Continuous Professional Development In The Hospitality Industry Of Australia Is Essential For Growth.

Managerial Experience and Skills

Question:

Discuss about the Continuous Professional Development ?

The following report is designed to provide an insight into the continuous professional development in the hospitality industry of Australia. The focus has been made on the macro-trends taking place in the industry, especially the climate change and energy. The report also visualizes the future of the industry through environmental inspection, blue sky thinking and scenario planning. An evaluation of the dynamics of complexity and impact of changes on the professional performance has been made. Moreover, a brief analysis of professional values, ethics and CSR of Australian hospitality industry has also been included in the report.

I’m an innovative manager with 5 years of experience to manage all aspects of the management function such as planning, organizing, directing, staffing, coordinating, and controlling to provide benefits to the company. I have spent the last 2 years on developing my skills as an assistant manager for Old Canberra Inn., where I have won a number of performance awards and been promoted two times. I love managing teams and solving customer problems. I have leadership skills that are a significant element to take a tactic decision about the goals and objectives of an organization. I am also capable of allocating the resources at the time to meet the directives. This skill contains different components such as assigning work, motivating people and influence to others effectively.

Although, I like my current role because I feel that I am now ready for taking the more challenging tasks and this position really electrified me. I have more than one years of experience as a marketing manager at top Palazzo Versace, Australia. Most recently, I appreciated for making innovative proposals. I’m a person who succeeds in a fast-paced environment so right now I’m looking for an opportunity to apply my technical skill and my creative problem-solving skills at an innovative hotel.  

Along with this, I have the ability to interact with another person because I have effective communication skills. It would be beneficial to attract more customers towards my organization in future. Together with, I have the capability to work more effectively in my group and teams which may be formal and informal. I am also risk taker person because I have taken different kinds of risks to maximize the return within the organization. As, I have capability and competencies to start my own hotel or make a career in the hospitality industry in future.   

The hospitality industry is the wide segment within the service industry which includes event planning, transportation, event planning, theme parks, cruise line and additional areas within the tourism industry. Hospitality is one of the leading and fast growing industries in the world.  In the current year, it ranks as the leading employer in the globe because it facilitates the wide range of jobs in different areas within hospitality and tourism like resorts, hotels, and restaurants (Lee-Ross, 2014). Together with, the hotel industry is an important sector in the economy of Australia. Besides this, hospitality industry facilitates the employment opportunities to more than the 27000 people across the nation. Hotels are major consumers of domestic supplied goods and services hence it required to get support with local sporting and community organization (Wang, C. J., Tsai, H. T., & Tsai, M. T. (2014). Thus, it can be stated that hospitality industry offers the valuable services as a meeting destination and entertainment center for both tourists and the local community.  

Expansion of Business in the Hospitality Industry

Political factor

Australia has good trading policies with its neighbor nation and their trades are in positive condition. Hence, it would be beneficial to expand the business in the hospitality industry across the Australia. Along with this, pressure group will make the business to consider the corporate local responsibilities and ethics that company should consider in their practices in Australia (Ho, 2014). It is analyzed that Australian economy has not involved in any kinds of war inside and outside the nation which shows that political environment is sound in this nation.

Besides this, the government of Australia regulated open door policy which encourages the international businesses to invest their resources for the benefits of Australian customers. Australia also maintains the voting election for the house of representative in each year by using the Australian election system. Hence, it can be stated that political environment is relatively constant and business regulation could be revised while the new government will elect to use power (Morris, and Metternicht, 2016).  As a result, it would be beneficial to business expansion in the hospitality industry because the government will not interference in a business decision. 

Economic factor

Australia is facing recession and an inflation rate of 2-3% and the unemployment rate is around 5.7%. There are a high amount of taxes imposed by the government of Australia named corporate tax, sales tax, progressive income tax pay as people earn. In this way, corporate tax rate is viable in Australia as compared to other developed countries. Australian trade is more focuses towards the Asia and pacific countries as a manager can expand the business in the hospitality industry in Australia (Barba, et al., 2016). Further, the purchasing power of people is high as it would be beneficial to offer the luxury goods and services to customers in the Hospitality industry.  

