CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

This chapter is composed of the introduction, background of the study, significance of the
study, theoretical framework, conceptual framework, statement of the problem, statement of
hypothesis, scope and delimitations of the study and operational definitions of terms.

Introduction
Travelling is not as expensive as it used to be with cheap flights being offered by many
airlines there has been a boom in global tourism industry and an influx in airline passengers.
Travel agencies are in demand nowadays, especially for people who are clamoring for cheap
flight and seat sales. With the high rate of customers that agencies are having, a reliable ticket
reservation system is very important to accurately provide the customers needs.
As tourism students, the researchers believe that it is essential to know and truly
understand how computer reservations system works for this is the bread and butter of the
Tourism industry. Learning this before graduating in college gives the tourism students the edge
and advantage to score a job under the Tourism industry.
Global Distribution System (GDS) are worldwide distribution systems used by travel
agents in making an air, hotel, car, or other travel service booking. GDS also provide pricing,
availability, and reservation functionality to many online travel agencies. There are major GDS
used in Travel agencies and hotels: Sabre, Amadeus, Galileo, Worldspan, Abacus, and Infini.
Amadeus is a leading transaction processor for the global travel and tourism industry;
providing transaction processing power and technology solutions to both travel providers
(including full service carriers and low-cost airlines, hotels, rail operators, cruise and ferry
operators, car rental companies and tour operators) and travel agencies (both online and offline).

The company both acts as a worldwide network connecting travel providers and travel
agencies through a highly effective processing platform for the distribution of travel products and
services (through our distribution business), and as a provider of a comprehensive portfolio of IT
solutions which automate certain mission-critical business processes, such as reservations,
inventory management and operations for travel providers (through our IT solutions business).
(Amadeus-Iran)
In a short span of time, Amadeus Philippines has partnered with some universities and
colleges including San Sebastian College which started on 2009. The partnership will provide a
wide range of Amadeus e-Learning courses to the schools BS Tourism Management students.

Conceptual Framework
Input
- Evaluation of
Amadeus Training
Program to SSC-R
Tourism Students:
Basis for
Improvement.

Process
- Construction of
Survey questionnaire
- Distribution of
questionnaire
- Gathering of survey
questions

Output
Improve
the
training program of
Amadeus in San
Sebastian.

Figure 2: Improvement of Amadeus Training Program in San Sebastian College-Recoletos

Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework of the study which follows the input-processoutput model. The input part includes the evaluation of Amadeus training program using selfconstructed survey questionnaires. For the process part, the researchers included the construction
of survey questionnaires, distribution of questionnaire, gathering of the survey questions, and
personal observation. Lastly, in the output part is the researchers aim to improve the training
program.

Statement of the Problem

The researchers seek to know if the Amadeus Training Program can improve its services
to SSC-R tourism students. Specifically, this aims to answer the following questions:
1 What is the demographic profile of the respondents according to:
1 Year;
2 Gender; and
3 Year taken Amadeus?
2

How do the respondents rate the Amadeus Training Program?

What are the problems encountered by the students during the Amadeus Training
Program in terms of:
1

Internet Connection;

Computer Systems; and

Outdated Programs?

What is the recommended improvement to the training program based on the evaluation of the
Amadeus Training Program?

Scope and Delimitation

This study will be conducted in San Sebastian College-Recoletos at Claro M. Recto Avenue,

Manila. This study focuses on the Improvement of the Training Program given by Amadeus to
tourism students, specifically the third year and fourth year students. In terms of respondents,
this study did not cover other year levels but only the tourism students who took and are taking
Amadeus Training Program in the academic year 2014-2015 and 2015-2016.

Significance of the Study

To the Management of Amadeus Corporate University. This study will help Amadeus
to gain more partnerships with different universities and colleges because this will capture the
needs of tourism students.
To the Management of San Sebastian College. This will help San Sebastian College to
improve and develop the skills and knowledge of the students and to be able to boost their
tourism competitiveness.
To Tourism Students. The students can benefit for they could learn and gain additional
knowledge about how reservation works and can serve as a guide to students for their future
study that is related to this topic.
To the Researchers. The researchers can gain a lot of knowledge which they can apply
and contribute to the travel industry. The knowledge they have gained throughout the whole
process of this research will give them an opportunity to grow as a person and most importantly
as a future practitioner in the travel and hospitality industry.
To the Future Researchers This study will be very valuable to tourism for this can
help the future researchers to gain additional knowledge about Amadeus. This can also serve as a
reference to them in Improving the Amadeus Training Program.

