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MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT TO QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

The tourism and hospitality industry continues to play a major role in the world economy as it continues to
generate a huge percentage of the world’s gross domestic product. It relies on quality as its performance
indicator. The close competition between organizations in the tourism and hospitality industry urge them to
ensure that the services provided are of high quality through the application of total quality management
(TQM).
However, there are challenges in implementing quality management—for instance, the commitment of the
top management to embrace the approaches for the staff to follow. Changes towards quality start from the
top management (Anuar et al., 2017).
Regarding the management’s commitment to quality, the International Organization for Standardization
(ISO) has set a standard that uses quality management principles as the basis of criteria set for the quality
management system which can be used by any organization. This is referred to as ISO 9001:2015.
A quality management system (QMS) is a system for organizing quality policies and objectives. According to
the American Society for Quality, it manages to improve organizational activities that help meet customer
and regulatory requirements continuously.
ISO identified seven (7) quality management principles:
 Customer Focus – focusing on meeting customer needs and exceeding their expectations
 Leadership – being in unison with every person in the organization to achieve organizational
objectives
 Engagement of People – empowering every person within the organization to deliver the right value
of a service efficiently
 Process Approach – properly organizing activities to achieve measurable results
 Improvement – being able to adapt to conditions and seeing opportunities for improvement
 Evidence-based Decision Making – making decisions through evaluation and analysis of data
 Relationship Management – keeping good relationship with interested parties like suppliers and
other partner networks.
Clause 5.1.1 of the ISO 9001:2015 is about leadership and commitment where the top management in all
levels of an organization must ensure the implementation of QMS and demonstrate commitment to the
system through their actions to achieve the organization’s goals.
The following actions can be taken by top management who are committed to QMS (ISO, 2015):
 Communicate the organization’s mission, vision, strategy, policies, and processes throughout the
organization.
 Create and sustain shared values, fairness, and ethical models for behavior at all levels of the
organization.
 Establish a culture of trust and integrity.
 Encourage an organization-wide commitment to quality.
 Ensure that leaders at all levels are positive examples to people in the organization.
 Provide people with the required resources, training, and authority to act with accountability.
 Inspire, encourage, and recognize people’s contribution.
Here are the key benefits of being committed to QMS (ISO, 2015):
 Increased effectiveness and efficiency in meeting the organization’s quality objectives.
 Better coordination of the organization’s processes.
 Improved communication between levels and functions of the organization.

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 Development and improvement of the capability of the organization and its people to deliver
desired results.
These are the three (3) examples of top management demonstrating commitment to QMS (Hill, 2017):
 Talking to customers. By talking to customers, a business organization can gather information about
their likes, preferences, habits, etc., that may help determine the type of service they want.
 Encouraging departments to communicate. Proper communication between departments helps
everyone understand the responsibilities of each member of the team.
 Investing in tools. There are tools and equipment that help improve the efficiency of specific tasks
and are worth investing in (e.g., Global Distribution System [GDS] and Point of Sale System [POS]).

GLOBAL CODE OF ETHICS FOR TOURISM

The United Nation’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) came up with 10 principles by establishing a
fundamental reference for all key players in tourism development. This reference is known as the Global
Code of Ethics for Tourism (GCET).
GCET aims to maximize the benefits of tourism while minimizing its negative impacts on the environment,
culture, and societies. These are the 10 principles of GCET (World Tourism Organization, n.d.):
 Tourism’s contribution to mutual understanding and respect between peoples and societies
o Both tourists and host communities are responsible for having a harmonious interaction with
each other, such as giving respect to religions, moral beliefs, and culture, and providing
security for tourists during their stay.
 Tourism as a vehicle for individual and collective fulfillment
o Tourism activities should provide the privilege of feeling the joy of fulfillment to all types of
consumers.
 Tourism, a factor for sustainable development
o Tourism development projects and activities must consider the capacity and protection of the
environment including wildlife.
 Tourism, a user of the cultural heritage of mankind and contributor to its enhancement
o Tourism policies and activities must respect cultural heritage by protecting and preserving it.
 Tourism, a beneficial activity for host countries and communities
o Tourism development should benefit local communities in terms of economic, social, and
cultural value.
 Obligations of stakeholders in tourism development
o Tourism professionals must provide tourists with accurate information regarding product or
service as well as inform them about safety and security issues.
o Public authorities should be ready to send tourists back to their home countries in case of
bankruptcy of the organizers of their travel.
o Governments must practice their right and duty to inform tourists regarding the difficulties of
the state that affect tourism activities. Such advisories are to be canceled once everything is
back to normal.
o Travel press is to give objective, honest, and balanced information on events that affect
tourism activity.

