Millennials' identity in hospitality and tourism: A systematic review with qualitative framework synthesis

This study introduces framework synthesis as an encompassing orientation for drawing conclusions from evolving and/or complex topics in the practice of systematic reviews in hospitality and tourism (H&T). To illustrate this emerging approach, we use the topic of Millennials' identity in the H&T workplace, guided by the review question: How do Millennials perceive aspects of the H&T workplace? The search for relevant literature focused on peer-reviewed English language articles and dissertations that included relevant qualitative data. The multisource search strategy in prior reviews, the Scopus database, and Google Scholar (04/01/2023) generated 480 records. Each record was independently screened for eligibility by the authors, and any disagreements were resolved through discussion and consensus. This process identified 20 eligible studies representing an international, multisector, and multidisciplinary stream of qualitative research published between 2005 and 2022. The included data were extracted in a thematic framework that synthesized Millennials' identity as cognitive, evaluative, and emotional perceptions of aspects of the H&T workplace. Intragenerational heterogeneity appears in some instances based on nationality and career stage, raising implications for practitioners. Given language limitations, we call for more systematic reviews that translate into non-English publications to make this stream of research globally accessible to scholars.