Degree Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2020
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Apparel, Events and Hospitality Management
Major
Hospitality Management
First Advisor
Susan W Arendt
Abstract
Human trafficking is a growing concern in the hospitality industry. The intersect ofhuman trafficking and the lodging industry are twofold: 1) victims staying at hotels duringtransportation and 2) sexual exploitation or activity occurring at hotels. Therefore, it is importantthat hotel employees know how to recognize signs of human trafficking as signs vary from caseto case.The purpose of this study was to identify hotel employees' awareness, beliefs, andtraining regarding human trafficking. A survey was developed and pilot tested. A conveniencesample of hotel employees in the Midwest were surveyed and data were analyzed. Participantswere asked questions regarding their awareness, beliefs, and level of training related to humantrafficking in the lodging industry. Simple statistics were used to analyze the data from thecompleted surveys. Out of 118 respondents 52, (44.07%) answered that they were moderatelyaware on the topic of human trafficking. When asked how prevalent human trafficking is in thehospitality industry, 44 (37.61%) of 117 respondents answered that it was moderately prevalent;followed by 43 (36.75%) of the respondents answering it was extremely prevalent. Of 117respondents, 71 (60.68%) answered that in their current position, training on human traffickingwould be extremely beneficial.Hospitality is a global industry; thus, there is opportunity to spread awareness abouthuman trafficking to an expansive community throughout the world. It is important that hotelemployees are given ample information and training in order to help them handle situations thatinvolve human trafficking in their establishments.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.31274/etd-20200624-164
Copyright Owner
Marilyn Lea Gasienica
Copyright Date
2020-05
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
File Size
66 pages
Recommended Citation
Gasienica, Marilyn Lea, "Human trafficking in the hospitality industry: Employee awareness, beliefs and training" (2020). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 17985.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/17985