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 Right to tourism
o Everyone, regardless of social status, disability, gender, and age, has the right to discover, enjoy,
and experience the planet’s resources through tourism.
 Liberty of tourist movements
o Tourist and visitors are free to move from their country to another state and must have access
to transportation, services, and other needs and wants.
o While tourists are free to move or visit another state, they, however, must comply with the
policies and international agreements of the state.
 Rights of workers and entrepreneurs in the tourism industry
o Everyone, provided that they possess the necessary quality and skills, is allowed to have a
professional activity in tourism and must comply with the minimum administrative or legal
restrictions.
 Implementation of the principles of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism
o Stakeholders are to work together for the implementation and effective application of GCET.

COMPETENCIES OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY STAFF

According to the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council, there are eight (8) sectors in the tourism
industry that offer different products or services to customers. These sectors are the following:
 Accommodation – This includes hotels, resorts, pension houses, homestays, and inns.
 Adventure Tourism and Recreation – This includes outdoor adventure parks.
 Attractions – These include historical sites, museums, zoos, parks, casinos, and other cultural sites.
 Events and Conferences – These include meetings, conferences, trade shows, and conventions.
 Food and Beverage – These include restaurants, cafés, fast food chains, and bars.
 Tourism Services – These include associations and groups that provide aid and data to the tourism
industry.
 Transportation – This includes air, land, and water transport systems.
 Travel Trade – This includes travel agencies and tour operators.

OCCUPATIONS IN THE INDUSTRY

With the recent developments in the tourism and hospitality industry, such as the increase in business travel
and advances in modern technology, employment in the industry has also increased. The following are the
occupations offered by the industry.
 Management Careers – Good communication and leadership skills are important managerial
competencies because managers deal with the staff and guests directly. They lead and encourage
the team to meet standards and motivate them to excel at work.
- General Manager – oversees the overall operations of a hotel
- Housekeeping Manager – in charge of ensuring cleanliness and orderliness in hotels
- Front Office Manager – manages the functions in the front office such as greeting guests,
providing information about the hotel, dealing with guest complaints, and receiving and
processing reservations
- Convention Services Manager – ensures a smooth flow of events by helping in the planning
and scheduling of activities

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- Assistant Manager – assists managers from different departments in carrying out duties and
responsibilities to ensure smooth operations
- Travel Agency Manager – plans, organizes, and directs the operations of travel-related
organizations; researches new products and destinations
- Travel Trade Sales Manager – promotes a destination to travel agencies and tour companies;
travels frequently to discover new destinations and travel attractions.
 Food Preparation Workers – They must have the dexterity, listening skills, physical stamina, and
strength to work quickly and safely with sharp objects, like knives, for accurately taking the
customer’s order and directions from executive chefs and for standing long periods and carrying
heavy food supplies during food preparation.
- Chef – in charge of directing kitchen workers and of managing kitchen resources.
- Cook – may depend on the kind of place of employment (e.g., a restaurant cook prepares
individual orders to customers; other types of cooks are fast-food, short-order, private,
household, fry, and grill)
- Baker – measures and combines ingredients to produce bread, cakes, cookies, and pastries
- Food Preparation Staff – in charge of preparing the ingredients, work area, equipment, and
utensils to be used by the head cook; peeling and slicing of meat, vegetables, and fruits; and
maintaining the sanitation and cleanliness of the kitchen.
 Food and Beverage Attendants – Physical attributes and characteristics are important considerations
in these positions, as well as communication skills, for they are the frontliners who serve and deal
with customers.
- Waiter – in charge of welcoming guests, showing them their seats, presenting the menu, and
taking orders up to receiving the bill
- Bartender – prepares and serves drinks according to the order of the customers
- Receptionist (also known as Front Desk Assistant/Officer) – in charge of greeting guests upon
arrival, assisting with any problems during a guest’s stay, answering phone calls, and taking
reservations.
 Other Positions
- Host and Hostesses – greet and assist guests upon arrival at a hotel or restaurant.
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants – clean and set tables and remove soiled dishes.
- Backwaiters/Runners – bring meals from the kitchen to the food dispatch area.
- Bartender Helpers – assist bartenders and maintain the cleanliness of glasses and other
equipment used in the bar.
- Flight Attendant or Cabin Crew – attends to guests on planes and in airports.
- Corporate Travel Consultant – determines travel budget and develops travel policies.
- Tour Guide – leads visitors on tours, ensures that itineraries are met, and describes to guest
the locations they are touring.
- Tour Operator – plans, develops, promotes, administers, and implements tourism products
and services.
- Reservation Sales Agent – facilitates the promotion, booking, and sale of a company’s
products and services; usually employed by travel agencies and transport companies.

