Exploring a millennials' meaningful work views: A hospitality context

This thesis builds on previous research that has extensively explored millennial work preferences. A review identified several gaps in the current knowledge, including how millennials reflect on work experiences, ranging from meaningless to meaningful. Millennials are a prominent generation to join the hospitality industry, and changing worker demographics compelled managers to reshape employee management strategies. The research applied a qualitative approach to gather data from industry sources and interviews with millennials. Thematic analysis of the collected data showed differences amongst millennials, suggesting that employers would benefit from not treating them as a homogeneous group. This means that the millennial participants have unique ontological views that shape their identity and resilience. The findings also demonstrated that millennials have heterogeneous epistemological interpretations that influence how they perceive work. The results point to millennials' significant role in understanding how their identity and beliefs connect to the organisation. Managers could benefit from creating a workplace where younger individuals can thrive to ensure employment stability in the regional hospitality sector. This research contributed a managerial guide that could be a learning paradigm for managers and younger employees to boost professional development and enhance mental health. Thus, contributing to inclusive and decent work strategy formulation for millennial employees in the hospitality sector could reduce regional socio-economic impacts on the East Coast of Queensland. Descriptors: Hospitality management, meaningful work, millennials, regional employment