HTM 456 - Leadership and Self Development
Fall 2014
Instructor:
Lori J. Sipe, MBA, PhD
lsipe@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours:
PSFA 446
Tues/Thurs. 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
COURSE OVERVIEW
________________________________________________________________
Course Description
This course provides students with an overview of the revenue management discipline.
It will address how the hospitality industry sets and updates pricing and product
availability decisions across its various sales channels in order to maximize profitability.
Students will discuss revenue management principles and strategies as well as practice
basic revenue maximizing computations.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:

Define and categorize basic revenue management concepts, metrics and
terminology.

Converse with hotel industry executives on the subject of revenue management and
on contemporary issues related to it.

Discuss the ways in which the industry deploys available technologies in order to
forecast and model various revenue management strategies.

Recommend revenue management strategies as part of the in-class case analysis
experience.

Apply the revmap process to a real world business case and present
recommendations.

Evaluate revenue management as a potential career path within the hospitality
industry
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Competencies
Business Savvy
People Savvy
Planning
Interpersonal Communication
Numberwise
Networked
Strategic Decision-Making
Self Savvy
Professionalism
Time Management
RESOURCES
________________________________________________________________
Readings and Course Materials
Rather than a specific text, students will be challenged to read, digest and occasionally
report on subject-specific articles from industry and academic publications. Readings
and cases will be supplied. PowerPoint slides and in class activities, along with a
glossary of terms are also good resources. Guest speakers will augment classroom
and online assignments, in order to provide insight into the evolving role of revenue
management specialists and intermediaries.
Blackboard Course Management System
Computer-based learning, using Blackboard, will be a part of the class. All students
should get a Blackboard account and visit the HTM 456 Blackboard course website
every Tuesday before class. Students will obtain weekly announcements, download
course documents, preview course slides, and turn in online assignments here.
Students can view their progress with the online grade book.
Practitioners
As revenue management is still considered a new discipline, it is important to hear from
practitioners in the field in this ever-evolving area. Speakers will come to the HTM 456
class to provide insight into how revenue management is studied and practiced in the
HTM marketplace. Students are also encouraged to seek out professionals who
practice revenue management in their own organizations as well as attend industry
events that focus on revenue management.
STAR Certification (Optional)
This semester, students have the opportunity to become certified in STAR reports. A
member of the HTM faculty was recently certified to provide STAR training and
certifications. Certification requires the student to attend two Monday night class
sessions in September and take an exam. This is a new certification, and I highly
recommend you taking advantage this time around if you can. It is offered to you for
free this semester and is fast becoming a sought after credential for hotel graduates.
Similar courses are being taught in the marketplace for hundreds of dollars.
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STRUCTURE AND ASSESSMENT
______________________________________________________________________
Hybrid Model of Engagement
The class is a hybrid of in class lectures and activities, online assignments, and revenue
management connected industry events. The classroom will be used to introduce
revenue management themes and principles, hear from revenue managers and
intermediaries, practice revenue management computations, and discuss cases and
strategies. The online space allows students to learn about revenue management from
the consumer perspective. And industry events and contexts provide opportunities to
engage in dialogue about the real work of revenue managers. Refer to the course
outline for details about when class is held on campus vs. online vs. in industry
organizations.
Assessment Methods
Definition and application of course concepts will be assessed with a midterm exam.
Preparation for the midterm will take the form of in class competitions and games
designed to breathe life into revenue management theory and concepts.
Online assignments require the student to apply revenue management principles from
the perspective of the consumer, the revenue manager professional, and key
intermediary functions. Assignments assess depth of exploration and the ability to form
conclusions aligned with revenue management theory.
A group case assignment will assess the student’s ability to develop data driven
strategies for revenue enhancement in a defined segment of the industry.
The final assessment will occur in the field with a practicing revenue manager assessing
a student’s ability to converse about revenue management.
RM
Conversation
25%
Midterm
Exam 25%
Online
Projects 25%
Case
Presentation
25%
Figure 1: Types of Assessment
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GRADED ASSIGNMENTS
_______________________________________________________
Each graded assignment will have an assignment explanation and grading rubric
document posted under the assignments tab. Refer to the accompanying course outline
for due dates. Individual feedback will be provided throughout the course. It is
expected that every student will contribute meaningfully and according to his/her
strengths and desire to stretch/grow as future hospitality leaders.
Mid-Term Exam
25% of the student’s grade for the class will be based upon his/her grade on the midterm exam. Prepping for the midterm will include a series of in class competitions and
games. A study guide will be distributed prior to the in-class exam.
Online Assignments
