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Abstract

The most important & challenging task for final year Hotel Management students is to get a good career start in the reputed Star hotels after completion of the course. Students would like to be Corporate Management Trainee or Management Trainee in reputed star hotels immediately after passing out. Present paper aims to explore perspective and opinions of both the group that is hospitality faculty members and students on current job opportunities extended by Indian hotels in terms of specialization areas ,Job titles & Term Contract ,Remuneration & Fringe Benefits, Hotel Profiles and Career Succession Plan.The population for the present study consists of hospitality students (final phase of their course)and hospitality educators(Faculty members). A total of  400 students and 100 faculty members responses were complied for the data analysis. The survey questionnaire was developed based on a review of literature and interviews with experts in the field of education. .A total of 33 statements were used in the final questionnaire under 5 factors such as Specialization Areas(7 statements),Job Title & Term Contract (6 statements),Remuneration & Fringe Benefits(7 statements) ,Hotel Profile(9 statements) and Career Succession Plan(4 statements). A Cronbach’s alpha test was applied and results indicated that all constructs had a Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.60 or above. Findings of the study highlighted that Hotelier should try to offer job opportunities to final year graduates as per their specialization areas and sub areas .This practice will definitively results in high transition rate of students from academic to industry. The results highlighted that Indian hotels should mention initial job titles of specific key ares of the core departments, while offering job opportunities to final year hotel management students. This will add motivational factor and positive influence on student commitment towards hotel industry. Presently several Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) and Standalone outlets are attracting Final year hotel management students by offering attractive job titles in comparison to Star hotels.In terms of remuneration and fringe benefits both the groups have different views points on the existing remuneration and fringe benefits .Present results also highlighted that, It cost high to the students to stay in outstation cities with less salaries. In context of that students agreed that accommodation and pickup drop facilities can increase student commitment levels towards hotel industry. The present results highlighted that major hotel players are absorbing students only from there In- House Training institutes other than outside Hotel Management institutes. Parents do not allow their wards to join big hotel brands away from there home town. Results also reveled that small scale hotels are attracting young hospitality students while offering Executive level or Supervisory positions than the Initial entry level positions offered by key players. Results reveled that Indian hotels are practicing career secession plan for newly recruited hotel management graduates, but still most of the newly recruited quit their current job positions before the expiry of their FTC( Fixed Term Contract).

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