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L.A.'s Hospitality Industry Targets Masterful Business Managers

Competition for management jobs within the guest services industry is projected to be lighter in the coming years, especially at casinos, resorts and convention center hotels. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that applicants holding a bachelor's degree in hospitality management or administration stand a better chance of securing upper-crust employment.

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(Photo Courtesy of Dr. Angela Young)

In Los Angeles, hotel managers earn an average annual salary greater than $109,000, with top executives bringing home yearly paychecks exceeding $171,000, according to current data.

"Hospitality encompasses many forms of business, from event planning to elaborate global tourism," said Dr. Angela Young, a professor and chair of the management department at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). "Success in the hospitality industry requires an understanding of complex business supply chains, customer service and the ability to effectively plan and organize resources."

What defines an accomplished manager?

"A successful business manager must be attuned to all relevant environments, not only the global and local economies and consumer markets, but the organization itself, the mission, talented people who make great things happen every day, and effective processes at every point in the supply chain."

How will a manager's role change by 2022?

"The context within which we work, such as technologies, consumer preferences and economic pressures, are ever-changing. Therefore, the role of an effective business manager into the future requires the ability to envision opportunities and forestall problems. The need for effective leadership will remain pivotal to the success of the business and its ability to serve customers, employ people and support economic growth and development."

How is CSULA preparing tomorrow's managers?

"Through our highly-ranked business programs, we prepare students to understand operational aspects of business, the importance of effective leadership and sound decision-making, and use of resources."

What is your message to aspiring business managers?

"I encourage them to keep learning. Managers make a difference in the lives of everyone involved in making or using a product or service. Business is not a game, but a process by which very positive outcomes can be attained. So they must take their jobs seriously, because their decisions and actions matter."

Sharon Raiford Bush is an award-winning journalist who covers topics of social interest in greater Los Angeles. Some news articles she has authored have been archived by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Sharon also contributes to Examiner.com.

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