Hospitality employers’ perceptions of technology for sustainable development: The implications for graduate employability

Abstract

This paper investigates hospitality employers’ perspectives of two key interdisciplinary subjects, i.e. sustainable development and information technology in the context of hospitality education, particularly graduate employability. A qualitative approach is deployed at this stage of the research with semi-structured interviews conducted with employers of hospitality graduates that represent diverse stakeholders in the industry. Respondents had varying interpretations of the meaning of sustainable development and the role of technology in their businesses. Sustainability is not currently prioritised as a critical employability skill; however, employers clearly appreciate the value of sustainability for their business and recognise how technology might support sustainable development. This is the first effort to investigate employers’ perspectives of the interdisciplinary subjects of technology and sustainable development in hospitality management undergraduate education.