Hospitality Service Excellence

Task Brief 2 – Coursework

Module Title: Hospitality Service Excellence
Assessment Title: EFQM Report
Individual/Group: Individual
Weighting: 70%

Instructions To Students For Submission Of This Coursework

Task Details:
In order to complete assignment 2, you will work individually on a case study (City@Hotels) to which you will apply the EFQM Excellence model via a number of clearly defined and interrelated tasks.

Please read these instructions carefully before starting working on your assignment:

1. It is very important to note that this is not a last minute assignment. We advise you to start on it as soon as you receive it. Based on feedback from students, this assignment requires about 30 hours, depending on your previous knowledge and experience. Several seminars are dedicated to the assignment, helping you to prepare.

2. You will need various items to complete the assignment. These are the:
a) EFQM Excellence Model brochure (see your student email for a copy of this);
b) City@Hotels case study, provided at the very beginning of the module.
c) Example of analysis for a Criterion Part – this will be provided by your tutor during the workshops.

3. First thoroughly read the EFQM Excellence Model brochure.

4. Glance through the City@Hotels case so that you get an understanding of the content, layout, structure and some of the obvious issues. Thoroughly read the assessment guidance written below. Once you have done these things you should be ready to start your detailed City@Hotels case study work.

It is very important to note that this is not a last minute assignment. We advise you to start on it as soon as you receive it. Based on feedback from students, this assignment requires about 30 hours, depending on your previous knowledge and experience. Several seminars are dedicated to the assignment, helping you to prepare.

Particular instructions to students:
This is a formal business report and should be set out as follows:

1. Title Page

2. Executive Summary

3. Contents Page

4. Introduction

5. Key Information Relating to City@Hotels.
You should identify between 3-6 items of Key Information within EACH of the categories shown. Record these in your final report, on a sheet titled “Key Information”. Most Key Information will be found at the front of the case study document. However, it is worth scan reading the whole case study in case there is additional information elsewhere in the document.

Please follow the segments below when pointing out key information pertaining to City@Hotels.
a) Facts and FiguresThis may include: name of the organisation; address of main location; sector(s) of activities; mission [core purpose for existence of the organization]; type of legal status; owners; investors; relationship to headquarters; organisational chart; key financial figures; market capitalisation; number of employees – managerial, supervisory, professional, non-managers / ‘blue collar’; number and location of sites; geographic coverage.

b) History of the organisation and past achievements

c) Challenges and strategy of the organisation This may include: vision [question of the organisation’s future]; business strategy; strengths / weaknesses / opportunities / threats [in the context of the organisations mission and vision, and capability and capacity to achieve strategy]; competitive advantage; key business goals [that support the mission and the achievement of vision]; critical success factors.

d) Markets, offerings and customers This may include: current and future markets: description and figures [market shares…significance for future]; current and future customer segments: description, needs and figures [breakdown of revenue – profitability – significance for future]; current and future offerings: description, features and figures [breakdown of revenue – profitability-significance for future].

e) Operations, partners and suppliersThis may include: organisation structure and main functions; key resources and assets; key partners and suppliers – type and significance of relationships; society: impact on the company and expectation from its members.

f) Management structure and activitiesThis may include: governance structure; values; key management meetings; performance management – how the organisation manages and improves its’ performance.

5. Broad Criterion Analysis
For the following 10 Criterion Parts, identify and record 1 Strength and 1 Area for Improvement: 1d, 2c, 3d, 3e, 4d, 5e, 6a, 7b, 8b and 9a. Do not record any Site Visit Subjects and do not score these Criterion Parts. The preparation for Site Visits will be discussed in the seminars.

6. Detailed Criterion Analysis
Next carry out and record the detailed analysis and scoring on City@Hotels.
Your tutor will provide you with an example of analysis for Criterion Part during the seminars; this should help you when working on assignment 2.
Choose just ONE of the following criterion parts – 2 (Strategy), 5 (Process, Products and Services) or 6 (Customer Results)
i. Based on the structure outlined in the EFQM Excellence Model brochure identify and list 2-4 Strengths and 2-4 Areas for Improvement for each subsection of the criterion part, for example 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d.
ii. Score each of the different Criterion Parts against the relevant RADAR attributes and record these. Please justify in full detail why you tick specific elements of the RADAR matrices, attribute by attribute.
iii. Complete an overall score sheet for your chosen criterion part.

7. Key Themes Identified
Finally identify and record 6 Key Themes relating to City@Hotels.

Whilst this section is shown as the last one, it is useful to identify and record emerging Key Themes as you read through the City@Hotels case study and as you do the detailed analysis work (point 6 above). Modify these as you go through, and having completed the detailed analysis review and update your Key Themes as appropriate. Key Themes are the most important/critical Strengths and Areas for Improvement that characterises the organisation that you are assessing. Their purpose is to help assessors produce a value adding feedback report, and by using them to write the executive summary of the Feedback Report, help the organisation’s senior management to focus on the areas requiring their personal attention – building on the key strengths and addressing the key areas for improvement. Key Themes may relate to:
 Fundamental Concepts of Excellence;
 RADAR elements/attributes;
 Cause/effect relationship between Enablers and Results;
 Linkage between Performance Indicators and Outcomes/Perceptions;
 Strategy execution.

