Comparative values of hotel and restaurant management students, faculty, and industry leaders

The objective of this study was to investigate the instrumental and terminal values and influence of individuals and institutions on value development of Hotel and Restaurant Management students, faculty and industry leaders. Four comparisons were made: freshmen entering the collegiate Hotel and Restaurant management (HRM) School at Northern Arizona University with those of graduating seniors, senior students within the same school with those of their faculty, senior HRM students with those of HRM industry leaders, and the HRM faculty with industry leaders.;The personal value systems across all groups were similar. Significant differences occurred only in the instrumental value courageous between freshmen and seniors and the terminal value wisdom between seniors and industry leaders.;Notable differences occurred between all groups on twenty-nine instrumental values and seventeen terminal values.;Significant differences in influence by individuals occurred on the variable elementary teacher between seniors/industry leaders and faculty/industry leaders.;The survey sample was composed of 124 freshmen, 78 seniors, 20 faculty and 96 industry leaders. The Rokeach Value Survey and a rank ordered questionnaire was used to secure the statement of the value priorities and individual and institutions influence on value development, respectively. A non parametric statistical technique the Kruskal-Wallis was used to test the hypothesis at the.05 level of significance. Differences were categorized as statistically significant, major (more than 5 ranking integers apart) and notable (more than 3 ranking integers apart).;Notable differences occurred between all groups in sixteen individuals and eight institutions.;It is concluded that a person's values are established by parents and immediate family before entering a HRM program and are influenced only slightly by university professor and the university. After experience in the industry and increasing responsibility, a person's value system is virtually intact, unchanged. However, the individuals and institutions cited as having the most influence on value development are those experienced during formative years.;Further research is needed to track HRM professional students through their program and to compare their values with other collegiate professional or general program students.