Definition of Terms
The following terms are operationally defined for clearer understanding of the readers.
Central Reservation System. A computer reservation system used to book travels.
Demographic Profile. These are socioeconomic characteristics of a population expressed

statistically.
Evaluation. An observation about the amount, number, or value of something.
Improvement. An act of doing something better.
Reservation. Arrangement of goods and services that represents complete sale. It is
also called booking transaction.
Training Evaluation. A step by step training cycle where data is collected to ensure if
the program is achieving its goals.
Training Program. A set of manuals, lectures, trainings to enhance a person's skills and
knowledge in a specific field of work/study.

CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
This chapter presents the review of related literature and studies both foreign and local
and synthesis to substantiate the present study.

Foreign and Local Literature

According to Cass (2014), the tourism and hospitality industry incorporates many
different types of business, such as accommodations and food service providers, transportation
companies, and tour operators. As a labor-intensive industry, organizations depend on the
availability of good quality personnel to deliver, operate, and manage the tourist product (Amoah
& Baum, 1997) as well as for competitive advantage (Zagonari, 2009). Thus, organizations must
ensure that their employees are capable of providing top quality service to increasingly
discerning customers in a global market. One integral aspect of ensuring that employees have the
right knowledge, skills, and abilities to provide top service providing effective training. Training
and development in organizations has come to be seen as a normal cost of doing business in
order for companies to maintain productivity (Percival, Cozzarin, & Formaneck, 2013) and stay
competitive in the marketplace (Zagonari, 2009).
Stated by Shapero, hospitality and travel combined have become one of the worlds
largest industries. The World Travel and Tourism Council states that these
two sectors will contribute about $9.3 trillion in economic activity by 2011. This significant
growth in international travel over the next decade will heighten the importance of cross cultural
service encounters and reward companies who have trained their workers to a higher level of
intercultural sensitivity. Training programs which use critical incidents, specifically designed for
hospitality and travel related businesses, will improve service delivery and reduce cultural
misunderstandings between the organizations employees and the customers they serve.
Multinational firms in all industries have included cross cultural training and critical incidents in
their training programs for middle and upper level managers in the past. However, frontline
employees who actually make contact with the firms customers are seldom prepared for

encounters with customers from other cultures. The purpose of this study is to suggest ways that
firms in the hospitality and travel industry can better prepare their frontline employees for
successful service encounters with people from foreign cultures.
Based on TTGAsia (2005), travel agents in the Philippines now have access to Amadeus
Learning City, an online interactive course available in English, Spanish and Chinese that will
further educate agents on the Amadeus system any time or day. Amadeus Learning City offers
courses on basic Amadeus functionality, fares, queues and e-ticketing. A day in the life of a travel
agent which consists of lessons on the Amadeus System functionality and GDS industry is
particularly useful for beginners. There are also quizzes, product demos and online reference
materials. Amadeus Philippines general manager, Mr. Albert Villadolid said: To enable agents
to better service, Amadeus Philippines is providing Amadeus learning city free to its most valued
customers.
As Arnold O. De Vera of InterAksyon.com (2013), Amadeus Philippines said seven more
colleges and universities have partnered with its training program for tourism students. He
further added that Amadeus Corporate University (ACU) recently entered into agreements with
Colegio De San Juan De Letran in Manila, Colegio De Santo Cristo De Burgos, Treston
International College, Trinity University of Asia, University of the Philippines-Asian Institute of
Tourism, and World Citi Colleges. ACU partner schools include Canadian Tourism and
Hospitality Institute; Cebu Institute of Technology; Concordia College; De La Salle UniversityDasmarinas; De La Salle-College of St. Benilde; Far Eastern University; Good Samaritan
College; Holy Angel University Pampanga; Indiana Aeronautical School Cebu; La Consolacion
College Bacolod; Lyceum of the Philippines University Manila, Batangas, and Cavite; Philippine
Christian University Center for Tourism Policy and Development Studies; Polytechnic