Normally it is best to identify and note a few Key Themes following your initial scan reading of the material provided, and to then modify and add to these as you work through the detailed analysis. Ensure that these contain a good balance of Key Strengths and Key Areas for Improvement.

Submission requirements
1. A4 paper must be used, number each page clearly in the footer.
2. Include your name and student number in the footer and the module title in the header.
3. State word count clearly at the end. (Please note, tables, diagrams, references and appendices should not be counted in the word count).
4. Use font size 12 and a font type that reflects professional practice. Justify the text and use single-spacing.
5. The SHU Harvard system of referencing should be used. Note that plagiarism will not be tolerated. Quotations longer than two lines should be indented.
6. Submit your essay to the Turn-it-n application (found in the Assessment tab of the module Blackboard site) and insert a copy of the Turn-it-in summary at the end of your essay. A hard copy of the essay should be stapled together in the top left corner and presented in a clear plastic wallet to the SHIP by the submission date at the latest.

Leave yourself time to proof read for errors and omissions as marks will be lost if assignments contain numerous errors of grammar and spelling. It is your responsibility to keep a copy of your assignment.

Study Skills Support
Extra study skills support is available through Blackboard. Please ask the module tutors if you need further guidance on essay writing skills.

Feedback & Feed-forward Strategy and how students can access their Feedback
Students will be provided with feedback in the following ways;
• Formative feedback will be issued to students in seminar sessions with an opportunity for report plans only to be checked and discussed.
• Summative feedback will be given to students within three weeks of hand-in and will be found in Grade Centre.

In-module Task Recovery Strategy (where applicable)
In-module recovery is NOT available for this task

Assessment Criteria – Task 2

Module Title: Hospitality Service Excellence Level 7
Assessment Title: EFQM Report Weighted: 70%

Criteria

% Range Knowledge and Understanding Use of Resources Theory and Academic Rigour Presentation and Structure Professional /Academic Practice
Students must show an understanding of the holistic nature of the EFQM model and fundamental principles of excellence and be able to assess an organisation using the model. Students must be to utilise the EFQM framework and the case study document to provide a detailed examination of the level of service excellence of the organisation. The theoretical underpinning of service recovery principles and EFQM are recognised in the value-added feedback given to the company. The report follows the EFQM assessment model template The student is able to understand the case study organisation as a whole and implement the EFQM model to the organisation to form an overall opinion on their level of service excellence and provide value-added feedback on areas of strength and improvement.
80 – 100% Outstanding Work Exceptional knowledge and in-depth understanding of principles and concepts Extensive evidence of integrating appropriate supplementary sources Extensive evidence of relevant and perceptive application of theory, and/or empirical results where applicable Outstanding, well-directed presentation, logically and coherently structured, using correct grammar and spelling Holistic sense of critical reflection
70 – 79%
Excellent Work Excellent knowledge and in-depth understanding of principles and concepts Evidence of extensive reading of supplementary sources Clear evidence of relevant application of theory, and/or empirical results where applicable Excellent, well-directed presentation, logically structured, using correct grammar and spelling Excellent sense of critical reflection
60 – 69%
Very Good Work Comprehensive knowledge and in-depth understanding of principles and concepts Evidence of reading a range of supplementary sources Very good evidence of relevant application of theory, and/or empirical results where applicable Good quality presentation, well structured, using correct grammar and spelling A very good sense of critical reflection
50 – 59%
Good Work Appropriate knowledge and understanding of principles and concepts Evidence of reading directed reading and some supplementary sources Occasional relevant application of theory, and/or empirical results where applicable Orderly presentation and structure with acceptable grammar and spelling A good sense of critical reflection
40 – 49%
Acceptable Work Basic knowledge of key principles and concepts only Evidence of basic reading only Limited evidence of relevant application of theory, and/or empirical results Acceptable presentation and structure, grammar and spelling An acceptable sense of critical reflection
35- 39%
Marginal Fail Limited and/or superficial knowledge of key principles and concepts Minimal evidence of reading No evidence of relevant application of theory, and/or empirical results Poor presentation and structure, grammar and spelling A poor sense of critical reflection
0- 34%
Fail Insufficient evidence of key principles and concepts Little or no evidence of reading No evidence of relevant application of theory, and/or empirical results Inadequate presentation and structure, grammar and spelling No evidence of critical reflection

Reading and directed study
Students should endeavour to read each week’s directed reading as a minimum. If the key texts are not available, the topics covered may be found in other texts.

A list of articles is provided on Blackboard, but this is certainly not exhaustive. Please use all SHU resources to prepare the assignments.

Books
Dale, B. G., van der Wiele, T. and J. van Iwaarden (2007), Managing Quality, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Evans, J.R.R. (2014) Quality and performance excellence: management, organization, and strategy, South-Western, Cengage Learning, Australia.

Ford, Robert, C., Sturman, Michael C. and Heaton, Cherill p. (2012). Managing quality service in hospitality: how organizations achieve excellence in the guest experience. Australia, Cengage Learning.

Goetsch, D.L. & Davis, S. (2014), Quality management for organizational excellence: introduction to total quality, Pearson, Harlow.

Hudson, S. and Hudson, L. (2013). Customer service for hospitality and tourism. Oxford, Goodfellows Publishing

Oakland, J. S. (2004), Oakland on Quality Management, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann

Summers, Donna. (2009). Quality management: creating and sustaining organizational development. New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall.

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