Career mobility to social mobility: The case of lodging employment and beyond

The concepts of career mobility and social mobility are gaining momentum as organizational and social practices. This paper develops a comprehensive career mobility checklist based on a mixed-method approach. Human capital theory and career construction theory provide conceptual foundations for developing and testing the relationships of career mobility with social mobility, occupational pride, occupational satisfaction, and industry loyalty. Data from the lodging industry and the non-lodging industry provide cross-validating evidence for the positive relationship between career and social mobility. Career mobility also predicted social mobility while controlling for the effects of occupational pride and satisfaction. Occupational pride and satisfaction appeared to have significant positive relationships with social mobility. These empirical findings are new to the literature, filling a gap to support human capital theory, and provide empirical support for the important implications of career mobility as well as social mobility for tourism and hospitality careers.