Social factor

The population of Australia is low together with its population density is low which shows that there is less obstruction in the local areas. The population dynamic demonstrates that there is a large amount of Australian in the working class. This provides anticipation for a vibrant economy (Hsu, et al., 2017). In contrast to this, a number of people are old age while the number of young population is small.  

It indicated that while the current generation passes, then the population will reduce significantly. It would be beneficial for expanding their business because the company can effectively assess the market research due to low population. Furthermore, Australians are conscious of taking healthy foods and standard lifestyle. The current trend is that numbers of Australians are overweight and obese (Robinson, et al., 2016). Due to this, I can expand the business by providing fat-free products and healthy products because people are interested in losing their weight. 

Technological factor

There are different technological factors which can affect the expansion of business. These are automation, research and development activities, technology incentives, and rate of technological changes. These factors can barrier to entry, minimum efficient production level, and also affect the outsourcing decision. In Australia, advanced technology has been used as it allowed the organization to manage their operation efficiently and provide freedom to choice the operation. For example, knowledge-based systems have allowed the organization to make feasible and more informed decisions in real-time. Moreover, advanced technology may decline the costs, quality, and lead to innovation (Hsu, et al., 2017). For example, Hotel can use online booking systems for advance booking of hotel facilities as it would be beneficial to decline the cost of the company.

Political Factor

As a manger of a hotel company in hospitality industry, I am expected to possess necessary skills Customer satisfaction, industry experience, problem solving, communication, and leadership. I am expected to have good management skills for carrying out the job of supervising the hotel. Also, my employer expects me to effectively coordinate the activities of hotel personnel to make sure that facilities are well- maintained. Moreover, my duties include taking initiatives to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty so as to retain them in the long-run (Domínguez-Falcón et al., 2016). Properly monitoring the maintenance of administrative and financial records is also the most important responsibility of mine being a hotel manager.

In addition to above, I need to look into customer complaints and also sometimes need to handle legal and financial aspects of the organization. My other activities also include setting room rates, up keeping tracks of budgets, and interviews, and hiring, and terminating employees, checking overall customer comfort and experiences, recreation, and safety and maintenance. My career goal is to find an interesting and challenging role in clubs or hotels where I can employ my exceptional interpersonal, management, and leadership skills to make a significant contribution and confidently lead a team. On the other hand, the goals of my employer are recruiting right people in the organization through behavior-based testing and competency screening, and take the organization to great heights of success by delivering excellent services to the clients and customers (Okumus et al., 2016). In order to align my organizational goals to my career goals, I would contribute my best as an employee of the hotel and keep on learning from the internal and external organizational environment.

In Australia’s modern and complex era where business survival has become a challenge, the hospitality industry has to take a little extra care while dealing with its customers, supplier, and the government rules and policies (Mackenzie, and Peters, 2014). The professional values that a hotel organization embraces indicate its workplace culture. The most important values in Australia’s hospitality sector are integrity, meeting commitments, teamwork, maintaining confidentiality, accepting accountability, punctuality, and trustworthiness which can be clearly reflected in the conduct and decisions taken by the management.

The ethical practices in Australia’s hospitality industry include providing quality services by combining the efforts and experiences of human resources. By adhering to the relevant legal standards, the organizations attempt to save the company from being discredited (Knani, 2014). Also, the organizations employ fair business practices so as not to exploit customers or clients.

Further, the hospitality organizations adopt environment sustainability practices to conserve non-renewable resources for the continual development of environmental platform. In this view, the employees are motivated to work efficiently to improve our management of energy, waste, water and biodiversity (Mackenzie, and Peters, 2014). Moreover, the organizations employ and lodge people belonging from distinct cultures and provide them equal rights, and opportunities for growth. The team members at the workplace respect each other’s religion, customs, and opinions, which strengthen the team efforts in accomplishing organizational objectives.

