Article: Global business shunning hospitality jobs: a disguised power struggle? Journal: Journal for Global Business Advancement (JGBA) 2019 Vol.12 No.2 pp.232 - 253 Abstract: The hospitality industry has been portrayed as producing precarious workers by recruiting foreigners who are willing to work for lower salaries, under unregulated working conditions, and with limited opportunities for development and career progression. This situation has earned the industry a negative image among the host population, triggered by the belief that hospitality jobs are low-status and should be avoided. This study explored the mechanisms of this phenomenon in order to provide a more in-depth understanding of its emergence. Informed by intergroup conflict theory and in-depth interviews, this study shows that perceived threat lies at the heart of prejudice formation, which is the host population's mechanism to remove competition. Adding to this, the findings also show that long-term challenges entailed in hospitality employment cannot be understood unless structural issues are taken into account. The managerial and policy implications of these results are discussed. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Global business shunning hospitality jobs: a disguised power struggle?

Authors: Chrystalla Vassou; Michael Christofi; Aspasia Simillidou; Demetris Vrontis

Addresses: Department of Hotel and Tourism Management, Cyprus University of Technology, 30 Arch. Kyprianos Str., Limassol, 3036, Cyprus ' Institute For the Future, University of Nicosia, 46 Makedonitissas Avenue, CY-2417, P.O. Box 24005, CY-1700, Nicosia, Cyprus ' School of Business & Management, UCLan Cyprus, 12 – 14 University Avenue, Pyla, 7080 Larnaca, Cyprus ' School of Business, University of Nicosia, 46 Makedonitissas Avenue, CY-2417, P.O. Box 24005, CY-1700, Nicosia, Cyprus

Abstract: The hospitality industry has been portrayed as producing precarious workers by recruiting foreigners who are willing to work for lower salaries, under unregulated working conditions, and with limited opportunities for development and career progression. This situation has earned the industry a negative image among the host population, triggered by the belief that hospitality jobs are low-status and should be avoided. This study explored the mechanisms of this phenomenon in order to provide a more in-depth understanding of its emergence. Informed by intergroup conflict theory and in-depth interviews, this study shows that perceived threat lies at the heart of prejudice formation, which is the host population's mechanism to remove competition. Adding to this, the findings also show that long-term challenges entailed in hospitality employment cannot be understood unless structural issues are taken into account. The managerial and policy implications of these results are discussed.

Keywords: hospitality industry; intergroup conflict; human resource management; interviews; power struggle.

DOI: 10.1504/JGBA.2019.100769

Journal for Global Business Advancement, 2019 Vol.12 No.2, pp.232 - 253

Received: 30 Apr 2019
Accepted: 01 May 2019
Published online: 17 Jul 2019 *

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Title: Global business shunning hospitality jobs: a disguised power struggle?

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