Unveiling the impact of social skills and financial literacy on internship performance: Insights from Thai generation Z hospitality students

Abstract

This study, aimed at enhancing student readiness for the service industry—a vital part of Thailand's economy—investigates the relationships among social skills, hospitality mindset, financial literacy, and internship performance among Generation Z students in Thailand's service sector. The research involved 542 participants, with 504 individuals (93%) providing useable responses and 38 participants (7%) not contributing data. Utilizing a structured questionnaire, data from the 504 respondents were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to uncover significant findings. The results demonstrate that social skills positively influence both the hospitality mindset and internship performance. While financial literacy positively impacts internship performance, it does not significantly affect the relationship between social skills and internship performance. Moreover, the study reveals that a hospitality mindset positively mediates the relationship between social skills and internship performance. These insights are invaluable for academic curriculum development and industry practices, highlighting the necessity of integrating social skills and a hospitality mindset into educational programs to effectively prepare students for Thailand's dynamic service sector.

Keywords

• Social skills
• Hospitality mindset
• Financial literacy
• Internship performance
• Thailand'S hospitality students