Develop and Update Hospitality Industry Knowledge

LG-THHCOR0031A DEVELOP AND UPDATE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE
LEARNER GUIDE
DEVELOP AND UPDATE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE
2ND Edition
Published by
HEART TRUST/NATIONAL TRAINING AGENCY
Produced by
Learning Management Services Department

Gordon Town Road
Kingston 7
Jamaica W.I.
This material is protected by copyright. Copying this material or any part of it by any means,
including digital or in any form is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained from
the HEART Trust/NTA.
*** 2005 ***
Version 2 LRDU SEPT 05

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Introduction...............................................................................................................................1
Welcome.................................................................................................................................1
This Competency Unit.............................................................................................................1
Before You Start .....................................................................................................................2
Planning Your Learning Programme .......................................................................................2
Self-Assessment Checklist ......................................................................................................3
How To Use This Learner Guide .............................................................................................4
Using The Computer And Other Resources .............................................................................5
Method Of Assessment............................................................................................................5
Quality Assurance ...................................................................................................................6
Element 1: Update Hospitality Industry Knowledge.......................................................7
Self Assessment Checklist .....................................................................................................14
Element 2: Seek and Share Information on the Hospitality Industry...........................15
Self Assessment Checklist .....................................................................................................24

LG-THHCOR0031A:
DEVELOP AND UPDATE HOSPITALITY
INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE
INTRODUCTION
Welcome
Welcome to the Learner Guide for Unit of Competency Develop and Update Hospitality
Industry Knowledge. This is just one of a number of Learner Guides produced for the
hospitality stream of the Hospitality and Tourism Industry, and it is designed to guide you, the
learner, through a series of learning processes and activities that will enable you to achieve the
specified learning outcomes for the competency unit.
The content of this guide was developed from the Competency Standard THHCOR0031A,
which is one of the basic building blocks for the National Vocational Qualification of Jamaica
(NVQ-J) certification within the industry. Please refer to your Learners Handbook for a
thorough explanation of standards and competencies, and how these relate to the NVQ-J
certification.
You are also advised to consult the Competency Standard and assessment instrument for a better
understanding of what is required to master the competency.
This Competency Unit
Develop and Update Hospitality Industry Knowledge addresses the knowledge and skills
requirements to effectively develop and update hospitality industry knowledge. There are two
main areas or elements:
Element 1: Update hospitality industry knowledge
Element 2: Seek and share information on the hospitality industry
As you go through each element, you will find critical information relating to each one. You are
advised to study them carefully so that you will be able to develop the necessary knowledge,
skills and attitudes for developing and updating hospitality industry knowledge.
Version 2 LRDU SEPT 05 1

Before you start
Before you start this Learner Guide, you need to:
a. Obtain a Learners Logbook. You will use it to record evidence of your new
skills/competence. As you demonstrate your new skills, record your activities and have your
learning facilitator sign off on them. This will allow you to provide evidence of your
competence when you are being assessed against the competency standard.
b. Ensure that you have access to the facilities and equipment necessary for learning.
c. Ensure that your learning resources are available.
d. Ensure that you are wearing suitable clothing, that tools and equipment are safe, and that the
correct safety equipment is used.
e. Plan your learning programme (see below)
f. Understand how to use this Learner Guide (see below)
Planning your learning programme
The self-assessment checklist on the following page will assist you in planning your training
programme and it will help you to think about the knowledge and skills needed to demonstrate
competency in this unit. As you go through the checklist you will be able to find out which
aspects of the elements you have already mastered and which ones which ones you will need to
pay more attention to as you go through the learning process.
To complete the self-assessment checklist, simply read the statements and tick the Yes or No
box. You should do this exercise now.

Self-Assessment Checklist
Develop and Update Hospitality Industry
Knowledge
Element 1 Update hospitality industry knowledge Yes No
1. I can use informal and/or formal research to update general

knowledge of the hospitality industry ( ) ( )
2. I can access and update specific information on sector of work ( ) ( )
Element 2 Seek and share information on the hospitality

Industry Yes No
1. I can identify and access sources of information on

the hospitality industry ( ) ( )
2. I can obtain information to assist effective work performance

within the industry ( ) ( )
3. I can share information with customers and colleagues as

appropriate and incorporate into day to day working activities ( ) ( )
4. I can correctly apply industry information to day-to-day work

activities ( ) ( )
How did you do?
If you ticked all or most of the Yes boxes, then you might not need to go through the entire
guide. Ask your learning facilitator to assist you in determining the most appropriate action you
should take.
If you ticked a few of the Yes boxes or none at all then you should work through all of the
guide, even though some of the material may be familiar to you.
Plan your learning based on your answers. Be sure to involve your learning facilitator in the
planning process.

