Research in Hospitality Management 2021, 11(2): 101–111

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RESEARCH
ARTICLE
Undergraduate hospitality students’ perceptions of careers in the
industry: The Ghanaian context
Grace Anthony1*, Ishmael Mensah2 & Eunice Fay Amissah2

1
Department of Hotel, Catering and Institutional Management, Cape Coast Technical University, Cape Coast, Ghana
2
Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
*Correspondence: [email protected]

ABSTRACT: The study examined undergraduate students’ perceptions about careers in the hospitality industry in
Ghana. Students were sampled from traditional and technical public universities through a stratified random sampling
technique. With a sample size of 1  341, exploratory factor analysis, t-test and one-way analysis of variance were
employed to analyse the data. The findings show that career attractiveness, prestige and mobility and the nature
of hospitality careers were the main constructs of students’ perceptions about careers in the hospitality industry.
Also, undergraduate students were generally indifferent about careers in the industry. Specifically, students perceived
careers in the industry to offer opportunities to meet new people, but this was also stressful. Implications for educators
and industry practitioners are presented.

KEYWORDS: careers, Ghana, hospitality industry, industry experience, perceptions, undergraduate students

Introduction Studies have reported differences in how careers in the

hospitality industry have been perceived. Careers in the industry
The hospitality industry employs 10% of the global work force have been perceived to be characterised by high employee
(World Travel and Tourism Council, 2018) and contributes turnover, high attrition rates, irregular working hours which affect
considerably to the gross domestic product (GDP) of many family life, poor work security, poor progression, low status, and
countries. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has dwindled the having a high physical demand (Roney & Öztin, 2007; Richardson
fortunes of the industry, it has been forecast to recover within & Butler, 2012; Wan et al., 2014). Careers in the industry have
the shortest possible time, although operations in the industry also been perceived to be interesting, challenging, never boring,
will not be the same for some time (Gössling et al., 2020). For offering opportunities to meet new people, always on the move
the industry to achieve the much-needed bounce back, staff will and rewarding (Barron & Maxwell, 1993). These differences in
be a vital component. This is because, like all service industries, perception about careers in the industry have been said to vary
human resources are an indispensable agent for success (Lee et among students based on the students’ academic level, status
al., 2008). For staff to be able to achieve this role of improving and exposure to industry experience (Chan et al., 2002).
the industry, there is a need for these staff members to possess Students’ perceptions of hospitality careers could be positive,
the right knowledge, skills and attitude (Anthony et al., 2019). negative or neutral. For instance, hospitality students have
Higher learning programmes in the hospitality discipline is one perceived careers negatively in an industry characterised by
of the many avenues through which such knowledge and skills low wages (Richardson & Butler, 2012; Neequaye & Armoo,
can be acquired. 2014), poor work environments, boredom and poor work hours
Very few graduates from hospitality programmes have been (Selçuk et al., 2013). Students have also endorsed the industry
reported to pursue careers in the industry after completing the as providing opportunities for career development (Neequaye
hospitality programmes (Blomme et al., 2009; Richardson & & Armoo, 2014). When students’ perception of the industry
Butler, 2012; Mohammed & Rashid, 2016), even though careers is negative, it can negatively affect their choice of hospitality
in the industry have been perceived to be readily available (Lu careers, and vice versa.
& Adler, 2009). In cases where higher numbers of students have The hospitality industry in Ghana is rated as performing below
expressed interest in hospitality careers, this has been realised its potential capacity (Frimpong-Bonsu, 2015). This may be partly
to be an intention rather than reality (Getz, 1994). Varied reasons attributed to the unavailability of qualified personnel to render
can be identified for the lack of students’ interest in hospitality the services required in the industry (Ministry of Tourism, 2013).
careers in Ghana, of which unfavourable perception is one such Also, hospitality graduates often choose careers in industries
reason (Amissah et al., 2019). other than the hospitality industry (Wong & Liu, 2010; Qiu et al.,

Research in Hospitality Management is co-published by NISC (Pty) Ltd and Informa UK Limited (trading as Taylor & Francis Group)
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102 Anthony, Mensah & Amissah

