Generational attitudes in SME family hotels: practical implications for employer brand profiles

Verena Klumaier; Anita Zehrer; Teresa Spieß

doi:10.24310/ejfb.14.1.2024.18852

Authors

Verena Klumaier MCI Management Center Innsbruck, Austria
Anita Zehrer MCI Management Center Innsbruck, Austria https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0325-7170
Teresa Spieß MCI Management Center Innsbruck, Austria https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8143-7209

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24310/ejfb.14.1.2024.18852

Keywords:

Employer Branding, Generational Differences, Generational Attitudes, Hospitality Industry, Family SMEs, Work Values

Agencies: none

Abstract

The hospitality workforce is characterized by various generations working together, who share different values and expectations towards their employer. The purpose of the study was to examine which attitudes differentiate Generations X, Y and Z employed in SME family hotels. A quantitative method using an online questionnaire was used to collect data from former and present employees in the Austrian hospitality industry. In this context, an eight-dimensional model derived from a systematic literature review, was tested. The results of the study illustrate that Generations X, Y and Z differ significantly in their attitude towards work ethic and values, career opportunities, task attractiveness, and instrumental and symbolic characteristics. As practical implications, we created employee personas to represent the values and expectations of each generation working in SME family hotels.

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Author Biographies

Anita Zehrer, MCI Management Center Innsbruck,

Prof. Dr. Anita Zehrer is Head of the Family Business Center as well as Head of Research in the field of Management and Society at the Management Center Innsbruck (MCI). She was Member of the Tourism Advisory Board of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Energy, Germany, and tourism expert at the Committee of Regions at the European Union.

Teresa Spieß, MCI Management Center Innsbruck,

Prof. Dr. Teresa Spieß, a professor at the Management, Communication & IT department at MCI, specializes in Organizational Behavior & Change Management.

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