Entry-Level Managerial Competences: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis Approach

Success or failure of tourism industry relies heavily on how the host nations control and manage the industry and its resources, and the implementation of alternative strategies. Business organisations have now turned their attention to the development of managerial competence as a mechanism to stay competitive in this new era of globalized business. Subsequently, today’s higher educational institutions experience more impacts than ever before in this rapidly changing business environment. This in turn, has serious implications for the way in which curriculum model is conceptualised and managed. This paper proposes that actual needs (based on the Malaysian context) should be investigated and referred to in curriculum development. These needs should be drawn from recruiters and other relevant bodies based in industry. Mailed questionnaire method was used in this study. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to identify the underlying dimensions of entry-level managerial competences. The study has revealed that the 80 competence statements were represented by eleven (11) factors/underlying dimensions (loading factor of greater than.40). The results revealed that personal (self) and communication (soft domain) as crucial. At the same time, the results revealed that technical (operation), and conceptual competences are equally crucial in developing future managers. The findings of this study can be used as a basis for developing relevant hotel management curricula to prepare graduates to meet the future needs of the industry and other interest groups. Malaysian managers and managers-to-be must have the right competences embedded in one’s own culture