Is the future of work experience online? An examination of stakeholder attitudes towards online internships.

Abstract

PurposeThe world of work is becoming digital, a process accelerated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic and resultant remote working guidelines. Online internships have become more popular in this context, and yet there remains a lack of research investigating how these internships are perceived across stakeholders. The purpose of this paper was to begin to address this research gap by exploring academic, student and employer perceptions of online internships with a focus on employability.DesignThe research explored 156 stakeholders (53 students, 50 academics, 53 employer / professionals) perceptions via a mixed-methods online study encompassing quantitative responses to internship vignettes, alongside open-ended questions designed to explore stakeholder attitudes in more depth.FindingsStakeholder groups reported similar attitudes towards online internships. Overall, online internships were viewed as valid, flexible, work experience, linked to skill development and likely to enhance student employability. However, concerns were raised regarding communication protocols and development, intern isolation and a lack of organisational immersion.ImplicationsBased on our research we make three recommendations to continue to enhance and develop the online internship experience; ensure multiple methods of regular communication between student and organisation, attempt virtual immersion in the organisation, and assign each intern additional support beyond their immediate supervisor.OriginalityBased on a holistic and novel analysis of key stakeholders’ viewpoints, this paper provides much needed insights and evidence on how to design and quality assure effective online internship practice.