Does my personality affect my competency? The role of gender identification and career adaptability among hotel employees

• Published date: 01 May 2022
• Author: Serdar Çöp,Uju Violet Alola,Taiwo Temitope Lasisi
• Date: 01 May 2022
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2407

ACADEMIC PAPER

Does my personality affect my competency? The role of

gender identification and career adaptability among hotel

employees

Serdar Çöp

1

| Uju Violet Alola

1,2

| Taiwo Temitope Lasisi

2,3

1

Department of Tourism Guidance, Faculty of

Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences,

Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul, Turkey

2

Department of Economics and Management,

South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk,

Russia

3

Department of Tourism Management, Eastern

Mediterranean University, North Cyprus,

Turkey

Correspondence

Uju Violet Alola, Department of Tourism

Guidance, Faculty of Economics,

Administrative and Social Sciences, Istanbul

Gelisim University, Istanbul, Turkey.

Email: uvalola@gelisim.edu.tr

The tourism industry is the fastest growing industry in the world amidst the increase

in terrorism, climate change, political instability, and other indirect negative effects

on tourism. In order to survive this vulnerable, evolving, and competitive market, it is

important that employees put effort into ensuring the provision of satisfactory ser-

vices to satisfy customers' demand. For this purpose, this research determines the

effect of personality traits on career competency (career control, reflection on moti-

vation, networking, work exploration, self-profiling, and reflection on qualities) with

the mediating role of career adaptability (curiosity concern, confidence, and control)

and moderating role of gender identification. Career construction theory and social

identity theory were used to justify these relationships. A total number of 330 ques-

tionnaires were filled and after discarding incomplete ones, 311 were retained for

analysis, yielding a response rate of 94.2%. Using Analysis of Moment Structure 22.0

and Statistical Packages for Social Sciences 20.0, to analysis the study, the findings

aid managers and policymakers in designing the organizational roles and on-the-job

training for employees. Moreover, the relationship between personality traits and

career adaptability can serve as a blueprint in employee recruitment and provide a

new insight into employee selection. Theoretical and practical implications were pro-

vided in the concluding part.

1|INTRODUCTION

Despite several capricious shocks from natural disasters, terrorist

attacks, health pandemics, and political instability, the tourism and

hospitality industry continues to experience growth. According to

World Travel and Tourism Council report in 2019, the sector provided

319 million jobs and made a 10.4% contribution to global GDP in

2018, as well as account for 20% of jobs created over the last 5 years.

In order to survive this vulnerable, evolving, and competitive market,

it is important that employees put in effort to ensure they provide sat-

isfactory service to satisfy customers' unpredictable and predictable

demands (Johnston, 2018).

Consequently, among the personal qualities needed for thriving

career management, there has been more emphasis on career self-

management.

Studies on career adaptability show that employees who possess

higher adaptability have higher level of extra-role behaviors (Safavi &

Karatepe, 2018), life satisfaction (Konstam, Celen-Demirtas, Tomek, &

Sweeney, 2015), and lower work stress (Fiori, Bollmann, & Rossier,

2015). According to Safavi and Karatepe (2018), for frontline

employees in the hotel industry to be able to accomplish career-

related tasks and changes as well as handle occupational complexities,

they must have career adaptability because employees who are adapt-

able tend to be more competent and efficient. As confirmed by previ-

ous inquiries, career competency refers to employee adaptability that

allows them to fulfill career advancement obligations or gratify their

career advancement requisites.

Based on the argument aforementioned, this research aims to

determine the effect personality traits on career competency (career

control, reflection on motivation, networking, work exploration, self-

Received: 23 May 2020 Revised: 11 August 2020 Accepted: 15 August 2020

DOI: 10.1002/pa.2407

J Public Affairs. 2022;22:e2407. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/pa © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd 1of11

https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2407