Integrating Technical and Emotional Competences in Hospitality Education

Abstract

Given that hospitality students are the main prospective labor source in the industry, employees, academicians, and practitioners agree that improving competences is central to the education, training, and development of hospitality employees. The current study used a competency-based framework to investigate the simultaneous application of training in technical and emotional competences on hospitality undergraduates in a service management class (N = 50). Data were gathered using a pre- and posttest design at a southwestern university in the United States. Competences increased after training, which supports the notion of including emotional competence in hospitality curricula. The findings of this study provide support for existing knowledge about emotional competences and the importance of including emotional competences in the hospitality curriculum.