University of the Philippines; Saint Paul University Manila; San Sebastian College Manila and
Laguna; Southville International School and Colleges; STI Colleges; Universal College of
Paranaque; University of Caloocan; and University of San Jose Recoletos Cebu.
According Khan, Furqan Ahmed Khan, Khan, and Khan (2011), training and
development, on the job training, training design and delivery style are four of the most
important aspects in organizational studies. The focus of the current study is to understand the
effect of the above mentioned aspects, on the organizational performance of the back bone of this
study is the secondary data comprised of comprehensive literature review. Four hypotheses are
developed to see the impact of all the independent variables on the overall Organizational
Performance. The hypotheses show that all these have significant effect on organizational
performance. These hypotheses came from the literature review and we have also proved them
with the help of literature review. Results show that training and development, on the job
training, training design and delivery style have significant effect on organizational performance
and all these have positively affect the Organizational Performance. It means it increases the
overall organizational performance. The hypothesis will be proved through an empirical data.
However, results are strongly based on the literature review. Keywords: Training and
Development, On the Job Training, Training Design, Delivery style, Organizational Performance.
According to Kirckpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2006), the reason for evaluating is to
determine the effectiveness of a training program. When the evaluation is done, If the results
maybe positive and gratifying, both for those responsible for the program and for upper-level
managers who will make decisions based on their evaluation of the program. Therefore, much
thought and planning need to be given to the program itself to make sure that it is effective.
According to DTI Understanding processes so that they can be improved by means of a

systematic approach requires the knowledge of a simple kit of tools or techniques. The effective
use of these tools and techniques requires their application by the people who actually work on
the processes, and their commitment to this will only be possible if they are assured that
management cares about improving quality. Managers must show they are committed by
providing the training and implementation support necessary.

Foreign and Local Studies

According to Monsef, Gilaninia and Vajargah (2013), tourism is one of the most dynamic
economic activities in present age that plays an important role in local sustainable development.
Tourism industry is rapidly expanding (Gilaninia et al. 2011). This industry by combining and
utilizing both internal and external sources will lead to lot benefits of social, environmental and
economic and cultural and environmental (Cooper et al. 2008). Indeed, the current visitors may
affect also other peoples likelihood when they show them their own perception of the visit and
their intention for a second visit (Darnell & Johnson, 2001). Nowadays in many countries,
tourism is considered the main force to promote and economic development of the country and
by providing a strategic opportunity is caused diversify in the local economy, employment,
income and increased resources entered into the local environment. So the first option in the
development of regional is tourism development (Khodadadi, 2011). The importance of this
industry and its role in economic development has caused many local, regional and national
managers and planners everywhere efforts and plan to expand it.
Based on the study of Ahammad (2013), today the highly competitive market, in which
business operates, requires a skilful workforce in order to remain a successful player in the
competitive game of the industry. One of the main obstacles which occurs in the workplace is the

lack of training and development. Training is an essential process which should be cautiously
designed and implemented within all firms. The overall aim of this dissertation is to examine an
importance of training in hospitality industry. Training is a part of the human resource
development, along with the other human resources activities such as recruitment, selection and
compensation. The role of human resource department is to improve the organizations
effectiveness by providing employees with knowledge, skills and attitudes that will improve their
current or future job performance. In order to implement the right training methods, the training
specialist should be aware of the pros and cons and effectiveness of each training method.
Besides, for evaluating training effectiveness, measurement should be done according to the
models. Training refers to a systematic approach to learning and development to improve
individual, team, and organizational effectiveness (Goldstein & Ford, 2002). Alternatively,
development refers to activities leading to the acquisition of new knowledge or skills for
purposes of personal growth. However, it is often difficult to ascertain whether a specific
research study addresses training, development, or both. In the remainder of this review, we use
the term training to refer to both training and development efforts.
According to Khanfar (2014), training provides individuals the experience and makes
them more confident. The opposite happens in the organizations that do not use training as an
administrative system. Some organizations organize special training systems with experts and
scientists as employees in the administration or from abroad. The wideness speed and
development of the tourism sector which happened in Jordan is definitely important. The future
is hopeful to develop the tourism sector and increasing its activity in Jordan. So, using the
successful training methods became an important factor in making the modern hospitality and its
development. Training is very important to develop and ability in competition. It is also

important to make individuals more confident and have a good experience. The service
organizations especially hotels depend on the way of how employees deal with guests. So, the
efficiency of employees in hotels is considered an important factor to achieve targets and
develop the hotel industry. It is an important factor to develop the society and its economy.
According to Jones and Lowe (1990) the effective training programs should have at least
two potential outcomes: change of teachers classroom practice, and change in teachers belief
and attitudes. In the college level, it might include specific training and educational courses in
counseling. These techniques are typical short-term strategies used for changing individual
instructors teaching methods and attitudes.
According to Borich (1977) categorizes teacher training programs based on competencies
into three types: knowledge competencies (where a knowledge competency means a cognitive
understanding derived from the instruction process or subject-matter content that the teacher is
expected to demonstrate); performance competencies (which are the behaviors the teachers
demonstrate in the classroom,); and consequence competencies (which are the outcomes of the
teaching and learning process between the teacher and his students).
According to the results of Brownell (2005) has vividly shown that teachers need specific
competencies for the advancement of their knowledge and skills, which are program
characteristics that include extensive field experience, collaboration, and program evaluation,
although the ways in which programs incorporated these components varied. In another
empirical study, Gilberts and Lignugaris- Kraft (1997) search for classroom management
competencies address to teacher ability to manage the educational environment, and directly
manage and assess students classroom behavior. In that study classroom management
competencies are divided into four categories address the educational environment: arrangement

