HUMAN RESOURCE ASSIGNMENT
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There is an intrinsic link between the success of service firms and the availability of appropriate labor resources, making employee attraction and retention a critical concern for service organizations. Ef- fects of recruitment efforts are influenced by applicants’ subjective person-environment (P-E) fit, refer- ring to the compatibility between an individual and a work environment. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of employer attractiveness in the relationship between potential employees’ perceptions of P-E fit and job pursuit intentions in the service industry. This study was conducted with a group of 335 undergraduates and graduates enrolled in tourism and hospitality studies in Poznan. Data were collected through group-administered questionnaires. Research revealed that students generally did not believe that a career in the hospitality sector would fulfill their needs, rating job attri- butes slightly higher than organization attributes. Regression analyses showed that both person-job (P-J) fit and person-organization (P-O) fit were positively related to intentions to apply for a job, with the former being a stronger predictor. The relationship under study was fully mediated by the per- ceived attractiveness of hospitality employers. The findings contribute to an improved understanding of the influence of P-J and P-O fit on work-related attitudes and intentions of Generation Y prospective employees in the hospitality industry.
Introduction There is a broad consensus that the success of service firms in general and high-contact service firms in par- ticular lies to a great extent in the quality of their human resources. It has been argued that the ultimate source
of value creation is operant resources – employees’ knowledge, skills, and abilities utilized to create a dif- ferentiated and valued offering in the marketplace (An- dreassen & Lanseng, 2010; Lusch, Vargo, & O’Brien, 2007). Therefore, the issue of attracting and retaining qualified and engaged employees is of critical impor- tance for service organizations. The perception of or- ganization attractiveness as a workplace is determined by job searchers’ subjective appraisal of the interaction between them and the work environment. If potential employees find value congruence and a match between
Complementary Person-Environment Fit as a Predictor of Job Pursuit Intentions in the Service Industry
ABSTRACT
J24, L80
KEY WORDS:
JEL Classification:
person-environment fit, employer attractiveness, job pursuit intentions, service industry, potential employees
1 Faculty of International Business and Economics, Poznan University of Economics and Business, Poland
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to:
Marlena A. Bednarska Faculty of International Business and Economics, Poznan University of Economics and Business, Po-
land Al. Niepodleglosci 10, 61-875 Poznan, Poland tel. (+4861)
8543762 E-mail: [email protected]
Marlena A. Bednarska1
Primary submission: 03.09.2014 | Final acceptance: 15.12.2015
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their personal abilities and needs and the job and or- ganization demands and supplies, they are more likely to have positive attitudes towards being employed by a company, to declare an acceptance intention if a job were to be offered, and to make the decision to pursue a firm as a place of work (Cable & Judge, 1996; Carless, 2005; Kristof-Brown, Zimmerman, & Johnson, 2005).
Given the importance of person-environment (P- E) fit for the success of an organization’s recruitment efforts, it is essential for service enterprises to obtain a clear picture of the preferences of future workers and locate any incorrect beliefs that potential employees might hold. Furthermore, due to growing generational diversity among the current workforce, with Genera- tion Y making up an increasingly larger percentage of employees, service companies should find solutions for attracting Millennial candidates. Accommodating the needs of this cohort seems to be a challenge, as this group is believed to approach employment in a man- ner different from that of their predecessors (Bednar- ska & Olszewski, 2014; Hershatter & Epstein, 2010). Nevertheless, understanding the values that younger generations bring to work appears essential for those who wish to remain competitive in attracting qualified applicants (Cogin, 2012). Although P-E fit has received much interest from researchers over the past several decades, the understanding of the phenomenon is based primarily on studies conducted in North Amer- ica (Oh et al., 2014). Additionally, greater attention has been paid to exploring the consequences of fit during post-hire stages (Jansen & Kristof-Brown, 2006). The present paper addresses these shortcomings by inves- tigating the role of P-E fit in the job choice process of Generation Y in the context of Poland.
The objective of the paper is to examine the role of employer attractiveness in the relationship between potential employees’ perceptions of complementary P-E fit and job pursuit intentions in the service indus- try. The empirical investigation is limited to a single in- dustry, namely, hospitality. To reach the objective pro- posed, the paper proceeds as follows. First, the concept of P-E fit and its outcomes are discussed on the basis of the existing literature. Next, the research methodol- ogy and findings of the study on students’ attitudes and intentions towards careers in the hospitality industry are presented. Finally, implications and guidelines for future research are proposed.
