Examining the Concept of Creativity in a Culinary School Setting

The hospitality industry has been thriving in Taiwan; as a consequence, educational institutions and training programs in the future development of the culinary industry have become extremely important. In vocational education, practical skills were considered the core ability; nevertheless, we examined the importance of creativity in the hospitality and culinary business and challenge the traditional Chinese concept of education in the culinary field. After reviewing creativity literature, a semi-structured interview approach was taken. Data were analyzed according to hermeneutic phenomenology in coding, and in order to eliminate limitations, triangulation was used to cross-reference the findings. Five main themes were found in the structures of how organizations and employees defined creativity and reflection under the traditional Chinese concept. Participants (teachers) gave insights on organizational structure toward creativity. We aimed to contribute to new ways of seeking to raise the academic level of culinary or hospitality education.