An elicitation study to explore Gen Z's attitudes towards working in the hospitality industry

Numerous researchers have studied the attitudes of hospitality students in pursuing a hospitality-related career. However, a lack of research focusing on Generation Z exists – the generation that will enter the workforce in the near future, replacing Baby Boomers that will soon retire from the industry. The growing demand for tourism and hospitality workforces makes it imperative to transform hospitality students to hospitality personnel upon graduation. This paper aims to examine Generation Z’s attitudes towards working in the hospitality industry by applying the Theory of Planned Behavior. The outcome of this research identifies the attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control of Generation Z hospitality students, which will be of great significance to future hospitality employers and education institutions offering hospitality programs.