Literature review and hypothesis development The domain of interaction between workers and the environments in which they function has been preva- lent in management research for decades. In general, P-E fit refers to the congruence, match, or similar- ity between the person and the environment. These terms denote the proximity of the person and the en- vironment to each other (Edwards, 2008). The broad construct of P-E fit can be distinguished in terms of supplementary fit and complementary fit (Kristof, 1996). Supplementary fit exists when the person pos- sesses characteristics that are similar to others in the environment. Complementary fit occurs when the person’s characteristics fill a gap in the environment or vice versa. It encompasses both the need-supply fit, defined as the degree to which the needs of the indi- vidual are fulfilled by rewards in the environment, and the demand-ability fit, defined as the degree to which the needs of the environment are fulfilled by the capa- bilities of the individual (Kristof, 1996).
Strategies for fit operationalization also vary wide- ly. Edwards et al. (2006) distinguish three basic ap- proaches to studying P-E fit: atomistic, molecular, and molar. The atomistic approach examines perceptions of the person and the environment as separate enti- ties and then compares them. The molecular approach concerns the perceived discrepancy between the per- son and the environment and preserves the direction of the difference. The molar approach focuses on the perceived similarity between the person and the envi- ronment and disregards the direction of the difference. As noted by Kristof-Brown et al. (2005), P-E fit can be assessed directly, based on perceived compatibility, or indirectly, based on actual compatibility of separately rated variables. The latter can be differentiated into subjective fit, if the variables are reported by a single source, and objective fit, if the variables are reported by different sources.
P-E fit has been the subject of a large number of studies. However, as both people and the environ- ments they inhabit are multidimensional, research- ers have been faced with the problem of capturing all the fit forms (Edwards & Billsberry, 2010). Scholars investigated the fit between employees and their vo- cations (Feij et al., 1999; Marcus & Wagner, 2015), jobs (Babakus, Yavas, & Ashill, 2011; Chen, Yen, &
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29Complementary Person-Environment Fit as a Predictor of Job Pursuit Intentions in the Service Industry
Tsai, 2014), teams (Glew, 2012), work groups (Seong & Kristof-Brown, 2012; Werbel & Johnson, 2001), su- pervisors (Kim & Kim, 2013), organizations (Piasentin & Chapman, 2007; Swider, Zimmerman, & Barrick, 2015), cultures (Nazir, 2005), and locations (Solnet et al., 2014). Consequently, P-E fit is generally considered to be a multidimensional concept (Edwards & Bills- berry, 2010; Jansen & Kristof-Brown, 2006; Wheeler et al., 2005).
The substantial stream of research on the compat- ibility between individuals and their work environ- ments used two-factor conceptualization and focused on person-job (P-J) and person-organization (P-O) fits. P-J fit refers to the relationship between the in- dividual’s characteristics and those of the tasks that are performed at work. P-O fit addresses the compat- ibility between the individual and the organization as a whole (Kristof-Brown et al., 2005).
A growing body of empirical evidence supports the notion that fit between employees and their work environments affects both pre-entry and post-entry attitudes, intentions, and behaviors in the workplace. Recent meta-analytic studies (Kristof-Brown et al., 2005; Oh et al., 2014) confirmed that P-J and P-O fit had a significant relationship with outcomes reported by prospective employees (organizational attraction and job acceptance), employing organizations (intent to hire and job offers), and actual employees (job sat- isfaction, organizational identification, organizational commitment, job performance, and intent to quit).
The focus of this paper is on the complementary form of need-supply fit, which was found to have the greatest impact on individual attitudes and behaviors (Kristof-Brown et al., 2005; Schmidt, Chapman, & Jones, 2015). The primary mechanism by which need- supply fit shapes attitudinal outcomes can be explained by theories of psychological need fulfillment (Cable & Edwards, 2004). These theories posit that employees’ attitudes are affected by a cognitive comparison of the desired amount of reward relative to the amount that is perceived to be supplied in the work environment. As the degree to which employees’ desires are met in- creases, the positive attitudes they will experience to- wards the employer increase.
