The value of the Disney College Program internship and students’ loyalty intentions

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically examine student interns’ experience by considering perceived value, satisfaction and loyalty in the context of the Disney College Program internship experience for international students. The study incorporates the perceived value of the learning experience based on the interrelationships with satisfaction and loyalty intentions for students from various hospitality colleges in Korea and China.Design/methodology/approachAsian university students who had completed an international internship experience responded to a post-internship survey. The survey gauged the students’ perception of their internship experience, overall satisfaction, loyalty intentions and value dimensions. The proposed model was estimated by using partial least squares path modeling.FindingsThe findings of the hypotheses testing show that the value interns get and give is a significant indicator of satisfaction and loyalty intentions. The value of an international internship experience, especially the get component, has a significant effect on the students’ loyalty intentions for their international internship experience and satisfaction with their experience. Overall, students demonstrate a high degree of attitudinal loyalty.Originality/valueNo other study has examined international student interns’ value, satisfaction and loyalty intentions perceptions of the Disney College Program internship program. Students’ loyalty is expressed mainly as favorable word of mouth for their university and the internship program. They recommend not only their university but also the international internship program in which they participated. They also recommend the internship university to other students.