2017), and had no intention of choosing careers in the industry students in their first year have a more positive perception of
(Amissah et al., 2019). However, it is not clear what factors careers in the industry compared to continuing students and
underpin the perceptions that students have about careers in those who have experienced work life in the industry. Getz
the hospitality industry as well as how Ghanaian hospitality (1994) conducted a longitudinal study in Scotland and reported
students generally perceive careers in the industry. This study that over 14 years students have become more negative in
therefore seeks to answer the following questions: their perceptions of careers in the industry. Earlier, West and
a. What factors underpin students’ perceptions about careers in Jameson (1990) established the negativity that students studying
the industry? hospitality develop for the industry through contact with jobs of
b. How do students perceive careers in the hospitality industry? the industry either as they progress through the academic levels
c. What are the differences in students’ perceptions about or when employed in the industry.
careers in the industry based on sociodemographic It is important to note that the perceptions that students have
characteristics and industry experience? about the industry may be unrealistic (Chen et al., 2000), and
this may affect their overall perceptions about careers in the
Significance of the study industry. This is because if these unrealistic expectations are
The perceptions of students with regard to careers in the industry not met, students or graduates can become disappointed and,
for which they are being trained are very important (Barron & hence, have negative feelings towards careers in the industry.
Maxwell, 1993; Akin Aksu & Deniz Kӧksal, 2005; Roney & Öztin, These negative thoughts may be modified or changed through
2007). This is because students who have positive perceptions interaction on career issues with educators or career counsellors
of careers in the hospitality industry are more likely to choose in the learning environment.
careers in the industry. This is because students will generally Also, students’ perceptions about careers in the hospitality
want to pursue careers they perceive as good and favourable industry can be positive, negative or indifferent. Kusluvan and
to their needs. Also, the study will inform both educators Kusluvan (2000) reported that students perceived careers in the
and hospitality industry managers about how prospective industry to be stressful, characterised by hours of long work,
employees perceive careers in the industry. For educators, those poor working environments, unfair promotion practices, coupled
perceptions that are not consistent with the industry may be with low remuneration, among others. Similarly, Birdir (as cited
altered through orientation and classroom discussions. On the in Roney & Oztin, 2007) also noted the poor salary for careers in
part of industry managers, the findings of the study will enable the industry. In Malaysia, Richardson and Butler (2012) reported
them to understand and manage the myriad perceptions that that undergraduate hospitality and tourism students perceived
students have about careers in the industry, thereby reducing careers in the industry to offer low wages, have poor work-life
the turnover/attrition rates. balance, and poor staff and manager relationships. These
negative perceptions made students prefer careers in industries
Literature review other than the industry they had been trained for. This is due to
the belief that other industries offer higher remuneration than
Students’ perceptions of hospitality careers they could ever receive in the hospitality industry. The industry
Differences in perception of students with regard to careers in the is also stigmatised as providing poor professional standards (Gu
hospitality industry have long been documented. For instance, et al., 2007).
Kelley-Patterson and George (2001) reported differences in Alananzeh (2014) reported that 82% of students studying
the perception of students with industry experience and those hotel management and food and beverage service in the Aqaba
without industry experience. Lee (2008) further asserts that Economic Zone of Jordan wished to work in the industry after
students exposed to industry-based learning have a better graduation. This willingness to work in the industry can be
understanding of and more realistic expectations from the attributed to the positive perceptions that these students had
industry. Barron et al. (2007) reported through a qualitative study about careers in the industry. Lu and Adler (2009) investigated
that students with industry experience perceived careers in the the career goals and expectations of Chinese hospitality
industry as being full of exciting and interesting experiences. students. A description of the background characteristics of
However, students with industry experience also generally the students showed that about 65% of the students ended up
perceived careers in the hospitality industry to be characterised pursuing tourism and hospitality programmes because of their
by a low salary, long working hours which hinder social life low entrance exam grades. However, 68% of the respondents
and perceived high job insecurity. In a recent study in Turkey, had plans to take up careers in the tourism industry. The most
Turanligil and Altintaş (2018) sampled 204 students in Anadolu common reason cited by these students for wanting to work
University and analysed their perceptions and expectations of in the industry was the readily available opportunities for
the industry. The findings reported, among other things, that employment and career development. This means that most
there were generally no statistically significant differences students in this study perceived the tourism industry to offer
in the perceptions of students with industry experience and career opportunities and development. However, 32% of these
those without industry experience. It was also evident from the students did not want careers in the hospitality and tourism
findings that a majority (79.2%) of the students acquired industry industry due to a lack of personal interest in such careers.
experience from hotels. In another study, Grobelna (2017) surveyed Polish and
The perceptions students have of careers in the industry have Spanish students in a study to investigate their perceptions of
been reported to differ based on academic level. Generally, job-related motivators when choosing careers in the tourism and
first-year students have been reported to have a more positive hospitality industry. In general, the findings showed that tourism
perception of careers in the industry compared to continuing and hospitality careers do not provide the factors that these
students. Barron and Maxwell (1993), for instance, reported that students consider acceptable in a career. The study sampled one
Research in Hospitality Management 2021, 11(2): 101–111 103