How to use this Learner Guide
This Learner Guide is designed to assist you to work and learn at your own pace.
We suggest that you:
Go through the sections/elements as they are presented (starting at Section 1)
Check your progress at each checkpoint to ensure that you have understood the material
Observe the icons and special graphics used throughout this guide to remind you of what you
have to do and to enhance your learning. The icons and their meanings are as follows:
Complete Assessment Exercise

This exercise requires you to think about the knowledge and skills
that you have or will develop in this competency unit.
Definition Box
Words/phrases are defined or explained in this box. The
words/phrases being explained are in bold print.
Checkpoint
This denotes a brain teaser and is used to check your
understanding of the materials presented. No answers are
provided for the questions asked.
Activity
This denotes something for you to do either alone or with
the assistance of your trainer/supervisor.
Reference
Points you to the reference materials and other support
documents or resources used in compiling the unit content.

Ask your learning facilitator for help if you have any problems with the interpretation of the
contents, the procedures, or the availability of resources.
Complete each activity as you come to it. If the activity requires you perform an actual task,
be sure to tell your learning facilitator when you get to that activity so that he/she can make
any arrangements, if necessary.
Get your learning facilitator to sign and date the Learner Logbook when you have completed
an activity.
Complete the self-assessment checklist at the end of each section or element.
When you have worked through all elements of the guide, and when you can tick every Yes
box, you are ready for assessment and should ask your learning facilitator to assist you in making
the arrangements to have your performance assessed.
Using the Computer and Other Resources
Where your activities refer you to the library, computer and Internet resources, ask your learning
facilitator to assist you with locating these resources. If you are getting your training in an
institution, there may be a library and a computer laboratory. If this is not the case, visit the local
library and find out what resources are available.
If you are new to the computer and the Internet, someone in the computer room should be able to
show you how to use these resources.
Please note that in many of your activities you have been referred to information on the Internet.
This is because the Internet has a vast amount of information that can help you in acquiring the
particular competencies. We would like to advise you, however, that we cannot guarantee that
all the sites will be available when you need them. If this happens, ask your learning facilitator
to assist you with locating other sites that have the information you require.
Method of Assessment
Competency will be assessed while you are actually performing the tasks related to this
competency. This may be in a real workplace or a simulated situation that accurately relates to
the work situation. You are advised to consult the associated competency standard for further
details relating to the assessment strategies.

Quality Assurance
A feedback form is included at the back of each Learner Guide, to give users an opportunity to
document their concerns about any aspect of the guide. Such feedback will assist in the review of
the guide. Users are encouraged to complete the form and send it to the address given.
You may now start your learning. Have fun while you work!

ELEMENT 1: UPDATE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE
LEARNING OUTCOMES
As you go through this element you will acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude to
update hospitality knowledge. Your learning facilitator is there to assist you through the various
activities, so that on completion you will be able to:
1. Use formal and informal research to update general knowledge of the hospitality industry
2. Assess and update specific information on area of work
HOSPITALITY
The hospitality industry as we know it

Hospitality means the reception and entertainment today operates to provide food and
of guests, visitors or strangers. This word is derived beverage, entertainment and
from hospice, the term used to define medieval accommodation services. These range
house of rest for travellers and pilgrims. Hospice is from five star accommodations and
also related to hospital. dining for wealthy tourists to low
budget motels or camping grounds and
fast food for persons on a tight budget.
The hospitality industry can be broken down into three areas, as follows:
Commercial This usually involves providing accommodation, food and beverage to

customers for a profit
Industrial This involves providing accommodation, food and beverage to employees in
the workplace
Institutional This involves providing food, beverage and accommodation where
appropriate, to residents, inmates, members or patients at various institutions.
You can look at places in your community that are a part of the hospitality industry.
Before looking further at the hospitality industry it might be wise to briefly look at the tourism
industry, especially since many persons are not able to distinguish between the two. The tourism
industry is very diverse and includes: hospitality, travel, gaming and visitor services. This
industry is a collection of productive businesses and government organizations that serve the
traveller away from home. These organizations include resorts, hotels, restaurants, all facets of
transportation (including rental cars and airlines), travel agencies, gasoline service stations,
recreation and various private attractions.
The tourism industry also includes those organizations that support these firms such as
advertising companies, publications, and travel research and development agencies.

