THE AMERICAN ATTITUDE TOWARD HOSPITALITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT

As one of the major sources of employment in the United States, 10.1 m illion employees in 1995 (AHMA 1997, 1), with expected employment of o ver 14 million by the year 2005, it is important that the perception o f 'being employed' in a hospitality-related job conveys a positive con notation. This article seeks to identify the root causes of the less-t han-positive American attitude toward hospitality service employment a nd to present the results of recent research that identifies ways in w hich employers can meet the needs of prospective employees to provide meaningful and satisfying workplaces.