Hilton Worldwide, one of the largest and most prestigious hospitality groups on the planet, recently conducted a survey of more than 1,000 US travellers to discover that 73 per cent of them admit to stealing the miniature toiletries from their hotel bathrooms.
There are two surprises in that paragraph. The first is that figure of 73 per cent – presumably the other 27 per cent just couldn’t bring themselves to own up. The second, and rather bigger, surprise is that Hilton could be bothered to spend the time and money to establish a “fact” that most of us could have told them for nothing.
Basically, modern-day “research” falls into two categories. There are the frivolous studies, like Hilton’s, which are mildly amusing and win the company a little bit of extra media coverage, but are otherwise utterly pointless.
Then there is the serious stuff, initiated by some learned professor or other and involving entire teams of number-crunchers, focus groups and other think-tankers, which then becomes a “white paper” and is reviewed in appropriately-obscure trade journals.
Much of the latter, like most of the former, is of little or no use to anyone apart from the learned professor, who suddenly finds himself on the very lucrative lecture circuit, explaining his “findings” to awe-struck students who hang on his every word in the hope of ending up with a halfway-decent degree.
The trouble lies with that word “initiated”. Some high-brow academic identifies an issue which he – or she – believes worthy of deeper analysis, devotes a lot of resources to studying that issue, and then passes on the new-found “knowledge” to impressionable others.
All too often, it seems, nobody questions whether the subject under study really is an “issue”. There is what is these days known as a “disconnect” between academia and the real world.
In the old days, law schools produced lawyers, teacher training colleges produced teachers, hotel schools produced hoteliers, and so on. Students were taught the basic skills relevant to the profession they aspired to pursue.
Today, with some notable and exemplary exceptions, a lot of those old specialist schools and colleges have disappeared, replaced by universities which offer courses in just about anything that might attract – rather than benefit – the students they purport to serve.
I make no apologies for returning to the theme – and the undeniable value – of apprenticeships. Giving young people some practical, hands-on experience of the world of work pays huge dividends, both for the apprentices and for the companies that take them on.
Of course, not all companies can afford to offer such schemes. However, the vast majority can afford to advise schools, colleges and universities on the types of skills and attributes that they look for in potential employees, and influence the education on offer.
Rather than “disconnect”, I believe businesses should be striving to “reconnect”. Of course, I can’t be sure of that. Maybe I ought to do some research…
Editor’s note: For further information, please contact Simon Scarborough on 07801 571357 or at simon@simonscarboroughassociates.co.uk.