This paper reports the findings of a case study undertaken in the Scottish hospitality industry of which the process of accrediting competencies has been positively experienced by employees and managers of Montpelier (Edinburgh) Ltd. The paper begins by reviewing some of the British and American theoretical and practical literature on the accreditation of competencies to raise some of the issues which are addressed by our data. The study draws on both quantitative and qualitative methodologies in order to evaluate the value of Scottish vocational qualifications (SVQs) to both the employee and employer. The findings suggest that, on balance, the competence approach has proven to be a popular and useful method of job and career development for those people participating in the programme and provides a useful development framework for the employer.
A core prescription from the knowledge management movement is that the successful management of organizational knowledge will prevent firms from "reinventing the wheel." Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are seen as a key enabler of this process. Our findings challenge this logic.They suggest instead that knowledge is embedded within organizational processes and it is through the continual enactment of these processes that knowledge is created, renewed and transferred. Evidence from a cataract project underway at a Midlands Hospital substantiates our findings. We suggest therefore that attention should be directed at the development and use of ICTs to support the relational aspects of project working and the production of process knowledge facilitating processes of knowledge exploration.
Purpose
This paper considers a country context where traditional entrepreneurship has not been a major part of the economy and considers current attempts to develop entrepreneurship education (EE) as a part of wider market development.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors review the background to the economic development of the Post-Soviet states and link this to existing knowledge around EE. The potential routes by which EE might be developed in Uzbekistan are discussed with a focus upon hospitality and tourism education, leading to the development of a model of the six key aspects of change
Findings
The potential for future research is explored, and four aspects are highlighted as areas where partnership working with overseas universities is likely to have substantive benefits. In particular, the development of quality standards and staff development are areas where partnership could have an important influence, whereas barriers within local systems and cultural resistance are likely to benefit less from a partnership approach. Although entrepreneurial competencies and entrepreneurial intent are both important, entrepreneurial intent is highlighted given its role in terms of individual responses to country-level initiatives.
Practical implications
Although all four aspects merit further research, this paper ends with a specific suggestion that future research should draw on the theory of planned behaviour to explore entrepreneurial intent.
Originality/value
Uzbekistan is a relatively under-researched area where hospitality and tourism industries are undergoing a period of intense development.
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