Development of Retooling Programme for Operatives in the Hotel Industry in Nigeria

Abstract

The general purpose of this study was to develop retooling programme for operatives in the hotel industry in Nigeria. Specifically the study identified objectives of retooling programme in the hotel industry, determined the content of retooling programme, determined the delivery system (methods and facilities) that could be employed for implementing retooling programme in hotel industry in Nigeria and the activities that could be used for evaluating the retooling programme. It also developed a retooling programme based on the findings from specific purposes 1 - 4. The retooling programme was validated and tried out for its efficacy. By pre-test and post test evaluation. Five research questions were answered and five hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. A modified Research and Development design (R and D) was used. Lagos and Abuja constituted the area of the study. The population was made up of 1170 respondents consisting of 78 managers, 312 supervisors and 780 operatives. The sample size was 538 respondents consisting of 78 managers, 191 supervisors and 269 operatives. The instruments for the study were questionnaire and a 50 multiple choice questions to test efficacy. It was validated by two lecturers each from Department of Vocational Teacher Education and Department of Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism Management, University of Nigeria Nsukka and Kaduna Polytechnic, respectively and a manager from Hamdala Hotel Kaduna. Cronbach reliability test was used to determine the internal consistency. The reliability coefficients obtained were 0.72, 0.92, 0.80, 0.72, 0.82, 0.76, 0.87 0.77 for clusters 1-9 and overall of 0.86. Five hundred and thirty eight copies of the questionnaire were administered and 487 copies were retrieved. The major findings included 15 appropriate objectives of retooling programme, 33 knowledge and skills content items were highly needed in front office. The finding revealed that 51knowledge and skill content items were needed in the restaurant; 42 knowledge and skill content items were needed in the kitchen while 50 knowledge and skill content items were needed in the housekeeping and laundry. It also revealed that 11 delivery methods and 18 facilities for implementing retooling programme were needed for retooling while 14 attitudes content items were needed for exhibition by operatives in the hotel and 11 activities for evaluating the programme. There is no significant difference between the mean opinion of supervisors and managers on appropriate objectives of retooling in the hotels. There are significant differences in the mean responses of manager and supervisors on attitudes to be exhibited by operatives, delivery system to be used for retooling operatives and on activities for evaluating retooling programme in the hotel industry. Findings also indicated that there is significant difference in the performance of operatives exposed to the retooling programme and those not exposed. Based on the findings, two recommendations for retooling programme were made. These included continual retooling and adequate Budgeting for retooling to ensure investment in staff development. It was also recommended that management should organise visitation to other hotel establishment for operatives as an exchange programme.