Another theoretical guide for investigating comple- mentary fit outcomes is offered by the theory of rea- soned action and the theory of planned behavior, with
the latter being the extension of the former (Ajzen, 1991; Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). In general, these theo- ries assume that an individual’s beliefs about an object manifest into attitudes towards behaviors related to this object; attitudes are then expected to influence intentions to engage in these behaviors, which predict subsequent behaviors. Applied to the job choice con- text, the primary antecedent of job pursuit behavior is the intention to pursue the job in question. The inten- tion to apply for the job in a given company, in turn, is a function of the perception of this company’s attrac- tiveness as an employer, which is affected by subjective assessment of the match between the individual and the work environment.
The outcome variables that have received the most attention in research on pre-entry fit perceptions are employer attraction (attractiveness) and job pursuit intentions. The former construct reflects the degree to which a prospective employee finds an employer a desirable place to work, and the latter, his or her willingness to enter or stay in the applicant pool. Al- though some researchers combine attitudinal and in- tentional measures to assess applicant attraction (e.g., Judge & Cable, 1997; Harold & Ployhart, 2008), for the purpose of this study, the attractiveness of the em- ployer and the intentions to pursue a job are treated as distinct constructs. While attractiveness refers to a passive affect towards a potential relationship with a company as a place of employment, job pursuit in- tentions require an active engagement of an applicant (Aiman-Smith, Bauer, & Cable, 2001; Highhouse, Lievens, & Sinar, 2003).
Based on the above discussion, the following hy- potheses are developed:
Hypothesis 1: P-E fit is positively related to employ- er attractiveness. Hypothesis 2: Employer attractiveness is positively related to job pursuit intentions. Hypothesis 3: Employer attractiveness mediates the effect of P-E fit on job pursuit intentions. These hypotheses are summarized in the model pre- sented in Figure 1.
In early recruitment stages, applicants have only some elementary knowledge of potential jobs and organiza- tions, which they generate for future consideration. Consequently, initial intentions to pursue employ- ment opportunities at a particular firm are based on
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general impressions of employer attractiveness, which are affected by the industry in which the firm oper- ates. Additionally, as the applicants’ familiarity with a company decreases, the frequency with which they use general industry perceptions to form impressions of a specific organization increases (Burmann, Schae- fer, & Maloney, 2008; Wilden, Gudergan, & Lings, 2010). This situation is fairly common in service sec- tors, which are fragmented and dominated by small- and medium-sized enterprises. Given the importance of the industry image in regard to the evaluation of
potential employers, the need to explore prospective employees’ beliefs about their fit with jobs and orga- nizations in a particular industry is becoming evident.
Research method To reach the objective of the study, field investiga- tion was conducted. The target population comprised undergraduates and graduates enrolled in tourism and hospitality studies in universities in Poznan, Poland. At the time of data collection (academic year 2012/2013), eight public and private higher
Figure 1. Hypothesized model
Variable Category N Share [%]
Gender Female 230 68.9
Male 104 31.1
Age
20 and younger 120 35.9
21-22 125 37.4
23-24 67 20.1
25 and older 22 6.6
Study degree Bachelor’s 256 76.6
Master’s 78 23.4
Study mode Full time 273 81.7
Part time 61 18.3
Type of school Public 251 74.9
Non-public 84 25.1
Work experience Yes 275 82.1
No 60 17.9
Work experience in hospitality Yes 167 50.0
No 167 50.0
Table 1. Respondent profile
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31Complementary Person-Environment Fit as a Predictor of Job Pursuit Intentions in the Service Industry
education institutions in Poznan offered bachelor’s and master’s degrees in tourism, and a total of 4150 students took tourism and hospitality courses. To obtain a representative subset of the target popula- tion, a random sampling process was employed, spe- cifically, a single-stage cluster sampling. Tourism and hospitality course providers were contacted, and they all agreed to facilitate access to their students. Data were collected through group-administered paper- based questionnaires distributed during a regularly scheduled class period. The sample accounted for 348 respondents, yielding a response rate of 66%. Due to incomplete or incoherent information, 13 question- naires were excluded, which resulted in 335 usable questionnaires for further analysis. The sample was
demographically diverse – the age span of the respon- dents was 18 to 45 years old, with a mean age of 22, and 69% of them were female. Of the respondents, 77% were pursuing a bachelor’s degree, and the sam- ple was dominated by full-time students (82%). The majority of students had work experience (82%), and 50% of them worked in the hospitality industry. Table 1 shows descriptive statistics for the sample.
A questionnaire designed for the purpose of this study was developed based on a review of previous investigations on complementary P-E fit and employ- er attractiveness. Measures used in the survey were adapted from multiple resources (Bednarska & Olsze- wski, 2013; Boon et al., 2011; Cable & Edwards, 2004; Schlager et al., 2011).
