Values as Pillars in Tourism Education

Pauline J. Sheldon

University of Hawai’i, USA

Values – what are they?

• “Deeply held beliefs that drive activities”– Personal, social, public, cultural

• Some universal; some culture-specific• Silent, implicit, unexamined• Bridge between past - present – future• Difficult to shift – maybe education can• Current Crisis of Values

Universal Values

Innate dignity and

development of human life

Respect for others and

environment

Quest for peace and happiness

Attitude of non-violence

Integrity and service

Source: Adapted from “International Association for Human Values”

Shift in Corporate Values

Property-Centered Corporation:

• Maximum growth• Maximum profits• Creating wealth for

financial elite and CEO• CORPORATION AS

PIECE OF PROPERTY

Life-Centered Corporation:

• Organic growth• Ethical profits• Serving variety of

stakeholders• CORPORATION AS

LIVING SYSTEM.

Changing Societal Values

• There are important values entirely apart from money. “Human rights.”

• Prosperity is about money but also health, balance, family. “Quality of life.”

• Long-term is more important than short-term. “Sustainability.”

• Public goods take priority over private interests. “Protecting the commons.”

Shift in Tourist Values

• OLD• Seek complexity of

consumerism in destinations

• Seek hedonistic experiences ignoring local cultures

• Lack of interest in environmental issues

• NEW• Value simplicity and

authenticity• Believe in engaged

action & service • Concerned about

ecology• Are altruistic, self

actualizing and spiritually engaged

Tourism Education?

• Has there been a parallel shift in tourism education?

• Shouldn’t educational institutions be leading this shift?

• Don’t we have to prepare out students for a VERY different world?

Pauline Sheldon, University of Hawaii, USA

Daniel Fesenmaier, Temple University, USA

John Tribe, University of Surrey, UK

Leo Jago, Victoria University, Australia

Janne Liburd, S. Denmark University

AND ABOUT 70 OTHER LEADING EDUCATORS AND INDUSTRY MEMBERS FROM ABOUT 28 COUNTRIES

Tourism Education Futures Initiative (TEFI)

THE TEFI VISION

• “TEFI seeks to provide vision, knowledge and a framework for tourism education programs to promote global citizenship and optimism for a better world.” www.tourismeducationsummit.com

Rationale For Change

• Education must shift from unthinking reproduction

• Focus on means rather than ends• Tsunamis of change

– Climate change– Peak oil– Human rights– Food and water shortages

TEFI Process ww.tourismeducationsummit.com

• Three Annual Summits– Lectures by leading scholars and industry– Breakout group discussions– Agreements and vision setting

• Work Group Assignments– Set foundation for following summit– Enable connections/networking with groups

and programs• Move from Values to Implementation

TEFI 1 - Vienna Summit

• April 2007, Modul University, Vienna, Austria

• 48 participants from 13 countries• Goal: White Paper to Outline a Framework

for the Future of Tourism Education for 2010-2030

ReadingsPre-meeting

survey

Summit:Megatrends

Futurist5 Scenarios

Values Skill sets

Values – based framework

www.tourismeducationsummit.com

Towards a Values-Based Framework for Tourism Education

• John Tribe, UK - Promoting an Academy of Hope for Tourism Education” – scoping the vision

• Scott Meis, Canada - Increasing demand for qualified employees, projecting a lack as other industries compete for labor.

• Gianna Moscardo, Australia - learning styles and behaviors of Gen Y. Need to attract the brightest and best to tourism studies

Attended by 38 participants from ten countries.

Hawai’i Summit II – April, 2008

Towards a Values-Based Framework for Tourism Curricula

• Thomas Bieger, CH. - Challenges of universities in a time of change

• Irena Ateljevic, NL. - Academy of Hope

• Simon Wong, Hong Kong - Outcomes-based education in the Context of TEFI

• Loredana Padurean, CH and Betsy Barber, USA - Linking values into curriculum design

Attended by 34 participants from 14 countries.

