot of documented evidence in the bibliography that training and development activities have a positive impact on the performance of individuals and groups. Benefits also arise for the companies themselves, such as improved productivity, sales or revenue and overall profitability.

Finally, there are benefits to society itself, which have led many countries around the world to adopt national policies to encourage the design and implementation of education, training and development programs.

Companies that emphasize the relationship between training and education activities and strategy are possessed by the appropriate skills and knowledge of staff in order to create a sustainable competitive advantage and improve business performance.

 

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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