Factors Number of items Eigenvalue Variance explained Cronbach’s alpha
1. Person-organization fit 12 7.825 44.26% .935
2. Person-job fit 3 1.268 16.36% .691
Items Factor loadings
1. 2.
Stable employment conditions .822
Feeling of trust and cooperation in the workplace .796
Friendly atmosphere .781
Opportunities of enhancing qualifications .780
Integration and belonging .769
Work-life balance .751
Attractive fringe benefits .734
Good prospects for promotion within the organization .723
Good prospects for long-term professional development .712
Competent supervisors .696
High salary .686
Experience for future employment .538
Challenging tasks .837
Matching individual interests .768
Variety of work activities .617
Table 3. Summary of exploratory factor analysis
Table 2. Factor loadings for items
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The research instrument consisted of four main components. Respondents were requested first to imagine an ideal employer for whom they would choose to work and to evaluate 15 job and organiza- tional attributes based on their expectations. After- wards, they were asked to assess the analyzed attributes regarding employers in the hospitality industry. This approach allows an evaluation of the need-supply fit, and it is in line with an atomistic strategy for measur- ing fit. The data enabled the computation of the gaps between preferred and perceived job/organization attributes, which were independent variables in the study. The gap was calculated as a difference between perception and expectation for desired attributes and as a difference between expectation and perception for undesired attributes (Bednarska & Olszewski, 2013). Accordingly, a positive number denotes exceeded ex- pectations, and a negative number denotes unmet ex- pectations. In the third section, two outcomes of P-E fit were investigated – the hospitality industry’s attrac- tiveness as an employer and the intention to apply for a job in the hospitality industry. Both outcomes were assessed using single-item measures (“I find being employed in the hospitality industry an interesting op- tion” and “I plan to apply for a job in the hospitality in- dustry”). Although the validity of single-item scales is a subject of constant debate, such measures are deemed appropriate for concrete objects and attributes of the underlying construct (Bergkvist & Rossiter, 2007). The inquiry form contained closed-ended questions, and
for gradations of opinions, a seven-point Likert scale was utilized, ranging from “strongly disagree” (1) to ”strongly agree” (7). In the final section, demographic data were collected.
Analysis and results In order to confirm the dimensionality of the ques- tionnaire and to guarantee that each variable con- stituted an independent construct, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted, using principal com- ponent extraction with varimax rotation. Both the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy (0.92) and Bartlett’s test of sphericity (χ2=1195.88, p<0.001) suggested that factor analysis was appropri- ate for the data collected. The results of this proce- dure are reported in Tables 2 and 3. The analysis pro- duced two factors with eigenvalues greater than 1.0, which explained 61% of the total variance. Although a reliability coefficient (Cronbach’s alpha) for P-J fit was lower than the generally accepted minimum level of 0.7, the construct was retained, as for scales with a small number of items, a smaller alpha is consid- ered permissible (Nunnally & Bernstein, 1994).
Means, standard deviations, and correlations be- tween the variables of interest are presented in Table 4. The independent variables scores were computed by averaging the items that constitute the relevant dimension. The picture that emerges from the table is that the students generally did not believe that a ca- reer in the hospitality sector would fulfill their needs,
Variables M SD Correlations
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
1. Age 21.632 2.553
2. Gender 0.689 0.464 -.105
3. Experience in hospitality 0.500 0.501 .130* .022
4. Person-organization fit -1.199 1.020 -.207** -.018 -.052
5. Person-job fit -1.018 1.290 -.091 .052 .054 .523**
6. Employer attractiveness 4.643 1.474 -.080 .137* .211** .362** .530**
7. Job pursuit intentions 4.223 1.830 -.139* .103 .185** .281** .402** .658**
Table 4. Variable descriptive statistics and correlations
Note: Gender: 0=male, 1=female; Experience in hospitality: 0=no, 1=yes Significant at * p<0.05; ** p<0.01 (2-tailed).
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33Complementary Person-Environment Fit as a Predictor of Job Pursuit Intentions in the Service Industry
with job attributes being rated slightly higher than organization attributes. Both P-J and P-O fit showed statistically significant positive correlations with in- dustry attractiveness as an employer and with job pursuit intentions, with P-J fit displaying a stronger relationship with them.