Economic Factor

Socio-cultural and Personal Competence

Competency Assessment
Socio-cultural and Personal Competence	Rating
Generic	4
Leadership	5
Commitment	3
Attitude	2
Self-direction	4
Learning	2
Cultural empathy	2
Innovation and creativity	4

(Note: 1= extremely low, 2 = low, 3 = medium, 4 = high, 5 = extremely high)

From the above competency assessment, it can be analyzed that I have different Socio-cultural and Personal Competencies but some skills are low and some are high. It is stated that I have a high level of generic competencies because I use general professional approach to meet the assignments, to build teamwork and to meet the performance objectives. Together with, I got an extremely high score in leadership competencies which indicated that I am capable of providing direction, motivation, and management to individuals and teams. Furthermore, I have obtained a medium score for commitment competencies which shows that my personal dedication to meet the task and to get reliable project outcomes is average.

In contrast to this, I have obtained a low score for attitude skills which mean I am a narrow mind that discourages integrity and also unable me for attaining the project goals within a desired social context.  It is also evaluated that I got a high score for self-direction skills which exhibit that I have high capability to manage within and without guidelines and processes and to work without supervision.

Together with, my learning skills is low that depicted I do not commit to making continuous improvement in knowledge, skills, and attitude, and to creating new knowledge, developing skills and approaches. Along with this, I got a low score in cultural empathy which means my awareness of, respect for and accommodation of individual lifestyle, beliefs, and norms are not good.  But, at the same time, innovation and creativity skills are high which means I have a high capacity to generate new ideas/approaches & realize these in a beneficial manner.   

Managerial and Technical Competencies
Competencies	Rating
Strategic Thinking	4
Change management	5
Team working skills	3
Cross-cultural skills	2
Financial acumen	4
Supplier relationship management	2
Project management	3
Risk management	5
Ethical judgment	4
Decision making	2

(Note: 1= extremely low, 2 = low, 3 = medium, 4 = high, 5 = extremely high)

As per the analysis, it can be stated that I have four core skills, 4 are secondary core skills and 2 are basic skills. In this way, it can be stated that my core skills are strategic thinking, change management, team working skills, and cross-cultural skills. Furthermore, my four secondary skills are team working skills, cross-cultural skills, financial acumen, and supplier relationship management. Together with, it is analyzed that my two basic skills are ethical judgment and decision making. From the assessment of managerial and technical competencies, it is observed that I got highest marks for strategic thinking which means I think about, assess, view, and create the future for themselves and others.

Further, I obtained the extremely high score in change management which demonstrated that I have the capability to manage the changes and development inside the business and similar organization. Besides with, I obtained a medium score in team working skills which means I willing to cooperate the group of people towards work together with coordinate to attain the common aim. In addition to this, I have a low score in cross-cultural skills which means my knowledge, skills, and motivation unable me to adopt cross-cultural environments. I have a high score in the financial acumen competencies which indicated that I maintain and apply the broad understanding of financial management principals to take sound and economical decision.

Social Factor

As per the above assessment, it can be stated that I am unable to maintain the relationship with supplier due to lack of knowledge. Further, I got a medium score for Project management which depicts that I can initiate, plan, execute, control, and close the work of a team which will be beneficial to attain specific goals and meets specific success criteria. But, sometimes, I faced challenges due to inadequate knowledge for managing the project.

Moreover, I obtained an extremely high score in risk management competencies which mean I have an appropriate understanding of the risk management. As well as, I am capable of identifying and addressing the risk within and outside the business as it helps to attain the goals of the company effectively and efficiently. From the analysis, it can be evaluated that I have obtained a high score in ethical judgment which means my decision is based on whether something is ethical or unethical, right or wrong. But, at the same time, it is analyzed that I got a low score in decision-making competence which means I unable to take a feasible decision within the organization.