Tourism is extremely important to hospitality; for example, hotels derive most of their sales from
travellers.
UPDATE HOSPITALITY KNOWLEDGE
You will always be required to keep up-to-date with current trends and practices in the
hospitality industry. You should have general knowledge of the industry as it relates to areas
such as:
Industrial relations (laws relating to working in the industry)

Working requirements
Environmental requirements
You may get your information using formal methods. These may include:
Consulting reference books

Reading periodicals
Browsing through trade newsletters
Accessing updates on the Internet
You will find that these methods of remaining current within the hospitality industry are very
effective and interesting; and checking for updates on the Internet is often entertaining. A great
deal of information about the hospitality industry can also be found through informal research.
This involves asking questions and discussing the answers given with persons like:
Colleagues
Supervisors
Product suppliers
The information gathered in the research may be used to update areas relating to:
Industrial relations
These are the set of laws relating to working in the industry. Legislation is very important as it
will directly affect you when you gain employment in the hospitality industry. There might be
many different types of legislation passed in your country and may include, laws, acts, rules and
regulations to cover every area of the hospitality industry. These may include regulations
governing:
The sale of alcoholic beverages

Health regulations for the manufacture and sale of food
Occupational health and safety regulations for employees
Specific building regulations for kitchens and food premises
Equal employment opportunity legislation
Anti-discrimination legislation

You should note that most of these legislations are in place to protect your rights and the rights
of your customers. Therefore you should ensure that you are familiar with the legislation that
affects you.
Working Conditions
Hospitality businesses operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This therefore means that shifts
and start times vary widely. Before entering the hospitably industry you need to understand that
this is the norm. However, you also need to understand that there are controls to ensure
consistency, fairness, and lack of any kind of discrimination relating to wages, occupational
health and safety, hours worked and leave entitlements. These issues are usually covered by
industry or enterprise agreements.
Environmental Requirements
When working in the hospitality industry you should also be working in a safe environment.
There are laws in place to protect workers rights to a safe working environment.
CHECKPOINT
What is hospitality?
What is tourism and how is it related to hospitality?
Define a) informal research b) formal research?
Why is it important to understand the legislation that affects
you in the hospitality industry?
As it relates to your area of work, which form of research
(formal/informal) is most efficient? Why?
ACTIVITY 1
Conduct formal and informal research to ascertain:
What agency in your country is responsible for legislation

relating to health, safety and hygiene as it affects your
industry
How gaming is regulated in your country

ACTIVITY 2
Workplace relations relate to fostering harmonious relations in

the workplace and are facilitated by human resource policies at
the workplace and industry guidelines. What are the labour
laws of your county that affect you?
N.B. This information can be obtained from the Ministry of

Labour and you can access this information with help from
your peers.
You should note that there are several agencies in Jamaica and the Caribbean at large that
influence legislation, regulations and guidelines relating to different areas of the hospitality
industry. These include:
Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo)

Jamaica Hotel and Tourism Association (JHTA)
Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB)
Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)
Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA)
World Tourism Organization (WTO)
ACTIVITY
Working in groups of six, conduct formal/informal research on

the tourism organizations listed above and any other that may
influence the hospitality legislation, regulation or requirements.
You should note:
The role of each organization in the hospitality industry
Present your findings using Microsoft PowerPoint
You can visit the following websites to get information:

World Tourism Organization - http://www.world-
tourism.org/
Caribbean Tourism Organization at
www.onecaribbean.org
Tourism Development Company Ltd. (TPDCo) at
www.tpdco.org
Jamaica Tourist Board at www.visitjamaica.com
These websites will also provide a wealth of information on the

hospitality industry. However, these are not the only sources,
therefore you need to identify and access other sources.

