Why Chinese hospitality management undergraduates give up a hotel career: the effects of perceived occupational stigma and perceived work dirtiness

The shortage of human resources is a key problem restricting the development of China’s hospitality industry. In the meantime, Chinese hospitality higher education faces high graduate leakage – their undergraduates as the most promising hospitality human resource are reluctant to pursue a career in the hotel industry. Therefore, based on a framework of the perception of a job-the perception of a person-outcome, this study explored the negative effects of perceived occupational stigma and work dirtiness on hospitality management undergraduates’ career choice intentions. Structural equation modelling was applied using 928 questionnaires received from 31 universities in China. The results also revealed the psychological mechanism of face concern and self-esteem, as well as the moderating role of career development programmes. From the perspective of Chinese Confucian culture, this research explicated the reason for Chinese hospitality management undergraduates’ giving up on a hotel career, and provided valuable implications for hospitality higher education and hotel human resource management.