of the physical environment to facilitate student management, formulation of a standard for

student behavior in the classroom, and two categories address teachers management and
behavioral assessment; implementation of strategies to increase appropriate behavior or reduce
inappropriate behavior, and assessing the effectiveness of the implemented strategies. In these
programs, teacher educators used a variety of strategies to help students examine their
beliefs about instruction; integrate the knowledge; acquire academic, social and cultural
knowledge about their students; and reflect on the impact of their instruction.

Synthesis
All the gathered information from literature has been related to the researchers study
because it discussed about, the tourism and hospitality industry incorporates and many different
types of business, such as accommodations and food service providers, transportation companies,
and tour operators and most of all bring people together. However, organizations must ensure
that their employees are capable of providing top quality service to increasingly discerning

customers in a global market. One integral aspect of ensuring that employees have the right
knowledge, skills, and abilities to provide top service providing effective training. Training and
development in organizations has come to be seen as a normal cost of doing business in order for
companies to maintain productivity and stay competitive in the marketplace. Stated by Shapero,
hospitality and travel combined have become one of the worlds largest industries. The World
Travel and Tourism Council state that these two sectors will contribute about $9.3 trillion in
economic activity by 2011. This significant growth in international travel over the next decade
will heighten the importance of cross cultural service encounters and reward companies who
have trained their workers to a higher level of intercultural sensitivity. Training programs that use
critical incidents specifically designed for hospitality and travel related businesses will improve
service delivery and reduce cultural misunderstandings between the organizations employees
and the customers they serve. Multinational firms in all industries have included cross cultural
training and critical incidents in their training programs for middle and upper level managers in
the past. However, frontline employees who actually make contact with the firms customers are
seldom prepared for encounters with customers from other cultures. The purpose of this study is
to suggest ways that firms in the hospitality and travel industry can better prepare their frontline
employees for successful service encounters with people from foreign cultures.
CHAPTER III
Research Methodology
This chapter is composed of the research design, research locale, population of the study,
data collection procedure, instrumentation and statistical treatment of data.

Research Design
The researchers used the descriptive method of research. Descriptive research is a design

used to describe characteristics of a population or phenomenon being studied. This Study aimed
to know if there will be an improvement on the evaluation of Amadeus Training Program in
SSC-R tourism students.
Descriptive research can be used to accomplish a wide variety of research objectives.
However, descriptive data become useful for solving problems only when the process is guided
by one or more specific research problems, much thought and effort, and quite often explanatory
research to clarify the problem and develop hypothesis. The researchers used descriptive research
design to describe the characteristics of certain groups, determining the proportion of people who
behave in a certain way, making specific predictions and determining relationships between
variables.

Research Locale
The research was conducted at San Sebastian College-Recoletos, Manila and base on our
research amadeus provides the technology which keeps the travel sector moving from initial
search to making a booking, from pricing to ticketing, from managing reservations to managing
check-in and departure processes by joining up and connecting key players in the travel industry:
travel agencies, corporations, airlines, airports, hotels, railways and more.
Population of the Study
The research population of the study are the 3rd and 4th year Tourism students of San
Sebastian College-Recoletos, taking up Tour & Travel Agency Management with Laboratory.
The researchers will select a total of one hundred and thirty (130) respondents in the study.

Data Collection Procedure

The researchers will write a letter of request to Dr. Corazon Reyes, dean of College of
International Hospitality Management, to conduct a study. Upon approval, the survey
questionnaires will be distributed to selected 3rd year & 4th year Tourism students. Thereafter,
the researchers will gather all the information to be tallied, tabulated and interpreted.

Instrumentation
The survey questionnaire was used to gather data for the study. The researchers devised
the questionnaire which was based after the evaluation of Amadeus Training Program. The first
part was the Personal Data sheet which includes demographic variables such as year, gender, and
year taken the training program. The second part includes the factors that will help develop
Amadeus Training Program.