Refer to: Powers Tom, Barrows Clayton, (2003). Introduction to Hospitality

Industry, Chap 1 ns 23, John Wiley and Sons
ACCESS SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT WORK AREA
You should always make an effort to update information on your area of work within the
hospitality industry.
There are two main areas into which we divide the provision of services in the hospitality sector;
these are back of the house and front of the house. Front of the house relates to areas in which
employees have extensive guest contact such as reception, concierge, restaurant, bars, room
service, cashiers and recreational areas. Back of the house relates to those areas that have little or
no direct guest contact such as human resources.
Lets look at the different areas of work in the hospitality sector with particular emphasis on
restaurants and properties offering lodgings. These areas are as follows:
Food and Beverage
This area offers a variety of facilities but concentrates mainly on the provision of food and
drinks. Food and beverage personnel may work as wait staff or kitchen staff.
Wait staff - Serves food in a variety of environments such as speciality restaurants, lounges,
coffee shops, bars, casinos and banqueting facilities.
Kitchen staff The size of the kitchen and the jobs/positions available are dependent on the size
and structure of the establishment and the type of service offered in food and beverage outlets.
Generally the executive chef is in charge of the brigade and may employ other chefs to be
responsible for specific areas in the kitchen.
Rooms and Accommodation
The Rooms Division of major establishments incorporates all those areas that are necessary for
the efficient operation of the front office and includes, guest reception, telephonist, concierge,
porters, night audit, guest relations, housekeeping, laundry, maintenance and security. This
division offers a variety of career opportunities for aspiring hospitality employees.

Clubs and Gaming
This involves establishments offering gaming facilities to guests. If gambling is allowed in your
country you may be required to have special employee licence if you are to work in gaming
facilities. In this area you may work as cashiers, croupiers, gaming machine attendants and
gaming room supervisors.
Human Resources
Some of the activities undertaken by the human resources department include recruitment,
selection and orientation of new staff, identification and training, training existing staff,
performance appraisal, creating job descriptions and negotiations with union representatives on
industrial relations issues.
The Sales and Marketing Department is another important area of work in which you might be
interested. Try to ascertain what sales and marketing involves as it relates to the hospitality
industry.
You should note that the different areas of hospitality are interrelated; for example:
Jim is employed at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Montego Bay as a Banqueting and
Conventions Manager in the Food and Beverage Department. His department must liaise
with Maintenance Department for audiovisual equipment, and with Housekeeping for
clean linen and general cleaning of all eating and banqueting rooms.
Shauna is a supervisor in the Housekeeping Department and as such she has to liaise with
Maintenance to inform them of maintenance issues in the guest rooms or public areas that
need attention. Shauna also has to liaise with the front office to inform them of the status
of different rooms.
Gennie from the Gaming Department has to liaise with the Food and Beverage,
Housekeeping, Security and Finance departments for support services. Consider the
following:
- The gaming room has to be cleaned
- The patrons have to be fed
- The drunk, unruly patrons may require the presence of Security
- Finance monitors the cash in the room
Hospitality and other sectors
You need to understand that the hospitality industry is closely related to, and inter dependent on
other sectors, such as tourism, and agriculture. You would find it difficult to think of a tourism
experience that did not include some form of hospitality provision. The provision of
accommodation, food and drink is not just a key ingredient in the tourism industry; it is essential.

Hospitality is also dependent on the agricultural industry to provide the best quality foods at an
affordable price.
Refer to: Baker Sue, Bradley Pam, Huyton Jermey, (2004). Principles of Hotel
Front Office Operations, pp 19-22. This reference provides a
comprehensive look at the different areas of the hospitality sector.
CHECKPOINT
What is your area of work in the hospitality industry?

Is this area front of the house or back of the house?
Is your area of work related to any other in the hospitality
industry?
What are the sectors on which the hospitality industry is
dependent? Can you think of any apart from the ones listed
above?
ACTIVITY 1
Do a graphic representation of the different areas of the

hospitality industry and the interrelatedness of these areas; for
example, front office, housekeeping, maintenance, food and
beverage:
Discuss with your peers and learning facilitator

ACTIVITY 2
Conduct formal/informal research to ascertain the other sectors,

such as tourism and agriculture, on which hospitality depends.
What is the nature of this relationship and interdependency?
Do research and present your findings using Microsoft

PowerPoint. You can work in groups.
Ask your learning facilitator to provide feedback on your

presentation.
You should
Ensure that the information presented is accurate and
current.
Work as a team and be supportive and tolerant of team
members
Pay keen attention to detail
ARE YOU READY TO PROVE YOUR COMPETENCE?
Now that you have completed this element, check whether you have fully grasped all the
components by doing the following selfassessment.
Checklist 1 Yes No
1. I understand how to use formal and informal research to

update my general knowledge of the hospitality industry ( ) ( )
2. I know how to access and update information about my area of

work ( ) ( )
Checklist 2 Yes No
1. Informal and formal research is used to update my general

knowledge of the hospitality industry ( ) ( )
2. Specific information on my area of work is assessed and updated ( ) ( )

ELEMENT 2: SEEK AND SHARE INFORMATION ON THE HOSPITALITY

INDUSTRY
LEARNING OUTCOMES
As you go through this element you will acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude to
seek and share information on the hospitality industry. Your learning facilitator is there to assist
you through the various activities, so that on completion you will be able to:
1. Identify and access sources of information on the hospitality industry

