Factors Influencing Summer Internship Outcomes: Evidence from Hospitality Undergraduate Students

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, University of Sadat City

2 Sinai High Institute for Tourism & Hotels

Abstract

Giving theoretical lectures in the classrooms without allowing students
to experience the real world will result in partial learning of the subject matter. Thus, internship programs are very essential for students before starting the job. Therefore, this study assesses the undergraduate students’ experiences about the hospitality internships’ environment and outcomes. This study also examines the factors influencing the internship outcomes, such as individual characteristics, internship design, faculty support, and the characteristics of internship environment. A quota sample of 390 undergraduate hotel studies students from all faculties of tourism and hotels in nine Egyptian governmental universities was chosen for investigation. However, only 360 valid questionnaire forms were received from the students. To analyze these forms, descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests, as well as multiple regression analysis were used.  The findings showed that individual characteristics (i.e. gender; university year), internship design, and internship environment characteristics directly influenced the internship outcomes for hospitality undergraduate students. On the other hand, the results indicated that faculty support did not significantly affect the internship outcomes. Accordingly, it was recommended that hotel management and faculty should provide more support to the females as well as the second and third year students. In addition, faculty should obligate a longer period of internship time and determine the best city for conducting the internship. 

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