Between January and December 2014, 68% of full-time hospitality management students at a southeastern university in the United States worked for pay more than 15 hours each week. Fifty percent of these students had a GPA of 2.5 or below, reflecting poor academic performance as benchmarked by the institution. The purpose of this study was to achieve an understanding of how full-time undergraduate hospitality students perceived the role of paid employment in their academic performance. The study was grounded by Astin's student involvement theory that requires an investment of psychosocial and physical energy by students for a successful college experience. Using a qualitative case study design, semi-structured interviews with 12 student participants were conducted. After pattern coding and thematic analysis, the data revealed that students perceived that they had to work for pay but did not manage their employment, college studies, and other demands on their time effectively. The findings indicated the need to integrate employment into the students' academic plan of study for academic credit. These results led to the development of a 3-day professional development project designed to help students manage full-time college and employment. The project also provided strategies for faculty members to integrate hospitality work participation into the students' academic experiences for credit. This study has implications for positive social change because an effective balance of college and employment combined with the integration of work and academic experiences may improve students' overall academic performance, leading to increased graduation rates and improved post-graduation employment opportunities for hospitality management students.

This is a descriptive study that poses the questions and discussion regarding use of personality tests in prediction of future job performance of the current undergraduate hospitality students. A gap exists between the perception of the skills and competencies of high performers and the perception of hospitality students (Berezina et al., 2011; Malan, Berezina & Cobanoglu, 2012). The purpose of this study is to investigate if personality tests will help in predicting the success of students in their preferred job setting as compared to current high performers (managers). The use of personality tests increased substantially after 1988, when the government banned the use of polygraphs (Employee Polygraph Protection Act, 1988 as cited in Stabile, 2002). Although there is no right or wrong answer to personality test questions, the answers would allow employers to have a better idea if there is a sufficient fit between the applicant and the position sought. To compare the personality types of successful hotel managers and hospitality students to determine if there is a need to customize the hospitality curriculum in order to produce graduates who will fit to the correct type of positions, a convenient sample was drawn from a hotel management company's managers and hospitality students of a university in the Southeast USA. The sample for this study was 175 Managers and 150 Students. With the 144/175 (82% response rate) manager and 76/150 (51% response rate) students the main findings show there is a significantly difference between managers and students. This indicates that current hospitality students and current managers have different perceptions about hospitality industry. Since current students will work on the industry in the future, the difference needs to be eliminated by both curricular and extra-curricular activities. There are also significant differences among managerial positions' (general manager, assistant general manager, and director of sales) LDP scores. This could indicate that it might not be a good fit to promote these individuals from one position to other within the company since each position differs from each other.

Master of Science / Department of Hospitality Management and Dietetics / Kevin R. Roberts / The psychological contract is comprised of the perceived obligations between two parties, such as an employee and an employer. When an individual joins an organization, the employee has a specific set of personal needs to be satisfied, which will be fulfilled by the psychological contract. Research has historically focused on the consequences of the psychological contract violations. The antecedents and the formation of the psychological contract are less known. Two types of psychological contracts exist: transactional and relational. In past research, undergraduate students enrolled in hospitality programs have indicated that transactional contracts are most important. Research has been limited on undergraduate hospitality students and their expectations of the workplace, thus the purpose of this study was to explore undergraduate hospitality students’ pre-entry career expectations. An online survey was distributed to undergraduate hospitality students at universities in the United States. Students highly ranked a safe work environment (8.7 ± 2.5), resources (7.8 ± 3.0) and equipment (7.4 ± 3.2) to do their jobs, training (8.2 ± 2.9), and job security (7.7 ± 3.1). The least important and expected items were work schedules with limited nights and weekends (2.5 ± 4.3) and working 40 or less hours per week (2.5 ± 4.1). The number of college credit hours completed and amount of work experience had the largest effects between expectations. Results of this study will assist hospitality educators in preparing students for post-graduation employment and offer industry recruiters insight into what expectations are important to new hospitality graduates.

