Volume 1 Issue 2 September/October 2010

Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management’s Newsletter Prelude to Success

SCOPES
 Promoting appro-
priate tourism
practices
 ADHM’s views,
contributions and
suggestions
 Portraying tourism
through sustain-
ability
 Encouraging Love
& Passion for a
career in the in-
dustry
Spectrum
S E Y C H E L L E S T O U R I S M A C A D E M Y
ADHM acted for Environment Protection
By Samia Confiance ADHM Yr 3
Following our visit to the Roche Caiman Bird Sanctuary, we the ADHM year three, became concerned as what can us, as
individual do to contribute in making Seychelles a more sustainable destination. From then on, discussion was made
through the ADHM Action Team. We decided to do something as a sign of appreciation, and awareness of the impor-
tance, of our environment. To start with, members consulted Mr. Nirmal Jivan Shah to see if there were any projects that
we can assist them with. Mr. Shah informed us that they had planned to create a Heritage Garden on Praslin, similar to
that at Roche Caiman on Mahe. Willingly, we volunteered to help them with the project.
We began knocking on doors to get sponsors to help us in the venture. Fortunately all our sponsors were sensitive to the
importance of the environment and shared the same enthusiasm with us. Mr. Chadstone from the Inter Island Boat and
Mr. Bonelame from the UCPS assisted with transportation fees. Mr. George in his capacity as member of the Parliament
Environment Committee assisted with SCR1000 and Mr. Mathiot our F&B Production lecturer assisted with SCR500,
both sum were used to pay for various expenses in Praslin, Mr. Manu from the HSL assisted with the food and beverages
needed for the trip. Mr. Nirmal Jivan Shah assisted us with the accommodation there and donated the plants through the
Nature Seychelles.
On Monday the 05th July 2010 nine of us mainly from the ADHM Action Team including two lecturers and the in-house
gardener set of for Praslin. With the plants and equipment, and with a positive mind, the adventure thus began. Since we
took the afternoon boat, on arrival, we only inspected the area and tried to set up an action plan for the following day.

 Reflection on the Very early on Tuesday morning, we started clearing the area for the Garden. It is important to note that all team members
Seychelles Tour- were very participative and eager to get the job done. Progressively, the clearing was done; of course the insects were not
ism and Hotel very pleased, as they did not fail to sting some of us showing us that we are on their territory. But the idea was to replant
Operations what was removed with rare, endemic and traditional flora.
Once the clearing was over, holes were dug followed by planting of various plants, which includes Rousay, Bwa Malgas,
etc. By late afternoon we had managed to turn a totally shrubbery area into a nice little garden and we sat down contem-
I N S I D E T H I S plating on a fruitful labour day.
I S S U E :
The same evening upon enjoying a nice supper cooked by Samia and assisted by Saul and Michael of the group, our re-
flection appalled us; if we as a small group of student and lecturers could make a short but very significant contribution to
Appreciation for the French
Language
2 the environment in less than one day, what could big companies and corporate entities with Capital, Labour and Power
do? We began to question; is the government, spending enough effort to enforcing environment protection? Apart from
NGO’s such as Nature Seychelles, Wildlife groups, etc; are there any other people that are really involved in this environ-
The Seychelles Brand 2 ment protection? Do developers really consider the environment before venturing into any development? Or is it just
yapping for CSR status?
To our greatest dismay, it is unfortunate to say that it is not always the case. To some extent there are many that are aware
Linking Management Theories of the importance of the environment and the significant contribution it has on the Seychelles Tourism Industry. However
and Practice
3
there are still many loops in the system that makes it difficult to ensure sustainable development. Furthermore there are
many developers that fail to carryout sustainable practices while constructing new projects.
Reflection 3
With this, we note that we are not criticising any system or developments as we are aware of the importance of having
developments. However we aimed at making others understand that as much as it is important to have development, hav-
ing conducive environment is also important. This will not only preserve what we have for future generation but help us
STA and China Cooperation 3
to live in a clean, safe and healthy environment.
We believe that government should put more emphasis on sustainable development, and that other organisation, espe-
cially those that have the means, follow our minor example and be more involved in supporting activities related to envi-
Positive Thinking 4
ronment protection. However it is important to note that individual contribution are also important, therefore, we as indi-
vidual, must also re-evaluate our behaviour and take up sustainable practices.
The Shannon Hospitality College
and the STA
4