2. Obtain information to assist effective work performance within the industry
3. Share information with colleagues as appropriate and incorporate this information into
day-to-day working activities
4. Apply industry information to day-to-day work activities
IDENTIFY AND ACCESS SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Much of the information you have about the hospitality industry may come from personal
knowledge, (observation and experience). What do you know about the hospitality industry?
When you test yourself you may discover that you know quite a lot about the topic of your
research. As a result of your knowledge, you should be your first source of information on the
topic being researched. You should take time to analyze and record your knowledge before you
go to any other source. You should not be discouraged from using your previous knowledge.
You should note, however, that the accuracy of every item you know or remember should be
tested.
Your personal information needs support from other sources to present a broader perspective.
These other sources may include:
Libraries
Reference books, maps, industry journals
Internet/search engines
Resource persons
Industry associations
Product suppliers

As stated earlier, you have to conduct research in order to access this information. You may
choose to get your information from:
Libraries
You may choose to visit a library, as this is an excellent source of current information. You will
find that most libraries have:
A huge range of books on the hospitality industry

CD-ROMS
Tapes
Videos
The latest journals and catalogues
Databases
Internet
You should make use of the range of resources available. You should note, however, that most
libraries, including public libraries will allow you to visit and research their collection but may
restrict borrowing. You may search your sources by author, title, subject or key words. However,
if you have trouble finding the relevant information you should seek assistance from the library
staff.
Search Engines
Search Engine An Internet Search engines are web sites that help you to find what
application that returns a ranked you are looking for on the World Wide Web. They are
list of documents from a large huge databases of web sites.
database of online documents in
response to a search query. Most Search engines are very effective research tools. You will
search engines are available free find specific information on the hospitality industry
of cost on public web servers. quickly, depending on how well you have learned to
browse. The more popular search engines include:
www.google.com
www.ask.com
www.excite.com
www.altavista.com
Browsers such as Microsoft and Internet Explorer have a search button that will connect you to a
search engine when you click on it.

News Groups
These are useful in finding answers to specific questions in a short time. You can post your
question onto the Internet and receive answers from persons all over the world who browse your
newsgroup. There are a lot of news groups on the Internet, each categorized into sub groupings
and appropriately titled. Newsgroup names usually begin with a three or four letter prefix
indicating to which group or sub-group the newsgroup belongs. An example of a newsgroup
category is; rec. Recreation This covers a wide range of recreational topics.
Mailing List
This is useful for keeping in touch with the hospitality industry, and for discussing issues and
interests peculiar to your field of interest.
Other Sources
In addition to the sources of information presented above, you may speak to resource persons
and colleagues to get information. You may also get information from industry associations and
unions.
When seeking information from other persons, you will need to apply effective questioning and
listening techniques. Questioning techniques may include asking close-ended and open-ended
questions.
Direct or close-ended questions require a specific response. On the other hand, in-depth
interviewing uses open-ended questions that allow respondents to talk and interact with you.
These questions usually begin with words such as:
How
Who
Why
Where
What
When
Listening
You should develop the art of good listening by practising active listening. This involves using
verbal and nonverbal indicators to enhance your retention of information and encourage your
respondent to continue to give information. For example:
Non Verbal
Maintaining eye contact

Jotting down notes

Verbal
Using positive statements e.g. Yes, I understand

Using paraphrasing (rewording a word or sentence to clarify)
You should ensure that all information sources identified are current, reliable and
appropriate
You should ensure that information received is accurate
Refer to: Learner Guide, THHGAD0101A Source and Present Information
CHECKPOINT
What are some of the sources of information on the

hospitality industry?
Why is it important to employ effective questioning
techniques and active listening when trying to ascertain
information on the hospitality industry?
What are some or the resources that you may find in
libraries?
ACTIVITY
Using one or more of the search engines given, earlier find

information on your specific area of work in the hospitality
industry. You may choose a topic like the ones following:
Restaurants found in Jamaica
How to carry out dining room service
Cleaning a guest room
Responsible bartending
How to prepare stocks and soups (food production)
Yeast goods (food production)
Present your findings to your learning facilitator and discuss

them with your peers.
Refer to Appendix 1, for information on opening search engines

