Cultural influences on internship development value and job pursuit intention: An exploratory comparison of student experiences in France and the United States

Abstract

Internships are increasingly becoming an essential facet of a student's portfolio because of demonstrated linkages with employability and career opportunities. While undergraduate internships have expanded globally, most studies have examined the relationship between internship characteristics and student outcomes within a single country. In this cross-cultural study, we examine the generalizability of existing findings using survey data from 210 university students in France and the United States (U.S.). Results showed that in both countries the internship characteristics of supervisor support and mentoring, autonomy, and task goal clarity positively relate to student perceptions of the developmental value of their internship and job pursuit intention with the intern-host. However, the nature of these relationships varies, with U.S. students benefiting more from greater autonomy, while French students benefit more from increased supervisor mentoring. Contrary to expectations, increased task goal clarity led to poorer outcomes for French students. We discuss the implications of our findings for students and higher education institutions, intern-host organizations, and future cross-cultural research on internships.