Length 2,000 words
Learning Outcomes This assessment addresses the following subject learning outcomes:
a) Understand the concept and development of professionalism within the broader tourism, hospitality and events industry;
b) Critically evaluate how changing consumer behavioral trends are impacting customer service;
c) Explore the correlation between culture, customer experience and business experience;
d) Assess a range of strategies that hotels can take to improve their customers’ experience.
Submission By 11:55pm AEST Sunday (week 6)
Weighting 40%
Total Marks 100 marks
Context:
Welcome to The Experience Economy (Pine & Gilmore, 1998): Hospitality is nearly as old as humanity. From providing a basic hospitable environment and simple amenities to guests, hotels are now aiming at staging memorable experiences. Due to the continuous shift in guest expectations, hotels are constantly evolving. The hotel industry has moved from meeting the need for a clean room and quality service, to now staging personalized, unique and authentic experiences that engage the guests in a personal way. Experiences are now used by hotel providers as a key competitive differentiator.
This assessment task gives you the opportunity to investigate a topic that is of significant importance to the hotel sector. The purpose of this assessment is to also allow you to improve your academic writing skill set, an important skill in any profession; and finally, it provides you an opportunity to research the hotel sector, and how it is evolving to create distinctive and authentic experiences.
Instructions:
This assessment task requires you, to write a 2000-word report on the emergence of hotel experiences, how the hotel sector is changing to adapt to ever-evolving consumer needs and wants, and what strategies hotels are using to provide authentic and unique guest experiences.
You should read widely and incorporate a range of readings and examples into your discussion.
Suggested Report Structure:
• TUA Individual Assessment Coversheet
• Executive Summary (approx. 200 words)
? Report aim
? Main problem
? Method of research used and sources used for the report (e.g. academic articles, blogs, online magazines)
? Key findings and results summarised
• Table of Contents
• Introduction (approx. 200 words)
? Background information on the topic
? Aim of report
? Structure of report
1. Guest experience definition and origins o How is guest experience defined in the academic literature? Critically evaluate 3 selected definitions.
o Why do guests seek memorable hotel experiences more than just a comfortable bed and good service? Critically reflect on the factors that have led consumers (hotel guests) to desire and be willing to pay for experiences rather than for product and services.
Tip 1: Avoid copying and pasting definitions from academic articles and text books. Instead, select and interpret in your own words the key theories and their applications in the hotel context.
Tip 2: Avoid bullet points and descriptive writing. It is important that you learn how to construct a sound discussion and show your analytical skills. Furthermore, be focused and try not to go off topic.
2. Hotel experiences o What determines a hotel guest experience? Illustrate how the four dimensions of guest experience according to Walls et al. (2011) (namely, physical environment, human interaction, personal characteristics of the guest and trip-related factors) can be applied in the hotel context.
o Evaluate how the contemporary hotel scape has evolved as a result of changed consumers’ needs (e.g. the rise of boutique hotels, lifestyle hotels, specialist accommodation) and how established or traditional hotel brands have adapted to create memorable, authentic and unique experiences. Provide a minimum of 4 hotel examples to support your analysis. Frame your research to Australian hotels to get to know an industry context that might not be familiar to you.
Tip 3: When asked to illustrate a particular theoretical model, don’t limit your analysis to that model only. Demonstrate your understanding and your synthesis skills by integrating other sources that support that model. Your topic 3, 4 and 5 have an array of resources you can use to strengthen your analysis.
Tip 4: Research and present examples that can explain how hotels have evolved to create memorable, authentic and unique experiences. Don’t limit your research to the traditional chain hotels. You have an opportunity here to explore what new and alternative hotels (such as boutique, lifestyle and specialist accommodation) do to create these experiences. This is supposed to be an exciting section to write as it allows you to explore a hotel context that might be unfamiliar to you.
Tip 5: Examples are only relevant if they are part of a discussion. Don’t just describe and list examples, instead be creative and construct a discussion that integrates what you have discussed in your previous sections with the support of real-life examples.
• Conclusion (approx. 200 words) o Key learning
o How this report achieved the original aim
• Reference List
• Appendix or Appendices
Format/Structure:
In writing this assessment, you are required to follow the Assessment Structure Style Guide of a Business Report.
Ensure you are reading widely and incorporating relevant academic and professional literature to support and extend your discussion; as well as showing competency in the assessment. Cite your sources appropriately using APA 6th Edition Referencing and Academic Writing Guide.
Submission Instructions:
Submit your Business Report via Blackboard, Assessment submission as a word document. The Learning Facilitator will provide feedback via Turnitin, which can be viewed online. All grades will be posted in Paradigm.
