INTERNSHIPS AS STRATEGIC ASSETS: FOSTERING ENGAGEMENT AND TRUST IN MUSEUMS - CASE STUDY OF THE PEGGY GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION

This thesis examines the design of internship programs to foster intern engagement, establish mutual trust, and co-create institutional value within museums. It investigates how motivated interns enhance a museum's image in the eyes of its audience. However, the concept of trust is only researched from the intern's perspective, not the visitors. To explore these concepts, this research uses the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (PGC) in Venice as a case study. The PGC's example examines how structured internship programs shape intern motivation, drawing on theories of employee engagement, value co-creation, trust, and internal marketing. The research is grounded in a qualitative methodology, based on in-depth semi-structured interviews that provide relevant findings to explore the research questions from both the interns' and the museum's perspectives. Findings show that while interns are initially highly motivated, often drawn by the museum's prestige, this engagement is difficult to sustain without meaningful tasks, transparent communication, and opportunities for creative contribution. Interns reported that giving public talks and interacting with visitors were the most fulfilling aspects of their role, enhancing both their sense of purpose and the museum's public image. These moments of agency illustrate how interns function as brand ambassadors and informal educators, actively participating in value co-creation. The findings highlight the need for better alignment between internship structures and interns' academic aspirations and skills. Autonomy, timely feedback, and a transparent system for departmental placements emerged as critical for fostering engagement and trust. The museum introduced structural innovations in the past year responding to most feedback. This study contributes to museum management literature by demonstrating that well designed internships can serve not only as educational tools but also as strategic mechanisms for trust-building and long-term employee engagement. It concludes with recommendations for museums to reimagine internship programs as mutually beneficial partnerships that empower interns and enhance institutional relational value.