Attributes of Entry-Level Employees: Hospitality and Tourism Managers Seeking More Than Knowledge and Skills

Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship, Apr 2005 by Tesone, Dana V, Ricci, Peter

Executive Summary

This article reports on the findings of an empirical study conducted with senior hiring executives who represent various sectors of the hospitality and tourism industry in the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) of Orlando, Florida. The geographic area was chosen for its representation of a number of hospitality and tourism sectors. While the sample represented various sectors, the purpose of the study was to identify perceptions of attributes preferred for entry-level workers primarily in the lodging and restaurant sectors. The article presents background information from the literature, methodologies employed within the study, as well as conclusions and recommendations for future education/industry initiatives in the MSA.

Introduction

Many individuals believe that the hospitality and tourism industry consists of hotels and restaurants. In fact, certain hospitality programs provide preparation in these areas exclusively, such as the School of hotel Administration established at Cornell University in 1922 (Cornell University, 2004). However, in destination areas like Orlando, Florida, the hospitality and tourism industry subscribes to a broad array of sectors to include lodging (hotels and resorts), foodservice (restaurants, catering, and institutional), conventions, events, transportation (air, land, and sea), recreation (golf, tennis, yachting, and social clubs), entertainment, theme parks, attractions, gaming, health spas, and tours. This broad representation makes cities such as Orlando and Las Vegas, Nevada suitable laboratories to conduct industry related empirical research.

The literature reports that the hospitality industry, in particular, the lodging and foodservice sectors have suffered from high employee turnover (Birdir, 2002; Ghiselli, La Lopa, & Bai, 2001). Operations managers, human resource professionals, and hospitality educators strive to reduce turnover numbers by identifying valid job competencies in future managers, improving hiring practices, and recruiting from educational programs known for producing future hospitality managers with strong industry success potential (Chung-Herrera, Enz, & Lankau, 2003; Guglielmino & Carroll, 1979; Kay & Russette, 2000; Milman & Ricci, 2004). There is an indication that more entry-level employees are being prepared for hospitality positions through formal educational programs (Guide to College Programs, 2004).

Understanding job competency expectations that practicing hospitality managers have for high school and college graduates could be useful for business and hospitality educators. The relationship of educational factors to potential industry success remains an important and understudied area of the hospitality literature (Dittman, 1997; Getty, Tas, & Getty, 1991; Hsu, Gilmore, & Walsh, 1992; Tas, 1983,1988). In lodging and foodservice operations, the general manager is "ultimately responsible for the operation of the hospitality establishment and the supervision of its employees" (Walker, 2004, p. 747). These managers, as well as other functional managers, are the appropriate individuals to assist in the identification of such job competencies. Findings from hospitality studies provide implications concerning competency factors for other service industries such as health care, financial services and retail enterprises.

This article reports the findings of a study to determine hospitality managers' competency expectations of entry-level employees who are graduates of local area schools, colleges, and universities. The study took place in the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) of Orlando, Florida. Respondents were members of a trade association called the Central Florida hotel Lodging Association (CFHLA). While the professional group caters primarily to the needs of lodging managers, members are also representatives from sectors that include theme parks/attractions, foodservice, events, tourism, transportation, entertainment, and recreation. Table 1 provides a description of respondents (n=156) from these sectors. Please note many respondents indicated more than one area of specialty.

Purpose and Methodology of the Study

The purpose of the study was to determine practitioner perceptions of desired competencies of entry-level workers who are graduates of business and hospitality education programs. A census of current hospitality managers who are members of the CFHLA was undertaken over the past year. Currently, there are approximately 160 lodging and related sector members of this organization. The CFHLA is designated as the world's largest regional trade group for lodging and related professionals (Central Florida, 2004).

Prior to conducting the study, the researchers conducted a review of literature to identify specific research in the area of lodging and foodservice manager job competencies (Tas, 1983, 1988; Chung-Herrera, Enz, & Lankau, 2003; Perdue & Ninemeier, 2001; Rutherford, 1987; Sapienza, 1978). The literature review was combined with the results of two focus groups conducted with lodging managers and lodging management educators from central Florida. These findings were utilized to assist in the development of a 42-item questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered to a pilot group of managers in the central Florida region (n=50). The purpose of this investigation was to explore the factor structure underlying the items in the questionnaire to verify consistency with previously published literature. The maximum likelihood estimation procedure was used to extract the factors. Kaiser's rule was used to determine which factors were most eligible for interpretation. This is not unreasonable given that factor analysis has as its objective reducing several variables into fewer factors. Using this rule, three factors were extracted explaining roughly 74.08% of all the variable variances. Additionally, respondent ratings of knowledge, ability, and attitude for new-hires in the lodging industry were judged to be highly reliable for the managers to whom it was given, with a reliability of .9509. The investigators administered the questionnaire to the general population of CFHLA members, receiving 156 appropriate responses.