Case-study: A Satellite-based Internet Learning System for the Hospitality Industry

The hospitality industry is diverse and global and has two specific segments: lodging properties and food-service operations. It is one of the nations' top industries and employers (Travel Industry Association, 1998). In the hospitality industry, much of what employees know is self-taught or obtained from on-the-job training (OJT), is typically inconsistent and incomplete (Woods, 1997). Generally, in the hospitality domain, information is handed down from one employee to another in an ad hoc manner. As a consequence of high employee turnover, which ranges from 60% to triple-digit figures, most training happens on the job (Hinkin & Tracey, 2000; Casado & Jurowski, 2001). A formal in-house training program is too laborintensive and time-consuming to develop and to implement (Collins & Malik, 1999). Further complicating the delivery of hospitality-training programs is the size and geographical dispersion of the hospitality workforce. Hospitality operations are implemented worldwide, thereby making delivery of comprehensive training and continuing education to remote areas extremely difficult. The globalization and rapid growth of the hospitality industry combined with a shrinking labor pool, underscores the need for trained personnel (Turkel, 2000). Furthermore, competitive pressures and rising customers’ expectations mandate that employees excel at their jobs, which drives the need for hospitality operators to provide real-time training programs and innovative training solutions (Grindy, 1998).