and defining the search

OBTAIN INFORMATION TO ASSIST IN EFFECTIVE WORK PERFORMANCE
There are certain things that you will need to know; and attributes that are required if you are to
work effectively in the hospitality industry. These include:
Excellent personal presentation You should ensure that your clothes are clean, well
ironed and always worn neatly. You should make a good impression and portray a
positive image of your place of work.
Being able to communicate with people from all walks of life In hospitality
establishments you will meet people from diverse backgrounds. They may speak different
languages, have disabilities or just be rude and impatient. You should be able to
communicate with these persons in a clear and polite manner at all times.
Handling pressure and responding appropriately to complaints You may find yourself
under a lot of pressure, and you will have to learn to work under this pressure while
maintaining a professional attitude. You will also need to be able to handle complaints.
You should listen to your customers and handle all complaints in a manner that
encourages goodwill and trust.
Working as part of a team In order to be an effective team player, you need to develop:
- A willingness to work as a team member
- Openness
- The ability to be tolerant of other team members
- The ability to be supportive of other team members
- The ability to work toward a common goal
- The ability to communicate effectively
- A willingness to show commitment and dedication to a particular establishment or
project
Being honest, reliable and punctual Employers are looking for persons who are
honest, reliable and punctual, who can meet deadlines and show a real dedication to
service. If you want to be a success in the hospitality industry you need to display a real
understanding of the term work ethic.
Quality Assurance Quality assurance is a very important part of hospitality. In order

for your establishment to operate successfully, it has to provide quality products and
services. The term quality is subjective, and can mean anything from freshness of
ingredients, to the way meals are cooked and served. However, you can provide an
assurance that certain standards or quality are present in your establishment. Your
establishment may have systems and controls in place, and train staff to provide products
and service to the standards they have set as an absolute minimum. In addition to
ensuring the maintenance of quality standards, establishments work on a principle of
continuous improvement in their performance. The quality assurance process is designed
to develop a culture of quality throughout the establishment. It is important that you
maintain quality at all times, regardless of the task you are performing

Understanding cultural diversity The hospitality industry is a multi -cultural and

diverse industry so it is important to recognise the significance of different cultural and
ethnic values and associated traditions, religious beliefs and customs. By understanding
other peoples views of the world you can enhance customer and staff relations and it
might also help to prevent possible allegations of discrimination. You should take
account of differences in language, gestures and mannerisms.
Understanding the Geography, History and Culture of your country Knowledge of

your countrys history, geography and culture is very important if you are to do well in
the hospitality industry. This knowledge may include:
- Cultural practices - music/folklore/dance forms/religious practices
- Significant dates
- National symbols and their meaning
- Locating places on a map
- Parishes and their capitals
- Rivers and mountains
- Traditional foods
N.B. Information about Jamaica can be found in HEART Trust NTA, 2003, Team Jamaica,
THTCOR0021A Share information on Jamaicas Geography, History and Culture
Refer to: Mullins Laurie, (1992). Hospitality Management (A Human Resources

Approach), Chap 2, p29, Pitman Publishing, London
This reference will explain in detail the importance of cultural influences in the hospitality
industry.
CHECKPOINT
What is quality assurance and why is it important in the

hospitality industry?
Why is it important to understand cultural diversity when
working in the hospitality industry?
Why is personal grooming important in the hospitality
industry?
Why is teamwork important for persons in the hospitality
industry?

ACTIVITY 1
Get a map of your country and with the assistance of your peers
identify the resort areas in your country. Put these areas in
categories based on location as follows:
North coast areas
South coast areas
East coast areas
West coast areas
Record this information
With your peers, role-play giving directions to different places

in your country; remember to alternate roles.
Ask your learning facilitator to assess your efforts.
ACTIVITY 2
Design an informative brochure for the benefit of visitors to the

establishment in which you work.
In this brochure you will be required to provide information
about your country; such information should relate to:
Local heritage
Local cultural practices
Display the brochure and ask your facilitator to assess it
Remember to make the brochure as creative and visually

appealing as possible.

ACTIVITY 3
Your friend Gregory has been working as a waiter for a year; he

is very good at waiting. However, Gregory does not like it
when customers complain, and tends to get very angry.
In a simulated exercise working with your peers, explain to

Gregory the importance of being able to handle pressure and
stressful situations. You should emphasise the importance of
handling guest complaints in a polite manner that will
encourage goodwill and trust.
SHARE INFORMATION WITH CUSTOMERS AND COLLEAGUES
Where new information is derived from research, this information should be shared with
customers and colleagues as appropriate, and incorporated into day-to-day working activities.
You should always share new information with customers and colleagues. If customers know
that you are informed about your job and your industry they will feel satisfied that they are
getting good quality service. By sharing information with your colleagues, you might help them
to do their jobs more effectively and it also helps in team building.
By sharing information with colleagues you may:
Increase efficiency and quality of service

Increase colleagues awareness of their overall industry
Help to generate solutions to problems
You should ensure that the information gathered is correctly applied to work activities.
CHECKPOINT
Why is it important to share information gathered with

colleagues and customer?