The Alpha and the Omega Satisfaction

Page 2 Spectrum

Appreciation for the French Language all of these skills, and they will reinforce
By Veronique Sauzier ADHM Yr 3 one another. For listening and speaking,
finding a native speaker to help you once
This article is mostly intended for the hos- official language of the United Nations, the you have some skill will help you with
pitality students but for all Seychellois to Olympic Games, and the European Union. these skills.
digest. I found it strange to notice that a It is the official language of 29 countries
greater segment of this tourism destination and is spoken in France, Belgium, Switzer- It is better to visit French-speaking coun-
nation do not practice nor desire to speak land, Luxemburg, Tunisia, Morocco, Sene- tries but if you can't travel to such a
French. While this language is much gal, Haiti, the Ivory Coast, Madagascar, country, then try listening to French-
needed in the tourism industry, partakers the Congo, Algeria, Niger, Mali, Burkina language programs on the radio, TV, or
are not spending any effort into increasing Faso, Togo, Gabon, the Seychelles (is it?), the Internet. Rent or buy French-
potential speakers. In the hotels, it is worse; Burundi, Chad, Rwanda, Djibouti, Camer- language movies. Pay attention to pro-
employees just do not want to speak nor oon, Mauritius, and Canada. nunciation. Grab a French speaker you
encouraged to speak French. meet and talk to him or her in French.
Learning any new language requires some Listen, speak, and practice. For the
French is a Romance language, descended commitment, generally long-term. Re- more cultured students, read French
from Latin and closely related to Portu- member that, like any skill, it requires a newspapers, magazines and books. An
guese, Spanish, Italian, and Romanian. It is certain amount of effort. And if you do not excellent source is Google's news page,
the native tongue of over 87 million people practice your French regularly, it is highly which links to French-language news
and has an additional 68 million non-native likely that you will begin to forget it. Try stories, which will enrich your vocabu-
speakers. In medieval times and until the to make it a part of your schedule; even if lary.
19th century, it was often the language it's not daily, at least make it regular.
used in diplomacy, culture, administration, Tourists coming into the Seychelles seek
royal courts across Europe and also in Remember that you are learning a new French speaking natives because they
trade, thus appropriately becoming the skill. Try to master the simple stuff before have been told or read that this destina-
lingua franca of its time. French-speaking moving on to the more complex. We all tion is French speaking. Please fulfil
people have made incursions upon the Brit- have to add and subtract before we can do their expectation and help enrich the
ish Isles many times in the past, most no- calculus. quality of our unique service in the spirit
ticeably in the Norman Invasion of 1066. of the Seychelles Brand, James Alix
For this reason, although English is a Ger- French is a complete language. While it is Michel (2010).
manic language, at least a third of the Eng- important that you be taught to read and
lish lexicon is derived from French. write in French, this is only half of the
skills that make up fluency. A written
In modern terms, it is still significantly document cannot teach much about listen-
used as a diplomatic language, being an ing to and speaking French. You must train Logo de La Francophonie

The University of Seychelles and the Seychelles Tourism Academy
have signed an agreement on training and sharing their facilities
Contributed by Dave Mousbe ADHM Yr 3
are now ready to make our contribution to
this most important endeavor – of empow-
ering our people to manage the tourism
industry at all levels.”
Mr. Joubert explained that the MoU covers
several aspects beneficial to both sides.
After completing their courses, students
will be proficient in fields such as market-
The Memorandum of Understanding ing, human resources management, service
(MoU) was signed last month by STA Prin- development, hotel management, tour
cipal Mr. Flavien Joubert and the Univer- operating and airlines.“The MoU covers
sity of Seychelles (UniSey) Vice- the degree course the students will be do-
Chancellor Dr. Rolph Payet. Present at the ing at Shannon College, so they will now
ceremony were guests including Minister be able to choose between UniSey and
for Foreign Affairs Jean-Paul Adam, Secre- Shannon College,” he said.“There will also
tary of State in the President’s office Barry be an exchange of students and lecturers,
Faure, and Representatives of Ireland- such as UniSey providing teachers in fi-
based Shannon College and the Seychelles nance, marketing, statistics and human
Tourism Board. resources while we give them our special-
Mr. Joubert and Dr. Payet toasted the new ists in, for example, housekeeping, restau-
partnership immediately after the signing, rant and bar work, and food preparation, as
before the latter congratulated the efforts of well as sharing facilities such as libraries
the STA in introducing its advanced di- and equipment.”
ploma courses and opportunities to pro- Dr Payet said the new degree program to
gress towards degree-level studies. “I do be launched next month is unique globally,
recognize the tireless efforts the STA has in that it has brought together three univer-
made, and continues to make, to ensure that sities to deliver an intensive four-year
our tourism service excels at all levels,” he program aimed at training the tourism
said.“With the establishment of UniSey, we executives and managers of tomorrow.
The Seychelles Brand
By Joseph Cesar ADHM Yr 3
The Seychelles as a small island state country
has, among the most beautiful countries of the
World, one unique secret to share; FREE
FROM ALL NATURAL DISASTERS! (4
degrees South of the Equator).
The Branding of this country comes with the
Love, the Passion, and the Vocation towards
the Tourism Industry. The STA has since the
beginning been the branding mechanism for
tourism students. The reality has been evi-
dently otherwise. Seychellois students have
been well carved and/or branded to reflect the
Seychellois ways and cultures which is really
needed in the industry. But unfortunately,
those students are dispersed into other various
industries in the society if not in foreign coun-
tries. What to do? What should be done? The
Seychelles way, is it simple? Yes, it is simple
but No, it is not simple! Simplicity is not
simple!
Live your ways and feel your ways whenever
you encounter people. But be reminded that
your ways will go far and far it will go. Live
the Creole culture and demonstrate the attrib-
utes of Creoles.
Like the American Dream, we do have a Sey-
chellois Dream. The dream is of course, tan-
gible if you make it be. Giving back to your
country upon what your country has done for
you is a grand responsibility that brings great-
ness.
I salute all those who believes in himself or
herself, and HOPE that we pursuit in the
branding of the Seychelles.
Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 3

