Career barriers of hospitality and tourism management students and the impacts on their career intention

Abstract

This study constructs a three-dimensions of perceived career barriers (CB) of hospitality and tourism management (HTM) students, namely personal, social and interactional career barriers, and explores their impacts on students’ professional identity and intention to work in hospitality and tourism (H&T) industry. The findings based on a sample of 842 HTM students in mainland China are as follows. Firstly, the three-dimensions model could reveal the structure of HTM students’ perceived career barriers and all dimensions have significantly negative effects on professional identity and career intention. Meanwhile, the predictive power of personal career barriers is strongest, interactional and social barriers followed. Secondly, students’ professional identity plays a role as a mediator between career barriers and intention. Lastly, the barriers could be negotiated by major satisfaction, as it moderates the relationship of career barriers to intention partially. Managerial implications are also discussed for tourism industries and educators.