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IMPORTANT COMPETENCIES IN THE INDUSTRY

For people who are seeking job opportunities in the tourism and hospitality industry, there are important
competencies that organizations are looking for. The following are enumerated by the Technical Education
and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) as the competencies for prospective employees (Department of
Labor and Employment [DOLE], 2012):
 Analytical – This pertains to the knowledge and skills in mathematics, computer, and cost analysis.
 Behavioral – This pertains to the skills in customer service, human relations and ethics, and
knowledge on history and culture.
 Communication skills – This refers to the ability to communicate and the knowledge of an array of
languages and dialects. It also includes knowledge in writing reports and filling out company forms.
 Work attitude and values – This refers to the ability to fit into the culture and nature of the business.
It includes flexibility and resiliency in order to handle the daily pressures and changing demands of
customers.
 Other basic competencies – These include environmental practices, hygiene, and safety.

INDUSTRY ORGANIZATION
Career advancement in tourism and hospitality depending on the type of establishment is an opportunity for
employees to move up the ladder of the industry’s organizational structure. An organizational structure is
used to determine the assignment of labor to each member of the organization and to whom they should
coordinate and have a formal reporting relationship with.
An organizational structure can be more complex with full-service hotels as they have different departments
that can be divided into different sections, while the heads report directly to the general manager or
whoever is the highest authority.

ROSTER PLANNING
In tourism and hospitality industry, majority of the establishments operate 24 hours and seven (7) days a
week. Some employees may work part-time or full-time—a factor in the number of hours a staff has to work.
It also varies depending on the season and is more likely that greater number of hours will be required for
the staff during peak seasons.
With a large number of employees required for operating most of tourism and hospitality establishments, a
roster is commonly used to ensure the continuity and efficiency of operations. A roster can be defined as “a
plan to organize staff to ensure that the right number of people are employed in the right place at the right
time” (Hickman, 2015).
The average working hours in tourism and hospitality organizations ranges from 30 to 56 hours per week.
With the tourism and hospitality industry’s nature, workers may be required to work in a shifting schedule. A
shifting schedule can simply be described as an “unpredictable work schedule that demands round-the-clock
presence of assigned personnel.”
In the tourism and hospitality industry, daytime shifts are normally assigned to the support staff, while the
others, especially frontliners, may need to report on a flexible schedule including night and weekend shifts
(DOLE, 2012).
Organizing staff in the roster plan indicates the following:
 Names of staff who are at work  Days of work (including dates)

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 Starting times of work (time-in)  Where they are to work (stations)

 Break times  Their specific role in work
 Finish times of work (time-out)
It also includes information on staff movements such as who is on annual leave, on sick leave, and undergoing
training.
As mentioned, rosters are used to ensure that the right employees are in the right place at the right time.
There are six (6) primary reasons why rosters are used by organizations:
 To organize staff
o To identify who is working on a particular shift.
o To make sure that staff are sufficient to attend to anticipated needs.
o To ensure that workloads are equally distributed among staff in a working day.
o To guarantee that the level of service required is delivered to customers in a working day.
 To balance experienced staff
o To have a good mix of experience and skills among staff.
o To ensure that customers are adequately served in both numbers and skills.
o To ensure that experienced staff is present in every shift.
 To communicate with staff and inform them the following:
o When they are required for work in terms of
 When they need to arrive/to be at work
 When their break times are
 When they can go home
 When they are not required to work
 When their leave days are available and to be taken.
o It also informs the employees regarding the busy periods and service goals of the
organization.
o Some may indicate the employee work station and activities for a given time.
 To control costs
o To distribute work in a cost-efficient manner by ensuring that enough people are working for
certain periods and are keeping the level of service promised to customers.
o To ensure the efficient use of labor budget, or the money available paid for employee wages.
 To aid employees
o To help employees plan and manage their work and personal time.
 To comply with imposed obligations
o Staff are needed to be advised of their work schedule in the roster ahead of their starting
date and time by providing them with their own copy.
o A copy of the roster should also be available in the workplace.

References:
ASEAN. (2015). Roster staff trainee manual. Melbourne, Australia: Author.
CollegeGrad LLC (n.d.). Food preparation workers. Retrieved from https://collegegrad.com/careers/food-preparation-workers on August 14, 2018
Department of Labor and Employment. (2012). Industry career guide: Hotel, restaurant and tourism. Intramuros, Manila: Labor Market Information, Research, and Career
Guidance Advocacy Division.
Edwards, J. (n.d.). Mastering strategic management – 1st Canadian edition. Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/strategicmanagement/chapter/the-basic-building-blocks-
of-organizational-structure/ on March 3, 2019
Hill, E. (2017). ISO 9001:2015: 3 examples of top management demonstrating commitment to the quality management system. Retrieved from
http://quality.eqms.co.uk/blog/iso-90012015-3-examples-of-top-management-commitment-to-quality on May 2, 2018
Hudson, S., & Hudson, L. (2017). Customer service for hospitality and tourism (2nd ed.). Oxford: Goodfellow Limited.
ISO (2015). Quality management principles. Retrieved from https://www.iso.org/files/live/sites/isoorg/files/archive/pdf/en/pub100080.pdf on May 2, 2018

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