institution from each of the two countries and this was identified these students intended to choose careers in the industry after
by the author as a limitation in the study because such findings graduation. The study further reported that female students
cannot be generalised to represent the overall perceptions of perceived careers in the hospitality and tourism industry
students about the industry in both countries. Wen et al. (2018) more favourably than their male counterparts, as a significant
reported that students in China perceived compensation and difference was recorded with gender and perception of careers
promotion opportunities in the industry as being below what in the industry. The study also identified a non-significant
they expected in a career. difference in perceptions of students based on industry work
More so, Selçuk et al. (2013) confirmed that students from experience.
Ataturk University in Turkey perceived the industry to offer jobs From the above literature, it is evident that most studies
which are not interesting (63%). Also, students (80%) perceived have reported negative perceptions from students with regard
the industry to have poor working hours which do not conform to careers in the hospitality industry. The negative perceptions
to a regular lifestyle. For these and other negative reasons, more are irrespective of country: China, Malaysia, Scotland, Turkey, or
than half of the student respondents in this study concluded Ghana, among others. Also, the literature highlighted negative
that it is a big mistake to be involved in tourism as a career perceptions like poor remuneration, promotion practices,
preference. Again, Selçuk et al. (2013) reported that students work and social life balance, work overload, and staff-manager
perceived careers in the industry to be servile in nature, with an relationships, among others. However, some studies also
insufficient salary in relation to workload. reported positive perceptions among students. The positive
Roney and Ötzin’s (2007) findings showed that, in general, perceptions had to do with availability of career development,
students were indifferent or neutral in their perception towards opportunities to meet new people, and readily available jobs.
the industry in Turkey, although some students perceived that Furthermore, some of the studies have reported neutral (neither
the industry would afford them the opportunity to meet new positive nor negative) perceptions of students towards careers
people and probably be able to network. Although students in the industry. It may be concluded that negative perceptions
may have poor expectations from the industry, students found of hospitality careers may result in low or no interest in careers,
to have willingly chosen the hospitality programme were while positive perceptions may mean a high interest in and
more willing and therefore wanted to choose careers in the strong choice for hospitality careers.
industry after graduation (Akin Aksu & Deniz Kӧksal, 2005).
Again in Turkey, Turanligil and Altintaş (2018) reported negative Research methods
perceptions among tourism and hotel management students.
Poor treatment of these students by the industry players, The study was quantitative and descriptive in design. It sought
especially during internships, was identified as a probable cause to describe students’ perceptions of careers in the hospitality
of this negative perception. industry. To arrive at a sample size, a list of all public universities
One study of great relevance to the present study was by offering hospitality programmes in Ghana was developed.
Neequaye and Armoo (2014), which sought to find out the These institutions were then grouped under the three regional
factors used by Ghanaian students in determining career options zones based on their location (northern, middle and southern).
in the tourism and hospitality industry. The findings showed that The purposive sampling method was then used to select
students were not sure that careers in the industry were secure, both traditional and technical universities from each zone. For
readily available and with a reasonable workload. However, as example, one university was selected from the northern zone, as
revealed by the study, most students strongly perceived the it was the only public technical university in the area that offered
industry to provide personal career development. It was further a hospitality programme at the time of data collection. In the
reported that students perceived salary levels in the hospitality middle zone, there were three traditional public universities and
industry to be low, as compared to careers in other industries, two technical universities which offer hospitality management
although students’ perception about the salary was the least programmes. One traditional and one technical university were
of the factors influencing their perception about the industry. purposively selected, each from the two regions that make up
This finding is striking because, in a developing country like the middle zone. In the southern zone, there were five public
Ghana, one might expect monetary reward for work done to technical universities and two traditional public universities, all
be of great importance. However, students in Neequaye and offering hospitality programmes. One traditional university and
Armoo’s study may have rated salary the least important factor three other technical universities were selected purposively
influencing their choice of career because most of them were considering the regional distributions of the universities. The
being provided for by their parents or guardians and therefore universities selected were those that have offered the hospitality
might not acknowledge the importance of remuneration at that programme for at least five years and have produced graduates
stage of their lives. who are working in the industry.
Another study that has a bearing on the present study is one A stratified random sampling technique was used to select
by Amissah et al. (2019). In that study, the authors sought to students from each academic level (first to fourth year). Fifty
explore students’ perceptions of careers in the hospitality and per cent of students in each academic level were randomly
tourism industry in Ghana. The study, however, sampled 441 sampled using student class lists. The total population was 3 340
students from the hospitality and tourism department of the students; fifty per cent of students in each level were selected
University of Cape Coast, which the authors stressed limited to ensure representativeness. Class lists of students at each level
the generalisability of the findings from the study across the were used. The lottery method was used to randomly select
population of hospitality and tourism students in Ghana. half of the students. The class lists for each class were already
Findings from Amissah et al. (2019) showed that students numbered. This made it easier for the random selection of
perceived careers in the industry unfavourably, as only 33% of respondents, as numbers randomly picked were assigned to the
104 Anthony, Mensah & Amissah

