Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Gained in a Hospitality Internship

This book explores the relationship between experiential learning and the achievement of leadership competencies preferred by hospitality industry professionals to gain a competitive advantage. Previous research on hospitality management program internships had focused on the process and design of internship programs, and not perceptions and specific leadership competencies gained by students upon completion of their internship. The competencies and skills analyzed are: communication, interpersonal, financial management, information technology and marketing. The majority of the interns found that they gained problem solving, analytical, financial, and interpersonal skills, such as communication and team-building. There were opportunities for technical and marketing skill development, but a gap remains between the depths to which these leadership competencies were achieved compared to the other competencies. All of the interns experienced personal growth at the end of their internship. The recommendations presented are applicable to hospitality management interns, hospitality management academic advisors and faculty, and hospitality industry internship supervisors.