Statistical Treatment of Data

The following statistical tools will be used to the interpret data:
1. Frequency the rate at which something occurs or is repeated over a particular period of
time or in a given sample. In this study, the researchers used frequency to access the
demographic profile of the respondents such as year, gender, year taken.
2. Percentage is defined as a number represented as a fraction of 100. Percentages are
used to express numbers between zero and one. It is used to compare things. The
researchers used this statistical treatment for accessing the demographic profile of the
respondents such as year, gender, year taken.

The Percentage Formula is given as:

Percentage =

f
n

x 100%

Where:
f = frequency of each class interval
n = the total number of observation
3. Weighted Mean the measurement of central tendency. It represents the average of the
given data. Weighted mean is similar to arithmetic mean or sample mean. The average of
a quantity is calculated after getting the total of all the values then divided by the total
number. The researchers used Weighted Mean to measure the factors that will help
develop Amadeus Training Program.

Weighted mean formula is as follows:

Where:
x = weighted mean.
xi = x1, x2, x3...... = Items given.
fi = f1, f2, f3, ...... = Frequencies corresponding to the given items.

Likerts Scale - are a non-comparative scaling technique and are unidimensional (only
measure a single trait) in nature. Respondents are asked to indicate their level of agreement with
a given statement by way of an ordinal scale.

Bibliography
A. Books
Kirckpatrick D.L. and Kirkpatrick J.D. (2006) Evaluating Training Programs: The Four

Levels Retrieve from 21 September 2015 http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?

sid=fbc42119-7075-449e-8cd9
6189039916bc@sessionmgr113&vid=2#AN=260710&db=e000tww
B. Journals/ Periodicals
Cass B. L. (2014) Training and development for a successful tourism industry in
Newfoundland: A Literature Review Retrieved from 18 September 2015
https://www.mun.ca/harriscentre/reports/arf/2013/13-14-TSP-Final-Cass.pdf
Shapero M. A. (2011) Cross-cultural training for hospitality and tourism: Improving
Service encounters through industry-targeted critical incidents 18 September 2015
http://www.eckerd.edu/academics/internationalbusiness/files/shapero_summer_06.pdf
TTGAsia (2005) http://ttgasia.com/article.php?article_id=10749
De Vera B.A. O. (2013) 7 schools sign up for Amadeus Philippines' tourism training
Program Retrieved from 19 September 2015
http://www.interaksyon.com/business/55467/7-schools-sign-up-for-amadeus-philippinestourism-training-program
Khan R.J.G (2011) Impact of Training and Development on Organizational Performance
Volume 11 Issue 7 Version 1.0 Retrieved 18 September 2015
https://globaljournals.org/GJMBR_Volume11/8-Impact-of-Training-and-Developmenton-Organizational-Performance.pdf
Monsef S.M.S (2013) Evaluating potentials of Tourism Marketing by SWOT method
Retrieved from 18 September 2015
http://www.singaporeanjbem.com/pdfs/SG_VOL_1_%2810%29/8.pdf

Ahammad S. (2013) Importance of Training in Hotel industry - A case study of Hilton

Hotel, Cyprus Retrieve from 18 September 2015
https://www.divaportal.org/smash/get/diva2:651957/FULLTEXT01.pdf

Khanfar S.M. (2014) Training and its Important in the Efficiency of Employees'
Performance in Five Star Hotels in Jordan Retrieved form 18 September 2015
http://jbsq.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/December_2014_10.pdf
Jones and Lowe (1990) The Effects of a Training Program in Improving Instructional
Competencies for Special Education Teachers in Jordan p.1 Retrieved from 17
September 2015 http://www.interesjournals.org/full-articles/the-effects-of-a-trainingprogram-in-improving-instructional-competencies-for-special-education-teachers-injordan.pdf?view=inline
Borich (1977) The Effects of a Training Program in Improving Instructional
Competencies for Special Education Teachers in Jordan p.1 Retrieved from 17
September 2015 http://www.interesjournals.org/full-articles/the-effects-of-a-trainingprogram-in-improving-instructional-competencies-for-special-education-teachers-injordan.pdf?view=inline
Brownell (2005) The Effects of a Training Program in Improving Instructional
Competencies for Special Education Teachers in Jordan p.4 Retrieved from 17
September 2015 http://www.interesjournals.org/full-articles/the-effects-of-a-trainingprogram-in-improving-instructional-competencies-for-special-education-teachers-injordan.pdf?view=inline

C. Electronic Sources
https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-386917887/the
-efficiency-of-the-university-teaching-and-learning Retrieved from 17 September 2015