ACTIVITY
In a structured exercise, share the information you have

gathered about the hospitality industry so far, with your peers.
This can be done in a variety of ways, for example, by using
PowerPoint, role-play, flyers or in the form of a discussion.
You should ensure that the industry information is correctly

applied to day-to-day work activities.
Ensure that the information shared is accurate and relevant.

ARE YOU READY TO PROVE YOUR COMPETENCE?
Now that you have completed this element, check whether you have fully grasped all the
components by doing the following selfassessment.
Checklist 1 Yes No
1. I know how to identify and access sources of information ( ) ( )
2. I know how to obtain information to assist with effective work

performance ( ) ( )
3. I understand the importance of sharing information with customers

and colleagues ( ) ( )
4. I know how to apply industry information to my area of work ( ) ( )
Checklist 2 Yes No
1. Sources of information on the hospitality industry are correctly

identified and accessed ( ) ( )
2. Information to assist effective work performance is obtained ( ) ( )
3. Information is shared with colleagues and customers ( ) ( )
4. Information is correctly applied to day-to-day activities ( ) ( )

APPENDIX 1
Open search engines using the correct methods and define search requirements
You need the URL of a web site to gain access. However, this is not the most efficient way to
obtain information. It is important that you are able to quickly access a number of different Web
sites, which contain the information you are looking for. Using a search engine is the best choice.
Before you open a search engine, you should familiarise yourself with the different types of
search engines and the methods used so that you can make an informed choice.
Search Methods
Subject search - Subject search lists web sites by categories. It is best used when looking for
general topics such as: Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment, Arts and Education. Examples are:
www.yahoo.com (this also supports a keyword search) www.looksmart.com.
Keyword search - A keyword search is used to search for keywords. Keywords can be
commands or parameters and are used by a search engine in its search for relevant web pages.
They are best used for more specific topics such as: bars, kitchens and hotels. Examples are:
www.altavista.com, www.excite.com, www.yahoo.com (this also supports a subject search)
www.lycos.com, www.google.com, www.seti-search.com, www.raging.com
Meta search - A meta search is used to search several search engines at once. It is excellent to
use when cross-referencing web sites. Examples are: www.dogpile.com , www.metacrawler.com
www.savvysearch.com
When you first begin to work with search engines, it is advisable to consult their online
documentation located under the Help or Search Tips link. You can stay abreast of what is
happening with search engines by visiting Search Engine Watch at the following address:
(http://www.searchenginewatch.com). This site offers timely articles, reviews and performance
evaluations.

The secret of effective web searching is to make the first ten documents in the search engines hit
list the ones you need to see. This means you should become familiar with the available
resources and learn to thoughtfully analyze your information needs.
Thus, before you begin searching for information, it is best to plan how the search query you are
going to use is to be formulated. Remember, a general search query, will give general results.
The more information the search query contains, the shorter and more accurate the results will
be.
When planning the search query you will also need to consider the order of the keywords. The
search will concentrate on the words that are entered first. For example, searching for tea leaf
would give first priority to 'tea', whereas searching for leaf tea would give first priority to 'leaf'.
When the search has been planned, the next step is to decide which search engine to use. This
will depend on the type of information required and how the search is carried out, as there are
occasions when some search engines are preferable to others. A new Internet user may even
prefer to rely on the browser's default search facilities, rather than specify an individual search
engine.
When using Internet Explorer, there are three areas where the search topics can be typed. These
are:
Search Text box

Search Pane
Address Bar
You can access the search option

by clicking on this icon
The Address bar (screen capture shown below) is mainly used to either type the URL of the Web
site required or to display the URL for the active web site. However, a keyword search can also
be activated from the Address bar. In such a case, the query is directed to the browser's default
search engine.

The Search Textbox (screen capture shown below) is displayed only when accessing a search
engine's web site.
This given area must be used to type desired topic you wish the
search engine to find then you can press icon search or the enter
button on the keyboard.
All search engines have a space for you to type in the word or words that describe your search.
Think carefully about what you want to find. For example you need information on Jamaican
culture, you can use Jamaican culture because both words say what you want. All search engines
have a space for you to type in the words that describe your search. For this example the key
words Jamaican culture have been typed in the search box. After typing in the key word you
would click search. The search engine then sorts through its database, and then lists websites
and addresses to match your search. The picture on page 29 is an example of the search results
for the key words Jamaican culture, when typed in the search engine www.ask.com.