Students must refer, in text and in an associated reference list, to a minimum of 8 academic sources, plus others as required in order to show competency in the assessment. Up to three of these can be academic textbooks, with a minimum of five academic journal articles. Blogs and other unverifiable sources will not count as references.
Note: The total word count, excluding executive summary and references, must be within 10% (+ or -) of the assessment word count.
Assessment Criteria:
Your submission will be graded against the following criteria:
1. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of content
2. Critical analysis of theories, models and techniques, which are appropriate to the topic
3. Knowledge of topic, and demonstrate integration in selection of theory and industry data
4. Ability to critically appraise literature, clearly related to the topic
5. Clarity of communication (including spelling, punctuation, grammar and referencing according to APA 6th edition referencing)
Learning Rubric: Individual Business Report
Assessment Criteria Fail
(Unacceptable)
0-49% Pass
(Functional)
50-64% Credit
(Proficient) 65-74% Distinction
(Advanced)
75 -84% High Distinction
(Exceptional)
85-100%
Knowledge and
understanding (technical and theoretical knowledge)
20% Limited understanding of required concepts and knowledge
Key components of the assignment are not addressed. Knowledge or understanding of the field or discipline.
Resembles a recall or summary of key ideas.
Often confuses assertion of personal opinion with information substantiated by evidence from the research/course materials. Thorough knowledge or understanding of the field or discipline/s. Supports personal opinion and information substantiated by evidence from the research/course materials.
Demonstrates a capacity to explain and apply relevant concepts. Highly developed understanding of the field or discipline/s.
Discriminates between assertion of personal opinion and information substantiated by robust evidence from the research/course materials and extended reading.
Well demonstrated capacity to explain and apply relevant concepts. A sophisticated understanding of the field or discipline/s.
Systematically and critically discriminates between assertion of personal opinion and information substantiated by robust evidence from the research/course materials and extended reading.
Mastery of concepts and application to new situations/further learning.
Content, Audience and Purpose (broad and specific content)
20% Demonstrates no awareness of context and/or purpose of the assignment.
Demonstrates limited awareness of context and/or purpose of the assignment
Demonstrates consistent awareness of context and/or purpose of the assignment.
Demonstrates an advanced and integrated understanding of context and/or purpose of the assignment.
Consistently demonstrates a systematic and critical understanding of context and purpose of the assignment.
Analysis and application with synthesis of new knowledge
20% Limited synthesis and analysis.
Limited application/ recommendations based upon analysis. Demonstrated analysis and synthesis of new knowledge with application.
Shows the ability to interpret relevant information and literature. Well-developed analysis and synthesis with application of recommendations linked to analysis/synthesis. Thoroughly developed and creative analysis and synthesis with application of pretested models and / or independently developed models and justified recommendations linked to analysis/synthesis. Highly sophisticated and creative analysis, synthesis of new with existing knowledge.
Strong application by way of pretested models and / or independently developed models. Recommendations are
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clearly justified based on the
analysis/synthesis. Applying knowledge to new situations/other cases.
Effective Communication
20%
Difficult to understand for audience, no logical/clear structure, poor flow of ideas, argument lacks supporting evidence.
Audience cannot follow the line of reasoning.
Did not meet the word count requirements
Information, arguments and evidence are presented in a way that is not always clear and logical.
Line of reasoning is often difficult to follow.
Information, arguments and evidence are well presented, mostly clear flow of ideas and arguments.
Line of reasoning is easy to follow.
Information, arguments and evidence are very well presented; the presentation is logical, clear and well supported by evidence.
Demonstrates cultural sensitivity.
Expertly presented; the presentation is logical, persuasive, and well supported by evidence, demonstrating a clear flow of ideas and arguments.
Engages and sustains audience’s
interest in the topic, demonstrates high levels of cultural sensitivity
Effective use of diverse presentation aids, including graphics and multi-media.
Quality of research- Correct citation of key resources and evidence
20% Demonstrates inconsistent use of good quality, credible and relevant resources to support and develop ideas. Demonstrates use of credible and relevant resources to support and develop ideas, but these are not always explicit or well developed. Demonstrates use of high quality, credible and relevant resources to support and develop ideas. Demonstrates use of good quality, credible and relevant resources to support and develop arguments and statements. Shows evidence of wide scope within the organisation for sourcing evidence Demonstrates use of high-quality, credible and relevant resources to support and develop arguments and position statements. Shows evidence of wide scope within and without the organisation for sourcing evidence
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