Dropping out of the Hospitality Industry After Frontline Work Experience: an Investigation Into the Personal Changes of Hospitality Employees

While previous studies have investigated negative perceptions towards the hospitality industry, less research to-date has examined employees’ personal changes from work experience. This paper seeks to fill this research gap by examining how personal changes emerged and connected with frontline work. In-depth interviews with hospitality dropouts revealed five dimensions of personal change: emotional management, extroversion/introversion, work competency, individual development, and ambition. This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the potential influences of personal change on frontline work experience and dropout decisions. Managerially, insights are offered to managers who seek to encourage positive and manage negative change associated with frontline work.