CAREER PATHS  
                      IN HOSPITALITY: 
               A LIFE HISTORY APPROACH 
                                        
                                 
                      MARIA GEBBELS 
                                 
             
                  A thesis submitted in partial 
             fulfilment of the requirements of the 
             University of Brighton for the degree 
                    of Doctor of Philosophy  
                                 
                        September 2016 
                                 
                    University of Brighton 
                                                
          
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
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             ABSTRACT 
              
             High labour turnover and associated costs have been subjects of considerable 
             debate  in  the  hospitality  industry.  Central  to  this  ongoing  discussion  is 
             understanding  why  hospitality  management  graduates  leave  the  industry. 
             Research studies suggest some answers, such as the nature of work conditions in 
             the industry or a lack of career planning by hospitality students. This doctoral 
             thesis  is  concerned  with  the  process  of  leaving  the  hospitality  industry.  It 
             explores  the  interplay  between  self-efficacy  and  career  inheritance,  and  its 
             influence  on  career  commitment  by  gaining  insights  into  how  hospitality 
             management graduates arrived at the decision to leave the hospitality industry. 
             In the context of the changing nature of careers, from traditional linear to flexible 
             protean,  this  interdisciplinary  research  provides  insights  into  the  process  that 
             leads  to  the  individual  leaving  the  hospitality  industry.  Career commitment, 
             conceptualised as a psychological contract between the individual and a chosen 
             career,  informs  this  process  of  leaving,  which  is  further  explored  using  the 
             interplay between the concepts of self-efficacy and career inheritance.  
             Drawing on life history methodology, which allows for an exploration of unique 
             life experiences and an in-depth understanding of academic and career decisions, 
             semi-structured  interviews  were  conducted  with  hospitality  management 
             graduates  no  longer  employed  in  the  hospitality  industry.  Underpinning  and 
             informing  data  collection  and  analysis  was  critical  realism,  with  its  unique 
             perspective on epistemology as constructed, and ontology as realist yet stratified. 
             The  interview  data  were  analysed  thematically,  which  involved  coding 
             participants’ responses into pre-assigned and emergent themes. 
             Empirical evidence reveals that the decision to leave the hospitality industry is a 
             result of a cumulative power of events. The concept of the leaving process is the 
             original  theoretical  contribution  of  this  thesis,  which  explains  the  interaction 
             between  the  three  concepts  indicated  above.  It  demonstrates  that  exiting  the 
             industry  is  a  developmental  journey  punctuated  by  significant  career  turning 
             points.  The  speed  of  decline  in  commitment,  which  is  representative  of  the 
             duration of leaving, is dependent on the interaction between career inheritance 
             and self-efficacy. Alongside an integrative definition of career, characteristics of 
             a  career manager  and  the  principles  of  the legacy of hospitality  as  further 
             research  findings,  this  doctoral  thesis  concludes  by  proposing  a  collaborative 
             approach  to  career  management.  Limitations  of  this  study  are  evaluated  and 
             avenues to further research are also proposed. 
              
              
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           TABLE OF CONTENTS 
           ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................ iii 
           LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................. vi 
           LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................... vii 
           ACRONYMS .................................................................................................... viii 
           ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................. ix 
           DECLARATION ................................................................................................. x 
           PUBLICATIONS ORIGINATING FROM THIS THESIS ........................... xi 
           CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................... 1 
            1.1 Research Aim and Objectives ................................................................... 3 
            1.2 The Current State of Hospitality Industry, Education and Careers ..... 4 
            1.3 Chapters’ Summaries .............................................................................. 12 
           CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................ 17 
            2.1 Understanding Career: Definitions, Theories and Approaches .......... 17 
              2.1.1 Definitions of Careers ......................................................................... 19 
              2.1.2 Career Theories ................................................................................... 24 
              2.1.3 Career Commitment: Three-Component Model of Commitment ...... 44 
              2.1.4 Career Commitment in Hospitality Industry: Examples of Research . 57 
            2.2 Career Inheritance ................................................................................... 62 
              2.2.1 The Origins of Career Inheritance ...................................................... 65 
              2.2.2 The Theory of Circumscription, Compromise and Self-creation ....... 66 
            2.3 Structure and Agency Debate ................................................................. 72 
            2.4 Self-efficacy: The Power of Believing You Can .................................... 79 
              2.4.1 The Concept of Self-efficacy .............................................................. 83 
              2.4.2 Self-efficacy: Its Application in Career Development Studies ........... 93 
            2.5 Summary of the Literature Review ...................................................... 102 
           CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH DESIGN ............................................... 107 
            3.1 Research Philosophies: Some Considerations ..................................... 108 
              3.1.1 Critical Realism ................................................................................ 110 
              3.1.2 Interpretive Understanding ............................................................... 120 
            3.2 Research Design ..................................................................................... 124 
              3.2.1 Life History: The Chosen Methodological Approach ...................... 125 
              3.2.2 In-depth Interviews ........................................................................... 131 
               3.2.2.1 Qualitative Assessment of Career Commitment, Career 
               Inheritance and Self-efficacy Beliefs ..................................................... 133 
               3.2.2.2 Interview Questions ................................................................... 139 
              3.2.3 Participant Sampling and Recruitment ............................................. 145 
              3.2.4 Pilot Study ......................................................................................... 150 
              3.2.5 Trustworthiness, Limitations and Biases of the Research Design .... 152 
               3.2.5.1 Interview Process ....................................................................... 155 
               3.2.5.2 Participants’ Profiles .................................................................. 158 
               3.2.5.3 Data Analysis and Interpretation ............................................... 163 
              3.2.6 Ethical Considerations ...................................................................... 169 
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