A Qualitative Research on Various Adaption Experiences of Freshmen Majoring in Hotel Foodservice & Culinary Arts

Objective : The purpose of this study is to examine the experience of adjusting to department(university) life of Generation Z freshmen who entered the Hotel and Culinary Arts Department at a junior college. Methods : This study used Strauss and Cobbin's grounded theory to recruit 10 freshmen research participants from Generation Z's Hotel Restaurant and Culinary Arts Department and collected data through continuous comparative analysis with theoretical sensitivity in the following order:open coding, axial coding, selective coding. Results : As a result of analyzing the data collected through in-depth interviews, this study derived a total of 82 concepts, 29 subcategories, and 17 categories. These were divided into causal conditions, contextual conditions, central phenomenon, mediating conditions, action/interaction strategies and results. Implications : The characteristics of new students in the Hotel Restaurant and Culinary Arts Department must be supported from the perspective of adaptation. In addition, classes should be based on communication through various methods such as digital media. Quick feedback from professors, fair class progress, department management, improvement of practice conditions and changes in teaching methods are also needed.