Professionalism: A contemporary interpretation in hospitality industry context

Professionalism is traditionally associated with classic professions such as medicine and law. With the growth of consumerism, numerous industries and occupations are striving for professionalism to enhance their status. This study addresses the conceptual ambiguity of professionalism by identifying the elements or criteria to achieve it in the hospitality industry. The perceptions of hotel practitioners from various work levels including junior staff, middle managers, and senior executives are explored through focus group interviews. Findings identify eight elements of professionalism, namely, passion, sensitivity, and open-mindedness to new trends, team-oriented attitude, competence and skills, emotional self-control, professional ethics, leadership by example, and perfectionism.