Linking Management Theories and Practice new ways of managing hotels and its people. These theories
By Joseph Cesar ADHM Yr 3 compliments the always changing tourism industry and environ-
ments which demand new management practices and techniques
“What works "in theory" doesn't work "in practice" so they say. be applied to maintain their efficiency.
Some make distinctions between knowing and doing, arguing
that theory may be good for knowing, but does not necessarily The ADHM program is therefore no exception. It has been de-
aid practice. On the other hand, some writing for practitioners veloped to equipped future tourism managers with various mana-
argues that academic theory may be helpful for practice, and gerial approaches towards the tourism objectives. It is therefore
should be heeded. Jean M. Bartunek, 2008 researched that there advisable to contemporary managers to strengthen the practitio-
is very little academic writing that emphasizes how practice ner-scholars relationship; they should forge much stronger links
should inform theory. between their work and academic theory by means of facilitating
academic practitioner forums and developing skills in theorizing
The theory of management has grown over the past one-hundred about them. Remember; management theory is the science, man-
years evolving from the time and motion studies of engineers to agement practice is the art. They should complement each other
contributions from social scientists, the Hawthorne studies and a to achieving goals.
behavioural approach to more quantitative approaches that look
for the “best” or optimum functioning of an organization or Reflection
“total quality management (TQM)” (Gabor 1990). Any manage- Contributed by Rhonda Barreau ADHM 3
ment theory is important because it is the conceptual study of Indispensable Isn’t it true that no one is indispensable in this
how to make all the people in hotel organization more produc- world? Well, it is true. But you should strive to make yourself
tive. Qualified professionals to provide service or work are ex- indispensable in the unit you work in.
pensive because of their conceptual attributes and their analyti- To gain promotion and to shine at work, make "being indispensable" part
cal abilities to solving complex problems. The key to hotel busi- of your career goals.
ness management is to maximise productivity. However, while Strive to be a key competitive advantage to your bosses and your unit.
management theory does aim towards getting staffs to achieve a When you do that you are making yourself indispensable. Being indis-
certain goal, it does not necessarily succeed in making them pensable means taking initiatives, do what needs to be done on time. And
more productive towards this cause. Management theories take the initiative to do what is beyond the call of duty. When you take
this career promotion advice to heart you increase your chances to gain
reigns and they lies in what has been achieved in history. This promotion.
may serve as a guide but one must also bear in mind manage- Nice The advice of being hardworking in order to shine to gain
ment is not just a science, but also an art. And this is where the that promotion is toughest to swallow for some. This career pro-
practice comes in. Some managers indulges more into its scien- motion advice then should be the easiest to accept - being nice at
tific approaches, while most if not all prefers to exploit the art of work. Being nice at work is to be a delight and pleasing to work
management. The latter offers the privilege to create and de- with. It means to be polite and being able to handle your frustra-
velop own theories contingently, as per situations, cultures, etc. tion and anger. It also means being able to lower your stress
But organisational goals must reflect in the aims and objectives levels.
of any theory or practice of planning, organising, leading and You would probably ask, why would being nice increase your chances to
controlling. gain promotion? The answer is simple, when you are nice – polite, pleas-
ing and able handle your emotions well; you demonstrate professional
Management theory does not just teach how to inspire employ- decorum. One who does that is more professional and shines at work
ees to be more productive, it also shows managers how to be more than one who does not.
good bosses. Practice on the other hand, is to know how to deal
with issues that may happen in the workplace, they have to effi- The Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA) has now
ciently deal with these issues and simultaneously maintain a extended its training for lecturing staff to courses
stable or improving level of productivity regardless of its ethical in China
approaches. Successful management is to balance a multitude of Contributed by Annette Pierre ADHM Yr 3
tasks while being familiar with management theories. Smith and
Hitt, 2005, reminds some of these theories; social cognition,
procedural justice, upper echelons theory, goal-setting theory,
job characteristics theory, organizational commitment, psycho-
logical contracts, escalation of commitment, expectancy theory,
resource-based theory, organizational learning, resource depend-
ence theory, transaction cost theory. These are only a partial list
of a number of significant conceptual contributions by manage-
ment scholars.