The hospitality industry has seen rapid growth through the last three decades. The hospitality industry in New Zealand is still growing steadily. According to the Ministry of Tourism (2008, para. 3), “Visitor expenditure is forecast (from 2008 to 2014) to increase from $13.73 billion to $19.05 billion per annum, an increase of 41.4%” (Ministry of tourism, 2008b). Therefore, in response to the needs of the industry, training providers have established a number of hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism degrees (O'Mahony & Sillitoe, 2001). However, previous studies have identified that hospitality management degrees tend to lack importance in the actual world (Harkison, 2004a, 2004b; Steele; 2003). Hospitality management students seem to rate the value of their degrees higher than do employees in the industry (Collins, 2002; Raybould & Wilkins, 2005). Therefore, there are gaps between the expectations and assumptions of students and those of hospitality professionals, which have led to problems in the hospitality industry. This study has taken three steps to identify: 1) how career expectations, assumptions and requirements differ between undergraduate hospitality management students and management employees in the hospitality industry; 2) The working histories of managerial employees and their perceptions of the industry’s needs; 3) Establish the perceived value of hospitality management degrees amongst hospitality management undergraduate students and the hospitality industry. To do so, a comprehensive literature review was undertaken, and questionnaires were collected from 137 undergraduates enrolled in a Bachelor of International Hospitality Management degree at AUT University and 74 managerial employees in the hotel industry. After an analysis of the data, the researcher examined and compared the results of both groups’ data with relation to the findings of the literature review. The following key points emerged from the research: most students expected that they would work in the hospitality industry after completing their course and supposed that their first work field would be in a Food and Beverage department at a management trainee level. The results of the survey show a match between students’ long-term career expectations and the working history of employees. Students also seem to understand the environment of the hospitality industry well. These results show that students organise well, planning for their future careers, and these results were similar with those of some previous studies (Brien, 2004; Harkison, 2004b; Jenkins, 2001). The results of this study identified similarities and differences of perceptions between undergraduate students and managerial employees in the hotel industry. Similarities of students’ perceptions and managerial employees’ perceptions are; • Commitment is rated as the most important factor in determining success, while personality is rated the most important attribute for an employee in the hospitality industry. • A degree in hospitality management is not recognised as an important qualification by students or employee respondents. Working experience is more important than a bachelor degree of hospitality management for a prospective employee. • Students and managerial employees believe that the hospitality educators know the industry well, although educators and employees have different understandings of career expectations. • Both parties believe that internship might help hospitality students’ careers in the industry. Differences of perceptions between undergraduate students and managerial employees are; • Students believe that knowledge of the industry and experience are the most significant factors for a new employee in the hospitality industry but employees indicate personality. • Employees believe that using initiative skills are the most important factor for an employee’s career development, whereas students answer communication skills. • Students believe that a hospitality management bachelor degree will contribute more to the hotel business but employees believe that having three years’ experience will contribute more. • Students consider that an employee with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality will receive higher starting salaries than someone without, but employees disagree. • Students suggest that a bachelor of hospitality management degree will affect opportunities for promotion, but employees do not share that opinion. This study found that even if students and managerial employees share some common opinions, many gaps still exist between them. Therefore, the researcher suggests recommendations relating to students’ expectations and assumptions of their job entry level, the working environment in the hospitality industry, the needs of the hospitality industry, and the value of a bachelors degree of hospitality management. Furthermore, the researcher identifies some limitations of this study and areas for further research.

The hospitality industry has seen rapid growth through the last three decades. The hospitality industry in New Zealand is still growing steadily. According to the Ministry of Tourism (2008, para. 3), “Visitor expenditure is forecast (from 2008 to 2014) to increase from $13.73 billion to $19.05 billion per annum, an increase of 41.4%” (Ministry of tourism, 2008b). Therefore, in response to the needs of the industry, training providers have established a number of hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism degrees (O'Mahony & Sillitoe, 2001). However, previous studies have identified that hospitality management degrees tend to lack importance in the actual world (Harkison, 2004a, 2004b; Steele; 2003). Hospitality management students seem to rate the value of their degrees higher than do employees in the industry (Collins, 2002; Raybould & Wilkins, 2005). Therefore, there are gaps between the expectations and assumptions of students and those of hospitality professionals, which have led to problems in the hospitality industry. This study has taken three steps to identify: 1) how career expectations, assumptions and requirements differ between undergraduate hospitality management students and management employees in the hospitality industry; 2) The working histories of managerial employees and their perceptions of the industry’s needs; 3) Establish the perceived value of hospitality management degrees amongst hospitality management undergraduate students and the hospitality industry. To do so, a comprehensive literature review was undertaken, and questionnaires were collected from 137 undergraduates enrolled in a Bachelor of International Hospitality Management degree at AUT University and 74 managerial employees in the hotel industry. After an analysis of the data, the researcher examined and compared the results of both groups’ data with relation to the findings of the literature review. The following key points emerged from the research: most students expected that they would work in the hospitality industry after completing their course and supposed that their first work field would be in a Food and Beverage department at a management trainee level. The results of the survey show a match between students’ long-term career expectations and the working history of employees. Students also seem to understand the environment of the hospitality industry well. These results show that students organise well, planning for their future careers, and these results were similar with those of some previous studies (Brien, 2004; Harkison, 2004b; Jenkins, 2001). The results of this study identified similarities and differences of perceptions between undergraduate students and managerial employees in the hotel industry. Similarities of students’ perceptions and managerial employees’ perceptions are; • Commitment is rated as the most important factor in determining success, while personality is rated the most important attribute for an employee in the hospitality industry. • A degree in hospitality management is not recognised as an important qualification by students or employee respondents. Working experience is more important than a bachelor degree of hospitality management for a prospective employee. • Students and managerial employees believe that the hospitality educators know the industry well, although educators and employees have different understandings of career expectations. • Both parties believe that internship might help hospitality students’ careers in the industry. Differences of perceptions between undergraduate students and managerial employees are; • Students believe that knowledge of the industry and experience are the most significant factors for a new employee in the hospitality industry but employees indicate personality. • Employees believe that using initiative skills are the most important factor for an employee’s career development, whereas students answer communication skills. • Students believe that a hospitality management bachelor degree will contribute more to the hotel business but employees believe that having three years’ experience will contribute more. • Students consider that an employee with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality will receive higher starting salaries than someone without, but employees disagree. • Students suggest that a bachelor of hospitality management degree will affect opportunities for promotion, but employees do not share that opinion. This study found that even if students and managerial employees share some common opinions, many gaps still exist between them. Therefore, the researcher suggests recommendations relating to students’ expectations and assumptions of their job entry level, the working environment in the hospitality industry, the needs of the hospitality industry, and the value of a bachelors degree of hospitality management. Furthermore, the researcher identifies some limitations of this study and areas for further research.