Degree vs Diploma
Opposed to the program content in most diploma courses, the B Com program from Stenden SA focuses on the development of competencies required by today’s hotel manager. Though the program has a strong industry focus, this focus comes mainly from a managerial perspective as opposed to the operational perspective taught in most diploma courses. Stenden SA does not seek to educate waiters and chefs, but future hospitality leaders that possess the required operational skills and approach challenges from a managerial viewpoint.
| Diploma | Degree |
| Popularly regarded as a “second best” option | Generally seen as a qualification with status |
| Access to the programme is generally available to anyone, regardless of academic background | Access to the programme is generally based on academic achievement and ability |
| Training | Education |
| Is usually complete in itself, and does not offer scope for further development | Serves as a stepping stone to further specialisation, should one so desire. |
| Generally has acceptance and recognition only in the country of training | It is generally accepted world-wide |
| Usually based on rote learning and subject specific texts and practices. | Teaches one to think for oneself, and to reason logically and effectively |
| Produces workers in an operational setting | Grooms people for leadership |
| Courses are usually put together by arbitrary lecturers based on their experiences | Courses are generally based on international best-practice |
The B Com program of Stenden South Africa can be summarized by an end profile that has been developed by its mother university, Stenden University in The Netherlands in collaboration with other Universities.
In the Netherlands, Stenden University, Hotel School The Hague, the School for Hotel Management Maastricht, The Nederlandse Hogeschool voor Toerisme en Vrijetijdskunde (Breda) and the Saxion Hogeschool IJsselland (Deventer / Apeldoorn) are the universities offering Hotel Management programs. These Universities elaborated the domain competences in a national Professional Competence Profile for Hospitality Management (2004).
This profile consists of a professional profile which gives a description of the professional or core tasks of the professional worker, and a competence profile in which the professional tasks have been translated into competences. Competences describe the knowledge, insight, skills, and professional attitude
students should have acquired by the end of their studies to be adequately prepared for the professions they have been trained to perform.
Stenden has extended this competence profile, by adding two competences to the national profile. These competences are derived from the educational concept and the mission of Stenden and concern the intercultural and the value driven competences that we feel are evident for any manager. The competence profile is directional for the development of the educational program. Below, you will find a short description of the competences.
1. Creating of „experiences‟ by the granting of hospitality.
2. The development of a vision on changes and trends in the external environment and the developing of relations, networks and chains.
3. Analyzing policy issues, and to translate these in policy objectives and policy alternatives and preparing for decision-making.
4. Implementation of Human Resource Management in view of the strategy of the organization.
5. Setting up, managing and improving of company – or organizational processes.
6. Analyzing the financial and legal aspects, internal processes and the company – or organizational environment in order to reinforce the correlation and interaction.
7. Developing, implementing and evaluating a change process.
8. Leading a company, part of a company, company processes or a project
9. Social and communicative competence (interpersonal, organization)
10. The competence of managing oneself (intrapersonal, or professional)
11. Focuses his managerial and entrepreneurial behavior – from his own outlook on life – on core values which contribute to the care of human beings and the world.
12. Effectively identify and handle cultural differences within an international team in hospitality management.
From an industry perspective, the rationale clearly summarizes the current and future need of South Africa to have well trained managers lead the country to become a major tourism destination with all the positive spin offs for its citizens.