From the assessment, it can be stated I have a wide range of Socio-cultural and Personal Competence, and Managerial and Technical Competencies. But, I need to improve some of the skills to attain the goals and objectives. As per the assessment of Socio-cultural and Personal Competence, it can be stated I need to improve my commitment, and attitude to develop competence during the entire professional development program. Along with this, I need to enhance learning and cultural empathy skills to grab the different opportunities because it may come from the learning in the program and from engagement with other activities.

According to the managerial and technical competencies, it can be stated that I need to improve my team working and cross-cultural skills which are core skills as it would be effective to develop my managerial and technical competencies. As well as, I need to maintain supplier relationship management and project management that is secondary skills and it would be beneficial to effectively meet the goals and objectives of the company. Together with, I have observed that I have a lack of Decision-making skills hence I should improve my decision-making skills because it is my basic skills and it would be effective to develop my managerial and technical skills. Along with this, it would be beneficial to optimum utilization of resources.    

Aim and development objectives	Activities needed to undertake to achieve objective	Timescale
Aim: Enhancing the attitude skills Ø  To take better decisions. Ø  To overcome obstacles by motivating themselves. Ø  To improve health and reduce stress.	Ø  Induction training Ø  Interesting work or at least the opportunity for interesting assignments from time to time. Ø  Participation in decisions Ø  Opportunities for growth Ø  Control over their work (Brownell, 2015).	2 Months
Aim: Enhancing the learning skills Ø  To identify the organizational issues Ø  To improve job performance Ø  To match the individual aspirations with organizational goals	Ø  Systematic problem solving Ø  effective Training Ø  Ongoing programs Ø  Learning from past experience Ø  Learning from others Ø  Transferring knowledge	5 Month
Aim: Enhancing the Cultural empathy skills Ø  To understand different perspectives and experiences Ø  To identify the behaviors of others	Ø  Conduct a Cultural Audit Ø  Build a Culturally Competent Organization Ø  Learn to identify your own feelings (Brownell, 2015).	4 month
Aim: Improving team working skills Ø  To build healthy competition among the team members Ø  To improve the relations among the employees	Ø  Implement Recognition Programs Ø  Encourage Social Activities Ø  Identify Existing Problems Ø  Outline Clear Roles Ø  Mediate Disputes	4 month
Aim: Building cross-cultural skills Ø  To tolerate uncertainties, ambiguities and unexpected changes in an intercultural interaction Ø  To interact with people from other cultures	Ø  Conducting cultural self-assessment Ø  Building on the strengths and resources of each culture in an organization Ø  Willing to share power among leaders of different cultural backgrounds Ø  Identify barriers to working with the organization	8 month
Aim: Upgrading Supplier relationship management Ø  To manage working capital. Ø  To set clear expectations and KPIs Ø  To find opportunities and improve supply chain sustainability	Ø  Spend visibility across the enterprise Ø  Tactical sourcing with bidding and auction tools Ø  Standardized self-service, plan-driven, and services procurement Ø  Centralized contract management (Lawson, et al., 2015).	2 Months
Aim: Building project management skills Ø  To Keep projects on schedule Ø  To Keep costs on budget Ø  To deliver on customer expectations	Ø  Managing time/schedule Ø  Managing human resources Ø  Managing risk Ø  Managing procurement Ø  Managing costs (Turner, 2016).	4 Months
Aim: Developing Decision-making skills Ø  To better usage of resources. Ø  To increase overall efficiency Ø  To Innovate new ideas Ø  To Motivate the employees	Ø  Brainstorm and list different possible choices Ø  Determine the best alternative Ø  Put the decision into action Ø  Evaluate the outcome of your decision and action steps	3 Months

I have created the proposed personal and professional development plan successfully by assessing all actions that are mentioned in the plan. From the above analysis, it can be stated that there are different activities that need to undertake to meet the objectives. It is also observed that I need to define engagement goals in realistic and everyday terms to meet the commitment goals. Further, the organization should develop induction training because it would be effective to improve attitude skills within the organization. As well as, this plan defines significant activities that should be used by organization and managers to meet the objectives at the given time period.

