A Multi-cultural and Multi-disciplinary Approach to Integrating the Principles of Sustainable Development into Human Resource Management Curriculums in Hospitality and Tourism

The sustainability of the hospitality and tourism industry is dependent upon managers who adopt sustainable development principles as part of their management philosophy. Achieving this aim requires the integration of the principles of sustainable development into the curriculum of hospitality and tourism management courses. The article explains how a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary team of academics and practitioners used the nominal group technique to reach consensus on a curriculum module that integrated sustainability principles into a human resource management course. The process and the results of the consensus building process are discussed. The relationship between sustainable development principles in human resource management and socio-economic, cultural, and environmental issues is explained.