Students will generate 25% of their final grade based upon their effectiveness and
degree of engagement in a series of online assignments over the course of the
semester. Assignments will include:
Revenue Management Resources
Identify and discuss five milestones that have occurred since 1978 that demonstrate a
change in the revenue management discipline. Identify 5 resources to learn about
contemporary issues in revenue management. Submit a hyper-linked one-page
summary online.
Competitive Set
Identify the competitive set of a San Diego hotel property. Each student must identify a
property's competitive set based on price, size, location, amenities, meeting facilities,
and market segments. Then, students will write a two-page paper using the data
collected online to substantiate their competitor selections.
"Accept or Deny" - Real-Time Revenue Management
This assignment is in two parts and will include both an in-class exercise and outside of
class homework assignment. During class, ten reservations will be “called in” to
students. Each group will have two minutes to consult and determine whether they will
accept or deny a piece of business. At the end of the exercise, each student will analyze
his/her performance on the exercise by presenting what the optimum booking would
have been. They will compare their in-class performance to the ideal booking scenario
and write a one page report on how they managed the incoming revenue, in real-time.
Price Detective
Students will be asked to find pricing for three different times of the year for hospitality
options separately and as packages. They will explore various online distribution
channels and write a summary report of the different factors that differentiate pricing
among a variety of distribution channels.
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Quantifications
Students will calculate the impacts of various revenue management strategies.
Quantification problems will include hotels, attractions, restaurants, and airlines.
Case Presentations
Groups will prepare a presentation of a real life revenue management case to be
provided by the instructor. The requirements will be based on the revmap schema
presented mid-way through the course.
Revenue Manager Conversation
Students will seek out a working revenue manager and arrange an in-person discussion
about revenue management concepts. The course professor will send the revenue
manager a template of questions to “test” the student’s knowledge of the revenue
management topic. Each question is scored based on a scoring rubric for that question.
Summary of Course Grading
Assignment
Midterm
Online Assignments
Case Presentation
Revenue Manager Conversation
Themes, terminology,
and application
Consumer, RM, and
intermediary perspectives
Strategies for revenue
enhancement
Ability to converse about
revenue managment
Total Course Points
375 – 400
360 – 374
336 – 359
320 – 335
300 – 319
280 – 299
Less than 280
Grading
100 Points
Total
100 Points
20 Points Per
100 Points
100 Points
100 Points
100 Points
100 Points
400
A
AB/B+
BC/C+
C
Repeat the Course
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OUR SCHOOL CULTURE
_______________________________________________________
The L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management prides itself on its
customized approach to student success, innovative and caring faculty, and
engagement with industry and alumni. The beginning of a new semester is a great time
to reconnect with what makes our program special as you consider your own goals and
intentions for being a part of our School.
Ways to Reconnect
Visit the our School’s Website
Read the Student Association Bulletin Boards
Touch Base with the HTM Staff
Make an Advising Appointment
Subscribe to Email Lists and Groups
Visit Faculty Office Hours
Read the Kaleidoscope Competency Descriptions (HTM)
Update Your Kaleidoscope Development Plan (HTM)
Read the Networking Competency Road Map (HTM)
Read the Pathways to Excellence (HTM)
Set Goals for Getting Involved
Envision a Meaningful Semester
Academic Integrity
The faculty and staff demand the highest levels of academic and professional integrity
in all work at San Diego State University and especially in the HTM program. Positive
leadership cannot exist without integrity and your actions determine your level of
integrity. Plagiarism, cheating on exams or any other type of academic dishonesty, will
be referred directly to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for disciplinary
action.
Students with Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this
class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473.
To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student
Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not
retroactive, and that accommodations based upon disability cannot be provided until
you have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student Disability
Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Remember, Exceeding Expectations is a Habit!
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COURSE OUTLINE
_______________________________________________________
Tue
8/26
Tue
9/2
Tue
9/9
Tue
9/16
Tue
9/23
Tue
9/30
Tue
10/7
Tue
10/14
Topic
Assignments
Due
Course Introduction
History and Resources
Themes Overview
Terminology
Supply/Demand/
Mkt/Segmentation
Perishability
Price Integrity
Distribution Channels
Business Models
STAR and Other
Management Systems
Online #1 - Milestones and
Resources
Sunday by 10
Online #2 - Price Detective
Sunday by 10
Online #3 - Competitive Set
Sunday by 10
Cost Volume Profit Analysis
Careers in RM
Contemporary Issues
Online #4 - Quantifications
Submit in Class
Online #5- Accept or Deny
Sunday by 10
In Class Exam
Select Segment for Case
Tue
10/21
Midterm
Segment Case Studies
Tue
10/28
Rev Map Method
Tue
11/4
Tue
11/11
Strategies for Revenue
Enhancement
Group Work
Tue
11/18
Case Presentations
No Structured Class – Finalize
Presentation
Case Presentation and Summary
Tue
11/25
Prepping to Dialogue
Revenue Manager Contact
Tue
12/2
RM Conversations
Off Site
Due by Email
Sunday by 10
As Scheduled
Tue
12/9
RM Conversations
Off Site
As Scheduled
Due in Class
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