Perceptions of job quality in the tourism industry

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how recent graduates of a university's tourism management programme in New Zealand perceive job quality in the tourism industry. Design/methodology/approach Semi‐structured interviews are used to examine graduates' assessments of the quality of their current jobs. These assessments are informed by their personal expectations and experiences. Understanding job quality requires an approach that takes into account both economic and non‐economic variables. Findings The interviews indicate the importance of job content and its compatibility with interests and preferences. Graduates associate job quality with opportunities to consume tourism products, assist tourists, acquire valued knowledge, confront challenges, and perform meaningful work. The quality of a job is influenced by the types of tasks graduates are required to undertake. However, graduates also consider a job's ability to provide access to a better job in the future. Research limitations/implications Although graduates were able to share their views in an in‐depth fashion through the interviews, the size of the sample prevents the author from determining whether the interviews uncover sweeping trends or the experiences of only a small group of individuals. Originality/value The study incorporates the voices of university graduates into the study of job quality in the tourism industry. An important determinant of job quality revealed through this research is the extent to which graduates receive intrinsic rewards from their jobs. Even though the findings of the study diverge from the view that jobs in the tourism industry are mainly of poor quality, a number of graduates would still prefer to see some improvement in the quality of their jobs.

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