The perils of hospitality internship: a growth curve approach to job motivation change

Abstract

Purpose Why would a hospitality or tourism enterprise’s talent program backfire to demotivate interns from engaging in their jobs? This study aim to synthesize theoretical strands from the self-determination theory, person–environment fit theory and conservation of resources theory to investigate the predictors of perceived person–job fit and how such a fit causes changes in interns’ job motivation over time. Design/methodology/approach A four-wave longitudinal study was conducted. The four waves of data obtained from over 251 interns in China were analyzed using latent growth curve modeling. Findings The findings demonstrate that abusive co-worker treatment moderated the impact of perceived negative social status and perceived overqualification on perceived person–job fit. Moreover, perceived person–job fit is a significant predictor of the initial level of job motivation and flattens the decrease in job motivation over time. These findings demonstrate that interns’ job motivation generally decreased over time, and perceived person–job fit may help dampen the change trajectory of job motivation. Practical implications This study contributes to the practice of education and organizations in hospitality and tourism management by advocating for better interventions to improve interns’ work experience and motivations. Also, organizations can create team-building opportunities and promote teamwork that contributes to the formation of cohesive relationships and improve personal bonding. Originality/value This longitudinal inquiry conducted in China underscores the perils of hospitality/tourism internship by synthesizing a framework based on the theoretical strands germane to person–environment fit, resource conservation and self-determination. It uncovers the dark side of internship – not only due to mismanaged internship experience, but also because it could backfire to create a demotivational spiral that may ultimately drive potential talents away from hospitality/tourism organizations and industry.

The Influence of Internship Experience and Work Motivation on Work Readiness in Vocational Students: PLS-SEM Analysis

“…Thus, the existence of work motivation will make a person better prepare himself. VE must be able to motivate in order to prepare graduates who are ready to work because basically work motivation is one of the factors that make students able to make logical considerations (Xu et al, 2022). The lower the motivation to work will cause the work readiness of students to be low.…”

Exploring the effect of perceived fun at work on hospitality employees’ behaviors in and out of work

“…In hospitality organizations, where employees face high expectations for quality service and often work in high-pressure environments (Kalargyrou et al , 2023; Liu-Lastres et al , 2023; Mohsin et al , 2023; Wallace and Coughlan, 2023; Xu et al , 2023), perceptions of WF can play a crucial role in helping employees’ recovery and maintain their well-being, as well as in promoting favorable work attitudes and performance. For example, Tews et al ’s (2013) research on US employees revealed that fun activities and managerial support of fun enhanced employee performance and decreased their turnover intentions.…”

Internship and career adaptability: addressing occupational stigma and identity for hospitality management students

“…For instance, according to Wen et al (2019), the proportion of hospitality management students in China who ultimately pursue careers in hotels ranges from 10% to 20%. In addition to the fact that occupational stigma can detrimentally affect the retention intentions of hospitality management students (Wen et al , 2019), inadequately supervised internships can also result in the potential departure of highly skilled individuals from the hotel and tourism sectors (Xu et al , 2023).…”