corresponding student names. The estimated sample size for the Industry experience of respondents
study was 1 670. The majority of respondents in this study had some work
experience in the hospitality industry. Seventy per cent (70%)
Survey instrument of the respondents had had experience in the industry through
A questionnaire was used for data collection. The questionnaire internships (48.60%) or full-time employment (31%). This implies
was administered by the researchers with the help of field that internships, as alluded to by Farmaki (2018), are one of
assistants. It was divided into two parts. Part A required the readily available means by which students gain industry
undergraduate students to show the extent of their agreement experience. Some of the students (31.60%) are working in
to statements on perceptions of careers in the hospitality the hotel sector. Also, as shown in Table 1, about 45% of the
industry on a five-point Likert scale, where 1 = strongly disagree, students who had had some industry experience had worked for
2 = disagree, 3 = neutral, 4 = agree, 5 = strongly agree. The fewer than six months, with those having industry experience of
statements on perceptions of careers in the hospitality industry five years or more being the fewest (6.90%).
were negatively worded, which means that agreeing to a
statement denotes a negative perception. Thus, a low mean Students’ perceptions of hospitality careers prior to exploratory
denotes positive perception. Some of the statements were factor analysis
reworded to make them simpler for students to understand and To measure students’ perception about careers in the hospitality
also to fit the Ghanaian context. industry, 24-item perception statements were used. Using a
Part B required respondents to respond to questions on five-point Likert scale, all perception questions were negatively
their sociodemographic and university characteristics. The worded. In this way, a low mean represents a disagreement
data collection tool was validated by two experts in the area with the statements describing perceptions about careers in
of study and a pre-test of the instrument was done, with the hospitality industry. This generally means that a low mean
undergraduate students at two universities not included in the denotes a positive perception, while a higher mean implies
actual data collection. The pre-testing of the survey instrument a negative perception. The scale used was also tested for its
also offered the opportunity to rephrase some of the questions. reliability. Cronbach’s alpha of the scale (0.87) revealed that
For example, the perception statement “careers in the industry it was a good one to have effectively measured students’
are inflexible, so there is less time for family life” was rephrased perceptions of careers in the hospitality. Appendix A shows all
to read: “careers in the industry offer less time for family”. Also, the 24 perception statements with their respective means and
through the pre-testing, responses about the marital status of standard deviations.
the respondents, which included reponses about being divorced
or widowed, were excluded. Dimensions of students’ perceptions of careers in the hospitality
The main field work started in November 2018. Because of industry
the wide geographical space to be covered in this research, Factor analysis was carried out to reduce the 24-item perception
field assistants were contacted and recruited from the various statements that students responded to. This analysis also
university campuses. The field assistants were mainly teaching ensured the grouping of the perceptions under strongly
assistants from the selected universities. In all, seven field correlated constructs. Principal component analysis was
assistants were contacted with the help of lecturers at the employed with varimax rotation, which resulted in the reduction
universities. Permission was sought from the various hospitality of the 24 items to 15. The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin test of sample
departments and lecturers. After data collection, 1  341 of the adequacy was 0.92, with a Bartlett’s test of sphericity of 7191.01
questionnaires were found to be suitable for quantitative (p < 0.001).
analysis. The usable response rate, therefore, was 80.25%. Table 4 shows the 15 perception items generated from the
Each questionnaire was checked by the researchers to ensure factor analysis, which were grouped under three constructs.
that it was correctly completed and important information These were career attractiveness, career prestige/mobility, and
provided. The quantitative data collected were coded into
Statistical Product for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Table 1: Industry experience background of respondents
Descriptive statistics mainly in the form of frequencies,
percentages and means were used to describe the background Characteristic n Frequency Percentage
characteristics of students. A t-test and one-way analysis of Hospitality industry experience 1 341
variance (anova) was employed to examine differences in Experienced 939 70.00
students’ perceptions of careers in the hospitality industry. Inexperienced 402 30.00
Means of experience acquisition 939
Results and discussion Internship 456 48.50
Full-time employment 291 31.00
Sociodemographic characteristics of respondents Part-time employment 87 9.30
Respondents were mainly females (92.20%) and were mostly Voluntary work 92 9.80
Other 13 1.40
between the ages 20 and 29 years (66.50%). Christians (82.90%)
were in the majority and most students (89%) were single. Duration of experience 939
First-year students made up the largest number of respondents Less than 6 months 417 44.40
(46.40%), while seniors were the least (7.30%). Also, students from 6 months – less than a year 165 17.60
the technical universities (79.60%) dominated. This is because 1–2 years 190 20.20
there are more technical universities offering the hospitality 3–4 years 102 10.90
programmes publically in the country than traditional universities. 5 years and more 65 6.90
 Research in Hospitality Management 2021, 11(2): 101–111 105

nature of careers in the hospitality industry. Career attractiveness further education (0.54), and limited use of academic knowledge
was measured by the following items with their respective and skills (0.51). Career prestige/mobility consisted of items like
factor loadings: limited opportunity to meet new people (0.72), difficulty of movement to other careers, career of low intellectual
poor networking opportunities (0.70), uninteresting experiences challenge, low entry positions for graduates, and a career that is
(0.62), poor career development (0.61), lack of opportunity for not prestigious. The factor loadings of these perceptions ranged
from 0.50 to 0.69.
Finally, items like low remuneration (0.61), stressful career
Table 2: Dimensions of students’ perceptions of careers in the hospitality (0.69), low regard of career by society (0.51), careers that offer
industry less time for family life (0.56), and social life (0.51) were grouped
under nature of career. In all, the variables explained 50.32%
of students’ perceptions of careers in the hospitality industry.
Factor

