EAST LANSING, Mich., July 1997-Hospitality industry experts from across the country share their stories from the trenches to teach hospitality students and new managers how to handle the tough issues they will face on the job in a new book, Case Studies in Hospitality Management, published by the Educational Institute of AH&MA.

This collection of hospitality cases was developed in response to the needs of educators who asked EI for supplemental materials that would facilitate lively classroom interaction and provide a strong link with industry. The realistic, practical hospitality scenarios in this book require students to think like the pros and apply classroom concepts to real-world situations.

"These case studies don't just provide answers to specific problems; they teach a process," said Aleta Nitschke, publisher of The Rooms Chronicle and a participant in developing several housekeeping case studies. "They help the learner get into the swing of problem solving."

To create the book, industry experts in housekeeping, club management, sales and marketing, and human resources met with writers at the Educational Institute. Together, they targeted core competencies, brainstormed story ideas, and generated discussion questions. The writers crafted entertaining and informative cases that describe typical experiences faced by hospitality managers. The industry experts reviewed the cases to ensure they addressed all the important issues. While these case studies were developed for academic use, the industry professionals who worked on them agree that they can also be useful as a training tool for new hospitality managers.

Philip Bresson, director of human resources at the Renaissance New York Hotel, said that the case studies can help new managers understand problems before encountering them on the job. "I would use these case studies in training," said Bresson. "I would present a case as a pre-assignment, and have trainees read it prior to training, to set the stage for what we'd be doing. I'd let them know 'This really happens, folks. Be prepared to discuss this.'"

"I would have loved to have had this information when I was starting out," said Kurt D. Kuebler, CCM, vice president and general manager of The Desert Highlands Association in Scottsdale, Ariz. "This is a tool that will help a manager become a better professional. It's well worth it."

For more information on Case Studies in Hospitality Management or to place an order, call the Educational Institute at 1-800-752-4567.

Established in 1952 as a nonprofit educational foundation of the AH&MA, the Educational Institute is the world's largest hospitality communication resource center, providing quality training and educational materials for the hospitality industry.

Contact: