ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
Students' career choices significantly influence their personal, social, and economic futures, particularly in the dynamic field of hospitality. This study examines the career intentions of final-year Hotel and Tourism Management students, emphasizing the mediating role of Psychological Capital in the relationship between Social Psychology constructs—Social Thinking (ST) and Social Influence (SI)—and Career Intention (CI). The study sampled 489 final-year students engaged in mandatory industrial training, ensuring relevance to real-world industry experiences. Data collection was conducted through an online questionnaire, and analysis was performed using SPSS and Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed that both ST and SI positively impact CI, indicating the significance of social psychological factors in shaping students' career aspirations. Psychological Capital, comprising hope, resilience, self-efficacy, and optimism, was found to partially mediate the relationship, highlighting its critical role in strengthening students’ intentions to pursue hospitality careers. These findings offer valuable insights for educators, institutional policymakers, and industry practitioners. Integrating Psychological Capital and social psychology-focused interventions into hospitality curricula could better equip students for future careers. Moreover, the study underscores the importance of fostering a supportive educational and industrial training environment to enhance students' psychological resources and career readiness.
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