To investigate the outcomes of P-E fit, multiple re- gression analyses were performed. Specifically, to test hypothesis 1, employer attractiveness was regressed on P-J and P-O fit; to test hypothesis 2, job pursuit inten- tions were regressed on employer attractiveness. In both cases, demographic variables were entered in the first step of the analysis to control for the potentially confounding effects of age, gender, and work experi- ence gained in the hospitality industry. As shown in Table 5, the results indicated that there were significant positive relations between employer attractiveness and P-J and P-O fit (model 1) and between job pursuit in- tentions and employer attractiveness (model 2) after controlling for demographics. Thus, hypotheses 1 and 2 were supported.
Additionally, this study tested the hypothesis that employer attractiveness mediates the positive relation- ship between complementary P-J and P-O fit and the intention to apply for a job. To test the mediating ef- fects of perceived employer attractiveness, Baron and Kenny’s (1986) recommended procedures were applied. First, the relationship between P-J and P-O fit (predic- tors) and job pursuit intentions (outcome) was exam- ined. Second, employer attractiveness (mediator) was
related both to P-J and P-O fit and to job pursuit inten- tions (hypothesis 1 and 2 testing). Finally, the effects of P-J and P-O fit on job pursuit intentions, controlling for employer attractiveness, were tested. The results of regression analyses are displayed in Table 6. As shown in model 1, both P-J and P-O fit were significantly and positively related to intentions to apply for a job, with the former being a stronger predictor. As presented in model 2, when perceived employer attractiveness was added to the regression model, the antecedents ex- plained 44% of the variance in intentions to apply for a job (compared to 21% without a mediator), and rela- tionships between P-J and P-O fit and job pursuit inten- tions were no longer significant. Thus, the findings re- veal that the conditions for full mediation were met. The Sobel test (Z= 2.48, p<0.05, for P-O fit; Z= 6.70, p<0.001, for P-J fit) indicates that the indirect effects under study were significant, thus providing support for hypothesis 3. The results are illustrated in Figure 2.
In summary, the empirical evidence supports posi- tive indirect links between the complementary P-E fit and job pursuit intentions of Generation Y in the hospitality industry. That is, P-E fit must first increase perceived employer attractiveness in order to then strengthen the intentions to apply for a job.
Discussion Although abundant research involved various areas of fit between employees and their work environ- ments, relatively few studies to date have focused on
Figure 2. Research model results Standardized beta coefficients are provided Significant at * p<0.05; ** p<0.01; ns = non-significant
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pre-entry P-E fit perceptions and their consequences for the job search behavior of Millennials. Addition- ally, despite calls for a multidimensional approach to studying fit, the majority of past research evalu- ated the fit between an individual and a single aspect of the work environment (Jansen & Kristof-Brown, 2006). The present study, therefore, aims to address this gap by investigating the simultaneous effects of complementary P-J and P-O fit perceived by prospec- tive employees from Generation Y on job pursuit intentions in one of the service industries – hospital- ity. Moreover, unlike most empirical research on the topic, this study does not consider beliefs, attitudes, and intentions related to the specific organization but rather to the industry as a career field.
The findings provide empirical validation for the proposed model; in particular, the results showed that subjective P-E fit influenced intentions to apply for a job indirectly via employer attractiveness. As the de- gree to which the needs of prospective employees were perceived to be fulfilled by rewards in the given indus- try increased, the industry was found to be more at- tractive as a potential place for employment. As candi-
dates’ opinion of the industry as an employer became more favorable, their intentions to apply for a job in that industry strengthened. The relations between the variables are consistent with the propositions of theo- ries of reasoned action and planned behavior. The re- sults correspond with those obtained in prior research conducted among actual job applicants (Carless, 2005; Phillips et al., 2014).
The study’s findings also showed that complemen- tary P-J fit tended to display a stronger relationship with the perceived attractiveness of the industry as a workplace and job pursuit intentions, compared to P-O fit. This finding suggests that Millennial potential employees are more interested in ensuring that the job they choose is congruent with their requirements rather than working in an organization that satisfies their needs. This observation is in line with Jansen and Kristof-Brown’s (2006) proposition, which claims that the salience of fit with different aspects of the environ- ment is affected by the temporal stage of work expe- rience. At early stages of the pre-hire phase, P-J fit is more salient than P-O fit. Similar findings in the grad- uate applicant context were reported by Carless (2005).
