Understanding perceptions of professional attributes using conjoint analysis

It is imperative that academia prepare students to meet industry expectations. To that end, this study explores perceptions of professionalism including attributes that are considered to be indicators of future job performance and how they differ among hospitality students, faculty, and industry representatives. Using conjoint analysis on a large data set gathered during a major industry trade show, the results indicate practitioners place tremendous emphasis on interpersonal skills, interview preparation, ability to work with others, and alignment with the organizational culture when deciding whom to hire. Differences among groups are discussed, and resulting inferences on managing related perceptions are addressed.

Research highlights▶ Sample included hospitality students, faculty, and industry representatives. ▶ Interpersonal skills and the ability to work with others were important to all groups. ▶ When hiring, industry practitioners valued interview preparation. ▶ Industry practitioners also desired alignment with the organizational culture.