Lugano Summit III – April, 2009

TEFI Values

Stewardship: • sustainability, responsibility •and service to the community

Mutuality: diversity, inclusion,

equity, humility, collaboration

Knowledge: •critical thinking, innovation,

• creativity, networking

Ethics: •honesty, transparency,

• authenticity, • authentic self

Professionalism: • leadership, practicality,

•services, relevance, timeliness, • reflexivity, teamwork,

• pro-activity

ETHICS

• “Right” vs. “Wrong”• Judging and guiding actions• Universal Ethical Values

– Benevolence, freedom, transparency, honesty, justice, authenticity etc.

• Cross-cultural issues:– Issues of ownership

Learning Experiences in Tourism Ethics

Introduce ethics as a field of study• Reflexivit

y and decolonization of self

• Ethical dilemmas due to stakeholder ethics

Understand different ethical traditions and principles• Utilitarianis

m• Kantian

ethics of respect for others

• Aristotelian virtue ethics

• others

Equip students to achieve reconciliation• Principle

s of negotiation

• Ethical leadership skills

Draw connections to issues of power and politics• Identify

sources of power

Evoke actions• Develo

p own Student Code of Conduct

KNOWLEDGE

• Complex cognitive processes of perception, reasoning, learning, communication, association, application

• Tacit and Explicit• Knowledge Creation addresses

– Creativity & innovation– Critical Thinking– Networking

• Cross-Cultural issues:– Access to knowledge, knowledge creation processes

Learning about Tourism Knowledge

Understand the

Value and Power of Knowledg

e

The Art and Skill

of Sharing Knowledg

e including

new Codes of Conduct

Harvesting from new

Knowledge intermediaries, codes of conduct;Ways of

communicating

knowledge across

borders and disciplines

Strengthening students’ critical thinking through interactive teaching; • Interactive

teaching processes

• The art of questioning the answer

Humility and Courage in the fields of• Data

creation and management

• Information management

• Knowledge creation and management

STEWARDSHIP

• “Choosing service over self-interest”– Responsibility– Sustainability– Service to Others

• All Stakeholders have responsibility for environment • Need understanding of stakeholder motives and

exercising of power/influence• Need to engage with the non-tourism world• Cross-cultural differences: stage of development; quantity and

quality of resources

Learning about Stewardship in Tourism

Understand how the tourism system operates• Inputs

and outputs

• Cause and effect

Understand that the tourism system requiresconstant

intervention and a re-evaluation

of performance indicators

Students should

critically evaluate

the impact of their own travels and their future travels as managers

and leaders

Service projects should involve The local community• Other

countries and academic fields to increase knowledge of other cultures and sectors

Include debates

on stewardsh

ip issues

MUTUALITY

• “…grounded in human relationships mutuality requires attitudinal developments involving acceptance, self-awareness, open-mindedness and empowerment..”

• Mutuality as an evolving process starting with self-awareness (Inglehart 1997)

• Influences behaviors and attitudes• Respect of self and other• Diversity, inclusion, humility, equity, collaboration• Cross-cultural issues:

– level of homogeneity of population

Learning Experiences in Mutuality in Tourism

Create opportunities for students to examine their own mindsets of how they perceive reality• Create safe,

inclusive environments for students

Encourage positive attitude to diversity and respect to all.

Expose students to social and cultural

values different from own.

Develop student skills to:

• Initiate open dialog

• Manage conflict• Reach mutually

beneficial agreements

PROFESSIONALISM

• “The ability to align personal and organizational conduct with ethical and professional standards that include a responsibility to customer and community and a commitment to lifelong learning”.

• Leadership and pro-activity• Practicality and timeliness• Partnership development & teamwork• Relevance and reflexivity • Cross-cultural differences:

– Level of prestige of tourism profession

Learning Experiences in Tourism Professionalism

Leadership

Create innovation

in an organizatio

nInspire

individual and

organizational

excellence

Pro-activity Taking

initiativePersevera

nce to achieve change

Relevance and

reflexivityAbility to create service

and product

innovation

Partnership• Understa

nd how to create networks and new alliances

• Build new supply chain relationships

Timeliness and Practicality• Embod

y the ideals of efficiency and effectiveness

TEFI Values and the Way Forward…

The Way Forward for TEFI

• Networking• Distribution• Pilot Projects• The Next Two Summits

Networking

• Accreditation Agencies:– UNWTO TedQual– ACPHA– Others

• Collaborating with other agencies working to make education more responsible– Academy of Hope– UN Principles for Responsible Management