Variables Model 1 Employer attractiveness Model 2 Job pursuit intentions
1. 2. 1. 2.
Step 1 – control variables Age Gender Experience in hospitality
-.093+ .126* .226**
-.021 .107* .203**
-.159** .092+ .209**
-.098* .014 .067
Step 2 – study variables Person-organization fit Person-job fit Employer attractiveness
.138* .439**
.636**
R2
Adj. R2
ΔR2
F
.074
.065
8.631**
.344
.334 .270**
33.777**
.073
.064
8.556**
.448
.442 .375**
66.032**
Table 5. Results of regression analyses: employer attractiveness as a dependent variable (model 1) and as an independent variable (model 2)
Note: Standardized beta coefficients are provided Significant at + p<0.1; * p<0.05; ** p<0.01.
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35Complementary Person-Environment Fit as a Predictor of Job Pursuit Intentions in the Service Industry
The findings of the present investigation have both research and practical implications. From a theoreti- cal standpoint, the study demonstrates a vital function of the fit construct in the job search process; thus, it may bring added value to existing knowledge about the antecedents of potential employees’ work-related attitudes and behavioral intentions in service indus- tries. Additionally, the results extend current P-E fit research by addressing the notion of complementary fit and its outcomes at the industry level. Concern- ing suggestions for managerial practice, the results emphasize the importance of developing recruitment practices that are targeted to a specific group of can- didates. It is critical for employers to be aware of age dissimilarities within the workforce and to realize that new entrants have different values and expectations. Service organizations seeking to attract Generation Y employees should ensure that applicants have suf- ficient information about the job to be able to evaluate their P-J fit. As the degree of perceived fit between an individual’s characteristics and those of the tasks that are performed at work increases, the quantity of appli- cant pools increases and, consequently, the likelihood of recruiting high-quality candidates who would con-
tribute to performance enhancement strengthens. If employers fail to deliver information that can be used to determine fit, they risk losing job seekers who self- select out of the recruitment process.
The results of this study should be considered in light of its limitations. Although the use of a group- administered survey was appropriate, given the ob- jective of the investigation, it raises concerns about common method bias. Field study data were deliv- ered by respondents, and self-reported data are prone to response bias, especially social desirability. In ad- dition, all variables were measured based on the same source, which resulted in the subjective assessment of fit. However, it is argued that the subjective percep- tion of match is particularly relevant in the context of job choice, as it represents an individual’s direct judgment of how well he or she would fit in the work environment (Judge & Cable, 1997). Another issue to keep in mind when interpreting the results is that this study used cross-sectional data to test the hypotheses, which means that the direction of causality cannot be unambiguously determined. However, this concern is mitigated in this context because the hypothesized relationships were based on logical grounds and on
Variables Model 1 Job pursuit intentions Model 2 Job pursuit intentions
1. 2. 1. 2.
Step 1 – control variables Age Gender Experience in hospitality
-.159** .085
.216**
-.106* .075
.196**
-.157** .088
.217**
-.091* .012
.078+
Step 2 – study variables Person-organization fit Person-job fit Employer attractiveness
.104+ .324**
.015
.072 .591**
R2
Adj. R2
ΔR2
F
.074
.065
8.647**
.222
.210 .148**
18.433**
.075
.066
8.704**
.454
.443 .379**
44.288**
Table 6. Results of regression analyses: employer attractiveness as a mediating variable
Note: Standardized beta coefficients are provided Significant at + p<0.1; * p<0.05; ** p<0.01.
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previous research relying on longitudinal data. In addition, the model focused on employer attractive- ness as a mediating link. It would be of value to ex- plore other possible mediating mechanisms between complementary fit and job pursuit intentions. It should also be noted that the outcome variables were measured with single-item scales, which is a source of a reliability assessment problem and may have attenuated observed relationships. Finally, a poten- tial weakness of this inquiry arises from the unique characteristics of the population. Research was car- ried out in only one city among undergraduates and graduates enrolled in tourism and hospitality studies. Consequently, the findings may not be generalizable to a sample of other prospective employees who have more work experience and are in other stages of their careers. They also may not be wholly transferable to service environments not considered here. Therefore, further studies are needed to verify or repudiate these findings within different contexts.
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Acknowledgements The research reported in the paper is a part of a project
supported by the National Science Centre, Poland under
the Grant “Quality of work life in competitive potential
development in the tourism industry” (DEC-2012/07/B/
HS4/03089).
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