An Empirical Study of Hospitality Employability Skills: Perceptions of Entry-Level Hotel Staff in China

Abstract

This study examines the factor structure of the employability skills model for entry-level hotel staff in China. A survey was conducted with 25 hotels within eight cities in China. The proposed measurement model was tested using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The AMOS software package was used to test 15 measurement scale items, which resulted in the identification of the four skill dimensions of job performance and self-management, organization and time management, creativity and innovation, and problem solving. After exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, both the convergent validity and discriminant validity were found to be satisfactory. This research is the first empirical study to develop a clear, acceptable, and updated model of employability skills for entry-level hotel employees in Chinese hotels.

Keywords:

• China
• employability skills
• entry-level staff
• factor analysis