Eigen
Perception Loadings % Career attractiveness (Factor I) explained 29.14% of students’
values
perceptions of careers in the hospitality industry. Career
1 Career attractiveness prestige/mobility (Factor II) also explained 12.55%, while nature
Limited opportunity to meet 0.72 of career (Factor III) explained 8.63% of students’ perceptions of
people
Poor networking opportunity 0.70 hospitality careers (Table 3).
Offers uninteresting experiences 0.62 6.87 29.14 Under the career attractiveness construct (Factor I),
Lack of opportunity for further 0.54 perception of limited opportunity to meet people had the
education highest factor loading (0.72). This was followed by perception
Poor career development 0.61 of poor networking opportunity in hospitality careers (0.70).
Limited use of academic knowledge 0.51 Limited use of academic knowledge and skills had the least
and skills factor loading (0.51) under Factor I. Low entry positions for
2 Career prestige/mobility graduates (0.69) and difficulty of movement to other careers
Difficulty of movement to other 0.63
(0.63) were the two perceptions that had the highest loading
careers
under Factor II (career prestige/mobility). For Factor III, stressful
Low intellectual challenge 0.53
Low entry positions for graduates 0.69 2.81 12.55 careers (0.69) and low remuneration paid for careers (0.61) in the
Not prestigious 0.50 industry were the perceptions that were highly loaded under the
3 Nature of career nature of career construct.
Low remuneration 0.61
Stressful 0.69 Undergraduate students’ perceptions of careers in the
Low regard by society 0.51 1.80 8.63 hospitality industry
Offers less time for family 0.56 People’s perceptions about careers could be influenced by
Offers less time for social life 0.51 a number of factors. These perceptions may be positive or
Total variance explained 50.32
negative. Perceptions can also change based on exposure to
Keyser–Meyer–Olkin test = 0.922; Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity: 7191.01; reality or through social interactions. This notwithstanding,
p < 0.001

Table 3: Respondents’ perceptions of careers in the hospitality industry

Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree Standard

Perception Mean
% (n) % (n) % (n) % (n) % (n) deviation
Career attractiveness
Limited opportunity to meet people 49.90 (669) 23.70 (318) 10.40 (139) 8.10 (108) 8 (107) 2.01 1.28
Poor networking opportunity 34.60 (464) 28.90 (387) 15.40 (207) 13.90 (186) 7.20 (97) 2.30 1.27
Offers uninteresting experiences 37.20 (499) 28.60 (384) 14.40 (193) 11.70 (157) 8 (107) 2.25 1.29
Lack of opportunity for further education 42.20 (566) 25.60 (343) 12.10 (162) 11.20 (150) 8.90 (120) 2.19 1.33
Poor career development 37.40 (502) 30.10 (403) 16.20 (217) 10.70 (144) 5.60 (75) 2.17 1.20
Limited use of academic knowledge and skills 43.30 (581) 27.00 (362) 11.20 (150) 9.50 (127) 9 (121) 2.14 1.31
Category total 40.77 27.32 13.28 10.85 7.78 2.18 1.28
Prestige/mobility of career
Difficulty of movement to other careers 25.70 (344) 29.90(401) 20.40(274) 14.90(200) 9.10(122) 2.52 1.27
Low intellectual challenge 19.20 (257) 28.10 (376) 21.30 (285) 20.10 (270) 11.30 (152) 2.76 1.28
Low entry positions for graduates 19.80 (265) 19.10 (256) 18.90 (254) 21.40 (287) 20.80 (279) 3.04 1.42
Not prestigious career 22.30 (299) 24.70 (331) 28.50 (382) 15.10 (202) 9.50 (127) 2.65 1.24
Category total 21.75 25.45 22.28 17.88 12.68 2.74 1.30
Nature of career
Low remuneration 22.80 (306) 18.20 (244) 17 (228) 20.10 (269) 21.90 (294) 3.00 1.47
Stressful 9.90 (133) 11.20 (150) 17.40 (233) 29.80 (399) 31.80 (426) 3.62 1.30
Low regard by society 26.70 (358) 19.20 (258) 15.60 (209) 19.20 (258) 19.20 (258) 2.85 1.48
Offers less time for family life 15.30 (205) 15.90 (213) 17 (228) 26.40 (354) 25.40 (341) 3.31 1.40
Offers less time for social life 17.70 (237) 21.60 (290) 19.20 (257) 24.50 (328) 17.10 (229) 3.02 1.36
Category total 18.48 17.20 17.22 24 23.08 3.16 1.40
Overall mean total 27.00 23.32 17.59 17.58 14.51 2.69 1.33
106 Anthony, Mensah & Amissah