The services of hospitality industry have expanded and become highly demanded due to increase in the number of travelers and visitors across the world. The hospitality sector is an important sector of the Australian economy as it provides employment opportunities to more than 20,000 people every year throughout the country and is the significant consumer of locally supplied products and services. It has also increased the complications in the role of hotel managers to satisfy customers, serve the organizations, and achieve career goals at the same time.

Therefore, the need of self-SWOT analysis arises and I have made self-Swot analysis to evaluate my abilities to survive in hotel industry. My strengths such as professional qualifications (masters in hotel management and MBA) make me stand out from the rest of the employees. My expertise in communication skills, and leadership would definitely make a difference to the organization. My strengths enable me to grab the advantages of changes emerging in the industry Krishna, C.G., (2014). Also, the new position advertised by the hotel company matches my skill set. However, my self-evaluation also reveals that I am lacking some more skills necessary to become successful in future role, such as good interpersonal skills, the ability to motivate others, and the ability to stay calm under pressure. These weaknesses are posing threat to my position as peer possesses these skills and both of us are competing for the same position.

Moreover, it has been noticed that the technological advancements such as introduction of broadband connectivity in hospitality industry has changed the ways the hotels provide different services to people. My self-swot analysis shows that I am weak in using new technologies especially ERP, CRM, and SCM, which makes me inefficient and less competitive Krishna, C.G., (2014). Therefore, I may not be able to cope with frequently changing technological environment in the organization.

Aims and development objectives	Activities required to undertake to accomplish objectives	Timescale for achieving objectives
Aim: Enhancing the Cultural empathy skills Ø  To understand different perspectives and experiences Ø  To identify the behaviors of others	Ø  Conduct a Cultural Audit Ø  Build a Culturally Competent Organization Ø  Learn to identify your own feelings (Brownell, 2015).	4 month
Aim: Improving team working skills Ø  To build healthy competition among the team members Ø  To improve the relations among the employees	Ø  Implement Recognition Programs Ø  Encourage Social Activities Ø  Identify Existing Problems Ø  Outline Clear Roles Ø  Mediate Disputes (Fidalgo, et al., 2015).	4 month
Aim: Upgrading Supplier relationship management Ø  To manage working capital. Ø  To set clear expectations and KPIs Ø  To find opportunities and improve supply chain sustainability	Ø  Spend visibility across the enterprise Ø  Tactical sourcing with bidding and auction tools Ø  Standardized self-service, plan-driven, and services procurement Ø  Centralized contract management (Lawson, et al., 2015).	2 Months
Aim: Upgrading Supplier relationship management Ø  To manage working capital. Ø  To set clear expectations and KPIs Ø  To find opportunities and improve supply chain sustainability	Ø  Spend visibility across the enterprise Ø  Tactical sourcing with bidding and auction tools Ø  Standardized self-service, plan-driven, and services procurement Ø  Centralized contract management	2 Months

From the above assessment, it is analyzed that there are four aims which are essential to improve the productivity and performance of the company. These aims can be achieved by implementing different activities within the organization. Consequently, this plan is effective to improve the competencies at the specific period due to undertaking effective activities.   

Conclusion

On the basis of above discussions, it can be concluded that in order to improve the skills in professionals and enhance their career advancements, an effective utilization of the personal as well as professional development is needed. Moreover, such a proper application of skills and capabilities are helpful in grabbing competitive advantage over others in the corporate sector. It also assists the organizations to make the employees aware of the standards and receive positive feedback from the customers.

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