Education– Education and Science Council, UNWTO– BEST Education Network

Distribution

• Creation of TEFI Ambassadors• Website:

www.tourismeducationsummit.com• Faculty Code of Ethics/Conduct• Journal Articles• Handbook for Faculty• One week Seminars for Faculty around

the world• Conference Presentations

Pilot Projects

• Pilot Projects in Academia– Modul University: Scholarship of Hope; Oath

– Temple University: Course templates

– University of Hawaii: Redesign of Curriculum

• Pilot Projects in Industry– Engagement with Innovators– Stewardship internships

Professional Oaths of Honor

• Modul University, Vienna Austria

• Thunderbird Business School, USA– “As a global citizen, I promise:

I will strive to act with honesty and integrity, I will respect the rights and dignity of all people, I will strive to create sustainable prosperity worldwide, I will oppose all forms of corruption and exploitation, and I will take responsibility for my actions. As I hold true to these principles, it is my hope that I may enjoy an honorable reputation and peace of conscience. This pledge I make freely and upon my honor.”

Pilot Courses: Temple University Leisure and Tourism in a Diverse Society

STEWARDSHIP• Service to the

Community

 

MUTUAL RESPECT• Diversity• Inclusion• Equity• Humility

 

Upon conclusion of this course students will be able to:• Demonstrate service to the

community by organizing a service project.

• Prepare a statement on Mutual Respect including the terms diversity and inclusion.

• Formulate a policy on equity (inclusive of persons with disabilities) for your business.

• Write a reaction paper on how you felt when role playing a disability.

Assignments include: Event Planning, Reaction Papers, Policy Development and Role Playing.

Pilot: Temple University: Research Methodology (core)

PROFESSIONALISM• Teamwork

 

MUTUAL RESPECT• Collaboration

 

KNOWLEDGE• Critical Thinking• Innovation• Creativity

 

Upon conclusion of this course students will be able to:• Write a proposal to conduct research (critical

thinking, innovation, and creativity)• Identify and critically evaluate literature (both

practical and academic) that provides the foundation for research

• Critique a survey focusing on the various aspects of survey design and concept evaluation

• With a team, conduct a study which includes sampling, survey design, data collection, analysis and interpretation

• With a team, present in both written and oral formats the results of a research project.

Assignments include: Exams and Quizzes, Research Proposal, Research Paper, and Presentation 

The Next Two Years

• TEFI Values Assessment Inventory• Academy of Hope Scholarship• Grant-writing• 2010 and 2011 Meetings

– 2010 TEFI Meeting: Assessment and Tools for Change

– 2011: TEFI World Congress: Activating Change in Tourism Education

• Please join us…

• QUESTIONS?• psheldon@hawaii.edu

CONCLUSION

• More research on values transmission

TEFI Process

• Development of a foundation based upon leading innovators in tourism research and education worldwide

• Proactive, focusing on the development of leaders of change

• Combination of Summit and Working Groups• Summits involve lecture to stimulate – challenge the

status quo and discussion groups to address these challenges

• Working Groups focus on building tools to support learning & build partnerships with industry leaders

After Hawaii

• Five Values Working Groups to define/refine each of values

• Modul University – Implemented a program on sustainability; Scholarship of Hope

• Program design – HK, Australia, USA• Case Study Working Group to identify examples

of values-based education implemented at universities worldwide

• Lugano Summit III - – April 2009

.

After Lugano

• White Paper outlining the foundations for TEFI and its values

• Working Group - Faculty Code of Ethics• Working Group - Pilot programs at universities

world wide • Working Group - TEFI

Inventory for program assessment

• Summit IV - Summit V

After Vienna

• Article in Journal of Teaching in Travel and Tourism

• Website: www.tourismeducationsummit.com• BEST Education Network houses TEFI• Hawai’i Summit II - April 2008

Towards a Values-Based Framework for Tourism Education.