perceptions are important in decision-making. Results in Table 3 study, however, were indifferent about the nature of careers in
indicate that undergraduate hospitality students in Ghana were the hospitality industry (category mean = 3.16).
generally indifferent about careers in the hospitality industry, In Table 3, percentages of students’ disagreement and
with an overall mean of 2.69 and a standard deviation of 1.33. agreement to the negatively worded perception statements
This implies that the students were neither positive nor negative are also presented. The scale of five is presented. Neutral
in their perception about careers in the industry. Similarly, Roney perceptions were necessary to allow students who neither
and Ötzin (2007) reported indifferent perceptions of students disagree nor agree to perception statements to select them.
about careers in the industry in Turkey. On the contrary, About 68% of the students showed disagreement with the
Turanligil and Altintaş (2018) and Amissah et al. (2019) found negative statements measuring the attractiveness of careers in
that hospitality and tourism students in Anadolu University and the industry. This means that more than half of the students
University of Cape Coast in Turkey and Ghana respectively had perceived careers in the industry to be attractive. Approximately
negative perceptions about careers in the industry. However, 13% of the students were not sure whether careers in the
Barron et al. (2007) reported positive perceptions of careers in industry were attractive or not. With regard to the prestige/
the hospitality industry by students in United Kingdom. It can mobility of careers in the industry, 47% of students perceived
also be noted that the above studies with contrary findings careers in the industry to be mobile or prestigious, while a little
to this did not represent the general students’ perception of above 30% of the students were in agreement that careers in the
careers in the industry in those countries. industry are low in prestige or mobility.
Also, students disagreed that careers in the industry are not Table 3 further indicates that 47% of students perceived
attractive (category mean = 2.18). Students were of the view careers in the industry to be poor in nature. Forty-two per cent
that careers in the industry are attractive and offered the of students were of the view that careers in the industry offer
opportunity to meet new people (mean = 2.01), apply academic poor salaries, while 41% of the students strongly disagreed
knowledge and skills (mean = 2.14), develop their careers or disagreed. Furthermore, most students (61.60%) perceived
(mean = 2.17), further their education (mean = 2.19), network careers in the industry to be stressful, as compared to 21% of
with others (mean = 2.30), and be exposed to interesting students who thought otherwise. The overall total shows that
experiences (mean = 2.25). about 50% of the students perceived careers in the industry
Moreover, as indicated in Table 3, students were neutral in positively. A further description of students’ agreement/
their responses about the prestige/mobility features of careers disagreement with each perception statement in percentages
in the industry (category mean = 2.74). Students neither and means is presented in Table 3.
agreed nor disagreed that there are difficulties in moving from
hospitality careers to other careers (mean = 2.52). Students Differences in perceptions of hospitality careers among
were also indifferent about the prestige of careers in the different categories of students
industry (mean = 2.65). Meanwhile, careers in the industry Factors that influence peoples’ perceptions are varied. They
have been noted as being about servitude (Selçuk et al., 2013), include biological and social factors, although the social
which makes people feel ashamed of working especially in small environment has been identified as the most common source of
establishments. Students were also not sure whether the entry perception formation (Bandura, 1986; Lawer, 2015). Perceptions
positions for graduates in the industry was low (mean = 3.04). have been reported to vary extensively among different categories
Furthermore, students were indifferent to most of the items of students. These include differences based on academic level
relating to the nature of careers in the hospitality industry (Barron & Maxwell, 1993), and industry experience (Kelley-
(category mean = 3.16). They were neutral in their responses Patterson & George, 2001; Kim & Park, 2013), among others.
about the remuneration (mean = 3.00), time available for family
(mean = 3.31), and social life (mean = 3.02). They, however, Differences in students’ perceptions of hospitality careers by
agreed that careers in the industry are stressful (mean = 3.62). sociodemographic characteristics
Similar to this finding, Richardson and Butler (2012), reported In Table 4, it can be concluded that males and females do
negative perceptions among students in Malaysia about the not differ in their perceptions about careers in the hospitality
nature of hospitality careers in general. It can be observed from industry, although males were generally more indifferent (total
Table 3 that most students disagreed with the assertion that mean = 2.72) than females (total mean = 2.69). Specifically,
there is limited opportunity to meet new people in the industry, males and females disagreed with the negatively worded
as indicated by a lowest mean of 2.01, while they generally statements measuring the attractiveness of careers in the
agreed that careers in the industry are stressful in nature industry. This means that both males and females perceived
(mean = 3.62). careers in the industry to be attractive. They were neutral in their
Students were certain that pursuing careers in the industry responses about the prestige/mobility of careers in the industry
provided the opportunity to meet new people. Similarly, (mean = 2.80, 2.74), as well as the nature of careers in the
Roney and Ötzin (2007) reported that students in Turkey industry (mean = 3.14, 3.16 for males and females respectively).
perceived careers in the hospitality industry as providing However, there were significant differences in perceptions
good opportunities to meet new people all the time. Students about hospitality careers between Christians (total mean = 2.72)
were, however, convinced that careers in the industry were and Muslims (total mean = 2.47) at p ≤ 0.05. As further indicated
stressful (mean = 3.62). Studies by Kusluvan and Kusluvan in Table 5, Muslims generally disagreed (total mean = 2.47) with
(2000), Richardson and Butler (2012), and Selçuk et al. (2013) the negative statements describing careers in the industry,
also showed that students had negative perceptions about the but Christians were indifferent (total mean = 2.72). This means
nature of careers in the hospitality industry. Students in this that Muslims had a positive perception about careers in the
industry, while Christians were indifferent in their perceptions
Research in Hospitality Management 2021, 11(2): 101–111 107

Table 4: Differences in perceptions of hospitality careers by sociodemographic characteristics

