Becoming managers – A narrative analysis of skill acquisition during hotel internships

ABSTRACT

This study explores skill acquisition during a six-month-long work-based hotel internship program. Specifically, it examines what skills are learned by interns, the succession of skill acquisition, and the extent to which interns are trained as future managers. Narrative analysis is conducted with 344 longitudinal work reflections of 21 interns from 12 upscale hotels. Three layers of learning outcomes are discovered. The acquisition of position-based ability precedes hospitality ability; self-development occurs across the six months and is confirmed at the end of the internship. The technical skills that a future manager needs are most effectively learned. The human skills of a prospective manager are improved albeit challenges.

摘要

本研究探索了周期为6个月的酒店实习过程, 探讨了实习者获得了哪些技能, 技能获得的顺序, 以及在多大程度上受训成为未来管理者。12 间高星级酒店的21 位实习生为本文提供了344 份连续性的工作回顾。基于Robert L. Katz (1974) 的管理者三大技能理论, 通过叙事分析的方法, 本文发现实习者获得三个层次的技能。其中, 岗位技能的获得先于接待技能;自我发展在6个月的时间里持续发生并在实习结束时获得确认。本文揭示了技能获得的时间顺序, 发展了Katz (1974) 的管理者技能理论。

KEYWORDS:

• Hotel internship
• work-based learning
• position-based ability
• hospitality ability
• self-development
• management skills
• learning process

关键词:

• 酒店实习
• 基于工作的学习
• 岗位能力
• 款待能力
• 自我发展
• 学习的顺序
• 管理技能

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Qun Qin

Qun Qin is Ph.D. student in the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China. The author’s research interests are tourist behaviors, heritage tourism, and family tourism (e-mail: [email protected]).

Cathy H.C. Hsu

Cathy H.C. Hsu is Chair Professor in the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China. The author’s research foci have been tourist behaviors and emotions, resident sentiment and stereotypes, and hospitality marketing and branding (E-mail: [email protected]).

Ying Wu

Ying Wu is Ph.D. student in the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China. The author’s research interests are tourism and anthropology, and lifestyle entrepreneurship (E-mail: [email protected]).