Culinary Industry Practitioners’ and Educators’ Perceptions of Core Competencies for a 4-Year Bachelor’s Degree in the Culinary Arts

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to survey practitioners and educators to rank their perception of the importance of culinary manager trainee competencies to prepare students for an entry-level managerial position in the culinary industry. A study conducted by Richard Tas in 1983 was used as the foundation for this study, and his survey instrument was enhanced to incorporate competencies specific to the culinary industry. Although his study was completed more than 25 years ago, the 6 competencies that were identified in Tas’s study as being essential centered on human relation skills. The present survey, which included the responses of 271 educators and practitioners, identified interpersonal skills as the most essential competency and competencies pertaining to conceptual skills as the least important aptitudes. The significance of the findings comparing the educators and practitioners is that the perceptions of the two groups in regard to core competencies are notably similar, indicating the lack of a significant variance.

KEYWORDS:

• Assessment
• culinary manager trainee competencies
• curriculum