Perception of hospitality career

Characteristic n Career attractiveness Career prestige/mobility Nature of career Total
Mean Mean Mean Mean
Gender
Male 104 2.24 2.80 3.14 2.72
Female 1 237 2.17 2.74 3.16 2.69
Mean difference 0.07 0.06 0.02 0.03
p-value 0.46 0.48 0.81 0.60
Religion
Christian 1 112 2.17 2.77 3.22 2.72
Muslim 229 2.19 2.64 2.58 2.47
Mean difference 0.02 0.13 0.64 0.25
p-value 0.75 0.04 <0.001 <0.001
Marital status
Single 1 202 2.16 2.72 3.14 2.67
Married 139 2.30 2.93 3.36 2.86
Mean difference 0.14 0.21 0.22 0.19
p-value 0.08 0.01 0.01 <0.001
Age (years)
<30 1 227 2.14 2.71 3.12 2.66
≥30 114 2.57 3.07 3.54 3.06
Mean difference 0.43 0.36 0.42 0.40
p-value <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001
Academic level
First year students 622 2.08 2.66 3.07 2.60
Continuing students 719 2.26 2.82 3.24 2.77
Mean difference 0.18 0.16 0.17 0.17
p-value <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001
Note: Scale: 1: Strongly disagree, 2: Disagree, 3: Neutral, 4: Agree, 5: Strongly agree (p ≤ 0.05)

of careers in the industry. Muslims may have had a positive mobility and nature of careers in the industry, although the
perception about careers in the industry because, generally, difference in perception was significantly different between
fewer Muslims, especially females, pursue careers in the industry the two groups of students (p = 0.04 and <0.001 respectively).
in Ghana. Therefore, those few Muslims who have enrolled in the For example, Christians had a more neutral response to the
hospitality programmes should have a positive predisposition prestige/mobility (mean = 2.77) and nature of careers in the
towards careers in the industry. industry (mean = 3.22) than Muslims (mean = 2.64, 2.58).
Christian and Muslim students were, however, not different Findings from the study further pointed to significant
in their perception about the attractiveness of careers in the differences in the perceptions of single and married respondents
industry (p = 0.75). They were both neutral about the prestige/ (p < 0.001) about careers in the industry. Except for perceptions

Table 5: Differences in students’ perceptions of careers by industry experience

Perception of career by industry experience

Category n Career attractiveness Career prestige/mobility Nature of career Total
Mean Mean Mean Mean
Industry experience
Experience 939 2.22 2.71 3.15 2.69
Inexperience 402 2.07 2.73 3.19 2.66
Mean difference 0.15 0.02 0.04 0.03
p-value <0.001 0.67 0.37 0.20
Means of experience acquisition
Internship 456 2.31 2.80 3.29 2.80
Appointment 470 2.14 2.71 3.10 2.65
Mean difference 0.17 0.09 0.19 0.15
p-value <0.001 0.18 <0.001 <0.001
Duration of industry experience
<1 year 582 2.20 2.75 3.17 2.71
≥1 year 357 2.26 2.75 3.10 2.70
Mean difference 0.06 0.00 0.07 0.01
p-value 0.32 0.94 0.21 0.93
Scale: 1: Strongly disagree, 2: Disagree, 3: Neutral, 4: Agree, 5: Strongly agree (p ≤ 0.05)
108 Anthony, Mensah & Amissah