The trend is that theories are for the soft headed scholars
(academics) to manipulate or create, while practices are for the
hard headed or tough minded practitioners in the field. This has
been the approach for many years up to recently when major
The first of these, with sponsorship from the Chinese embassy in
world crisis brought about new management concepts such as
Seychelles, is a five-week in-service course in hotel management
Globalisation, Workforce Diversification, Total Quality Man-
for developing countries at the Harbin University of Commerce
agement, etc, complimenting the Global Village philosophy.
in China.
Today managers have to depend a lot on theories researched and
Three lecturers left Seychelles recently to follow the course –
updated by scholars. These are important to effective and effi-
Brigitte Joubert, lecturer for the Advanced Diploma in Hospital-
cient organisation development. Thus, the 20th century has
ity Management; Louine Labrosse, lecturer for reception opera-
brought in a number of management theories which have helped
tions and services; and Samantha Julie, lecturer in food and bev-
shaped our view of management in the present tourism business
erage services.
environment. These emerging theories have enabled managers to
Three more STA lecturers will follow in-service courses in
appreciate new patterns of thinking, new ways of organising and
China in October.
 Nine visiting Irish lecturers are working closely with their counterparts at the Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA) on the
country’s first Advanced Diploma in Hotel Management course
Contributed by Dave Mousbe ADHM Yr 3

The aim of the senior lecturers from Shannon College of Hotel Management and the STA lecturers is to ensure that the course meets the standards
of the National University of Ireland so that successful students will be eligible to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Ireland, with the first group due to
start in September 2011.
Some of the Irish lecturers came to teach economics, financial and managerial accountings, while some were busy interviewing students and liais-
ing with their Seychellois counterparts on subjects such as business communication and IT for the management of hotels.Others monitored the
delivery of courses by STA lecturers, monitoring exams and academic management, assessing all aspects of students’ work placements in hotels
and meeting part-time lecturers who are helping with the programme.
STA principal Flavien Joubert – who visited Shannon College just over two years ago along with Peter Moncherry from the Seychelles Tourism
Board to spearhead this project – said he is very happy with the results achieved so far, which will allow young Seychellois to join the manage-
ment elite of international hotel chains in Seychelles.

A D H M S P E C T R U M
La Misere
P.O Box 1051
Phone: 00248388628
E-mail: spectrumnewsletter@yahoo.com
Face book page: Adhmnewsletter

Articles and Other Contributions: ADHM Students

Compilation: Joseph Cesar—ADHM Yr 3
Editing: ADHM Action Team—Year 3

Entertainment
Positive Thinking
By Elgine Victorin ADHM Yr 3

Human beauties are recognised by their

virtues and good character. These vir-
tues are loving, kindness, compassion,
patience, understanding and respect for
others. Our mind seeks knowledge for
those good virtues which are revealing
to others in our behaviour and attitudes.
Goodness can be practice through posi-
tive thinking.

Positive thinking leads to positive ac-

tions where good behaviour is shown.
Thinking positive make us act, behave
and speak positively thus living in har-
mony with in the world. Remember:
Beauty comes from within.

Did you know?

'Information
-The most popular ethnic food in the United States is Italian food; think of the American tourists you encounter! without com-
-Beijing boasts the world's largest Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant; think of the size of the population there!
munication is
-In China, people eat a bar of chocolate for every 1,000 chocolate bars eaten by the British; think of obesity!
no information
-Americans eat more bananas than any other fruit: a total of 11 billion a year; think of selling banana to them!
at all'
Contributed by J. Cesar ADHM 3
(Wurman 1991)