Exploring Career Development of Chinese Farmer Born Country Hotel Owners in Yangshuo County, Guangxi Province, China

Abstract

          This study applied a qualitative research aiming at exploring how farmer born Chinese accomplished career development to become country hotel owners and managing their own business. The research objectives were to study the career development of Chinese farmer born hotel business owners, and to study their perspective towards career development on hotel business. This study was designed and conducted to response three research questions: (1) What career development has been implemented in managing the hotel business? (2) Why are the Chinese farmer born willing to become hotel business owners? (3) How have the Chinese farmer born developed themselves to become hotel business owners? Social constructivism was employed as the research paradigm and multiple cases study as research strategy. The data were collected in multiple country hotels. The participants were selected by three criteria. First, participants were farmer born in Yangshuo County, Guangxi Province, China. Second, they ran their own country hotel in Yangshuo County, Guangxi Province, China. Third, they were experience in managing their own hotel at least five years. The researchers selected two country hotel owners for multiple cases study. This study found that the influential factors laid to the benefit of compulsory education in China and rural tourism development in Yangshuo County. Culture selling points were the characteristics of their country hotels and e-tourism marketing was the way that they do business with their customs. Knowledge and skills were significant for becoming country hotel owners. Inclusion, the research made a significant contribution to the knowledge of the career development for Chinese farmer born business people in country hotel industry.