Apprentices' Expectations and Experiences in the Socialisation Process in their Meeting with the Hospitality Industry

The hospitality industry has a young workforce with a rapid turnover and depends on good access to a new workforce. Hence, many young people have their first experience of paid employment in this industry. One issue that has been little addressed is the quality of these meetings between the newcomer and the organisation. Departing from theories on organisational socialisation, this study investigates the expectations held by young apprentices in the hospitality industry and how they felt their expectations had been met through their first months of work. A total of 96 apprentices responded to a questionnaire. In general, the apprentices held high expectations for their work, especially to the learning and developmental aspects of the apprenticeship and on being respected and included in the group on a collegial and interpersonal level. Although four out of five responded that their expectations were more or less fulfilled, the expectations connected to respect, learning and developmental aspects were reported as not being fulfilled. Three sum-scores were computed for expectations, and three parallel sum-scores for fulfilment, named “Respect”, “Hard Work” and “Cared For”. In addition one single item was used, “Supervision”, both as expectation and as fulfilment of expectations. One of the sum-scores, “Cared for”, showed a significant relationship with the intentions the apprentices held for continuing in or leaving the industry and so did the variable having personal acquaintances (family or friends) that currently worked in the industry. These predicted intentions for a longer career in the hospitality business. The study points to a need for improvements in the ways the organisation and the apprentice confront each others, and also on ways of committing apprentices to a longer career in the industry.