Ask.com | MyJeevesBETA Sign In | Your Settings | Help
Web | Pictures | News | Local | Products | More

jamaican culture Search Advanced Options
Web Search: jamaican culture Results 1-10 of 276,600

Narrow Your Search
Jamaican Culture
Take a look at the Jamaica people their culture including Folk Songs, Anancy Stories,
Jamaican phrases, poems typical family, traditions, religion,...
| www.jamaicans.com/culture/index.htm | Cached | Save
Jamaica
Jamaica online takes a real look at Jamaica and Jamaican culture with recipes guides to
patois, reggae, how to be a tourist, Negril, Montego Bay,
| www.jamaicans.com/ | Cached | Save
More Results from www.jamaicans.com
Jamaican Culture
Jamaican Culture Index, Jamaica Music Coat of Arms National Heroes National Flower
Arts National Bird National Fruit National Tree,reggae,music,folk...
| www.jamaicaway.com/culture/ | Cached | Save
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next
Revise your search:
Web | Pictures | News | Local | Products | More

jamaican culture Search Advanced Options
All you would have to do next is click on one of the listed web addresses and that site would
appear on your screen. You can then browse that site for information or move to other sites by
clicking on the links.

When the search is complete - regardless of which search method is used - a list of hits is
displayed. Each category or site listed is a hyperlink and will access either a further list of related
sites (if a category) or a web site on that topic. The list generally includes the name of the site,
the URL and a brief description, with the most relevant usually listed first.

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LG-THHCOR0031A DEVELOP AND UPDATE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE

HEART TRUST/NATIONAL TRAINING AGENCY

Learning Management Services Department

*** 2005 ***

Version 2 LRDU SEPT 05

Element 1: Update Hospitality Industry Knowledge.......................................................7

Self Assessment Checklist .....................................................................................................14

Element 2: Seek and Share Information on the Hospitality Industry...........................15

Self Assessment Checklist .....................................................................................................24

Version 2 LRDU SEPT 05

This Competency Unit

Element 1: Update hospitality industry knowledge

Element 2: Seek and share information on the hospitality industry

Version 2 LRDU SEPT 05 1

Before you start

Before you start this Learner Guide, you need to:

c. Ensure that your learning resources are available.

e. Plan your learning programme (see below)

f. Understand how to use this Learner Guide (see below)

Planning your learning programme

Version 2 LRDU SEPT 05 2

Element 1 Update hospitality industry knowledge Yes No

1. I can use informal and/or formal research to update general

2. I can access and update specific information on sector of work ( ) ( )

Element 2 Seek and share information on the hospitality

1. I can identify and access sources of information on

2. I can obtain information to assist effective work performance

3. I can share information with customers and colleagues as

4. I can correctly apply industry information to day-to-day work

How did you do?

Version 2 LRDU SEPT 05 3

How to use this Learner Guide

We suggest that you:

Go through the sections/elements as they are presented (starting at Section 1)

Complete Assessment Exercise

Version 2 LRDU SEPT 05 4

Complete the self-assessment checklist at the end of each section or element.

Using the Computer and Other Resources

Version 2 LRDU SEPT 05 5

Version 2 LRDU SEPT 05 6

ELEMENT 1: UPDATE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE

The hospitality industry as we know it

Commercial This usually involves providing accommodation, food and beverage to

Version 2 LRDU SEPT 05 7

UPDATE HOSPITALITY KNOWLEDGE

Industrial relations (laws relating to working in the industry)

Consulting reference books

The sale of alcoholic beverages

Version 2 LRDU SEPT 05 8

Conduct formal and informal research to ascertain:

What agency in your country is responsible for legislation

Version 2 LRDU SEPT 05 9

Workplace relations relate to fostering harmonious relations in

N.B. This information can be obtained from the Ministry of

Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo)

Working in groups of six, conduct formal/informal research on

Present your findings using Microsoft PowerPoint

You can visit the following websites to get information:

These websites will also provide a wealth of information on the

Version 2 LRDU SEPT 05 10

Refer to: Powers Tom, Barrows Clayton, (2003). Introduction to Hospitality

ACCESS SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT WORK AREA

Food and Beverage

Rooms and Accommodation

* 2005 *