about the attractiveness of careers in the industry, all other Both categories of students only differed significantly in their
perceptions among students based on their marital status perceptions about the attractiveness of careers in the industry
were significantly different. For instance, students who were (p < 0.001). Students with industry experience disagreed more
married were more neutral in how they perceived careers in the with the perception that careers in the industry are unattractive
industry (total mean = 2.86), when compared to single students (mean = 2.22), as compared to those without industry experience
(total mean = 2.67). The nature of careers in the industry (mean (mean = 2.07). The two groups of students were neutral in their
diff. = 0.22, p = 0.01) had the highest mean difference. Those responses about the prestige/mobility of careers in the industry
who were married reported family life conflict issues with as well as the nature of careers in the industry.
careers in the industry (Richardson & Butler, 2012), especially From the preceding findings, further analysis was conducted
for females (Magableh, 2005), and this is likely to be one of the to ascertain whether differences exist in the perceptions
reasons accounting for the difference among the single and of students based on the means by which they had gained
married respondents in this study. industry experience. For this purpose, students were placed
There were variations in perceptions of students from the into two groups: those who gained industry experience
different age categories with respect to careers in the industry. through internships, and those who experienced the industry
Respondents were regrouped into two different age categories: through appointment (employment). Table 5 indicates that
those under 30 years old and those 30 years old and over. except for career prestige/mobility, there were variations in
Respondents were regrouped into these categories because the perceptions of students depending on how they acquired
it was evident from the data that students were mostly aged industry experience. In general terms, there was a significant
between 20 and 29, while the rest were 30 years and older. difference in the perception of students based on how they
It can be observed from Table 4 that there was a significant acquired experience in the industry. Specifically, students who
difference in the perceptions about careers in the industry had acquired industry experience through internships were more
between the two student groups. Students under 30 years old indifferent in their responses (total mean = 2.80) than students
had a more favourable perception about careers in the industry who had experienced the industry by appointment (total
than those who were 30 years and older (p < 0.001). Specifically, mean = 2.65).
students under 30 years disagreed that careers in the industry The more indifferent standpoint of students who had
were not attractive, but students 30 years and older were not experienced careers in the industry through internships can be
sure whether careers in the industry were attractive or not attributed to the generally poor treatment meted out to students
(p < 0.001). on internships. Students on internships are generally considered
Previously, Barron and Maxwell (1993) reported that first-year as trainees and are therefore made to do all the odd jobs in
students have more positive perceptions about careers in the the industry. More so, it is generally believed that the longer a
industry than other year groups. Also, Getz (1994) stressed that phenomenon is experienced, the more realistic the perception
the longer the time students spend in school and the industry, that is formed about that phenomenon. If this assertion holds
the less positive their perceptions about the industry becomes. true, it can be concluded that students who had experienced
This seems to be the case in this study, as first-years in this study careers in the industry for one year or more had a most realistic
had more favourable perceptions about careers in the industry perception about careers in the industry. Referring to Table 5,
(total mean = 2.60) than continuing students (total mean = 2.77). we see that there were no statistically significant differences
Both first-year and continuing students perceived careers in the in students’ perception to the duration of industry experience
industry to be attractive (mean = 2.08 and 2.26 respectively). acquisition. Both categories of students were neither positive
The two categories of students were, however, indifferent in nor negative in perception about careers in the industry.
their perceptions about prestige/mobility and the nature of
careers in the industry, although the mean differences in their Conclusions and recommendations
perceptions were significant (p < 0.001).
Three factors emerged as the dimensions of undergraduate
Differences in perceptions of hospitality careers by students students’ perceptions of careers in the hospitality industry
with industry experience of Ghana. These are career attractiveness, career prestige/
Lee (2008) asserted that when people have industry experience, mobility, and the nature of the career. Generally, students were
they have a more realistic perception of and expectations indifferent about careers in the hospitality industry. Sixty-eight
from the hospitality industry. In another study by Kim and Park per cent of undergraduate students perceived careers in the
(2013), students were reported to have developed negative industry as attractive. About 74% of students perceived careers
perceptions about hospitality careers after experiencing work in the industry to afford the opportunity to meet new people.
life in the industry. Previously, Kelley-Patterson and George This implies that there is a need to develop high social skills in
(2001) had reported differences in perceptions of students who students to ensure they make the best out of this opportunity,
had industry experience and those without industry experience. mainly by managing the relationships formed with the people
However, from Table 5, there was, generally, no significant they meet. On the contrary, 61.60% of the students perceived
difference in perceptions of students who had experienced careers in the industry as stressful. Juxtaposing this perception
careers in the industry and those who had not (p = 0.20). This of students about careers in the industry with the new
finding is in congruence with a finding by Turanligil and Altintaş career concept where employees are concerned about their
(2018) in Turkey, where both students with industry experience freedom, personal growth, and interest rather the needs of the
and those without experience generally had similar perceptions organisation (Gössling et al., 2020), it can be said that students
of the industry. with this new career orientation will not want to pursue stressful
careers in the hospitality industry in the future.
Research in Hospitality Management 2021, 11(2): 101–111 109

Also, there were statistically significant differences in ORCIDs

perceptions of students about hospitality careers based on their
religion, marital status, age, academic level, and the means by Eunice Fay Amissah: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9576-7834
which industry experience was acquired. Muslims had a more
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Research in Hospitality Management 2021, 11(2): 101–111 111

Appendix A

Table 1A: Students’ perceptions of hospitality careers prior to exploratory factor analysis

Standard Scale reliability

Perception of hospitality careers Mean
deviation (Cronbach’s alpha)
Careers in the industry do not provide high remuneration 3.00 1.47
Careers in the industry are stressful 3.62 1.30
Careers in the industry are lowly regarded by the society 1.48
There are unfair promotional practices in the industry 2.91 1.30
Careers in the industry offer limited opportunity to meet new people 2.01 1.28
Careers in the industry do not provide good networking opportunities 2.30 1.27
Careers in the industry offer less time for family 3.31 1.40
The industry does not offer interesting experiences 2.25 1.29
Careers in the industry provide less time for social life 3.02 1.36
The working environment in the industry is not safe 2.49 1.29
There is lack of opportunity for further education when working in the industry 2.20 1.33
Jobs in the industry are not readily available 2.61 1.36
There is poor opportunity for career development in the hospitality industry 2.17 1.20
The working relationship between managers and employees is generally poor in the industry 2.76 1.32
Careers in the industry are not secure 2.79 1.29
Working in the industry is not intellectually challenging 2.52 1.27
Careers in the industry are gender discriminatory 2.56 1.36
Working in the industry provides poor opportunity to use academic knowledge and skills 2.14 1.31
acquired in school
Careers in the industry results in difficulty in movement to other careers 2.76 1.28
Careers in the industry have low entry positions for graduates 3.04 1.42
Careers in the industry are characterised by long and odd working hours 2.37 1.30
Professional standards are poor in the hospitality industry 2.53 1.28
Careers in the hospitality industry are characterised by excessive workload 3.35 1.69
Careers in the industry are not prestigious 2.65 1.24
Total 2.72 1.34 0.87