Research Report: Gender Inequality in UK Hospitality Management

Desklib provides past papers and solved assignments for students. This report examines barriers faced by women in UK hospitality management.

“A STUDY TO EXPLORE MAIN BARRIERS
TO WOMEN TAKING UP MANAGEMENT
POSITIONS IN THE HOSPITALITY
INDUSTRY IN THE UK”

ABSTRACT
The hospitality industry has been considered as one of the fastest growing industries in the
world. There are huge numbers of organizations in the industry who have been striving for
success. The growth and development of the organization also result in an opportunity for the
employees to attain professional growth. The employees are considered as the key players in the
success of the organization. The men and women employees possess a substantial contribution
to organizational development. In recent time, it has been experienced that the women
employees are facing significant barriers in taking up the management positions in the
hospitality industry.
A research study has been conducted on assessing the areas due to which the women
employees have been facing difficulties to take up management positions in the hospitality
industry. In addition to this, the research study also focuses on understanding different case
scenarios regarding the research area so that substantial knowledge could be attained and
assist in devising suitable strategies. Further, the research findings help in evaluating the
barriers which impact the women employees in taking up management positions. Moreover,
suitable strategies are also evaluated from the research findings which could be utilized by the
organization for breaking the barrier and encourage the growth of women employees at the
management positions.

Contents
ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................... 1
CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................3
1.1 INTRODUCION......................................................................................................................3
1.2 TITLE OF THE PROJECT.........................................................................................................4
1.3 KEY WORDS..........................................................................................................................4
PROBLEM STATEMENT...............................................................................................................4
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES.............................................................................................................. 5
RESEARCH QUESTIONS.............................................................................................................. 5
1.7 NEED OF THE STUDY............................................................................................................6
1.8 RESEARCH TYPE....................................................................................................................6
1.9 RESEARCH APPLICATION......................................................................................................6
CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................7
2.1 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................7
2.2 PRIOR RESEARCH STUDY......................................................................................................7
2.3 CONCEPTUAL THERY FRAMEWORK.....................................................................................9
2.4 CONCLUSION......................................................................................................................11
CHAPTER-3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY......................................................................................12
3.1 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................12
3.2 RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY.....................................................................................................12
3.3 RESEARCH APPROACH....................................................................................................... 12
3.4 RESEARCH STRATEGY.........................................................................................................13
3.5 CHOICE OF RESEARCH METHODS.......................................................................................13
3.6 RESEARCH SAMPLING........................................................................................................ 13

3.7 DATA COLLECTION............................................................................................................. 14
3.8 RESEARCH DESIGN AND TYPE............................................................................................ 14
3.9 SAMPLING PROCESS...........................................................................................................14
3.10 VALIDITY, TIME FRAME AND RELIABILITY.........................................................................15
3.11 DATA ANALYSIS................................................................................................................15
3.12 DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES.....................................................................................15
3.13 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS..............................................................................................16
3.14 LIMITATIONS....................................................................................................................16
3.15 CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................16
CHAPTER 4- FINDINGS, ANALYSIS AND DESIGN...........................................................................17
QUESTIONNAIRE/ SURVEY.......................................................................................................17
INTERVIEW...............................................................................................................................28
FINDINGS OF THE RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS...........................................................................29
CHAPTER 5 – CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS..............................................................31
REFERENCES.................................................................................................................................34

CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION
1.1 INTRODUCION
The research project deals with the position of women leaders in the management and
administrative roles in the hospitality sector. The different barriers faced by women in order to
reach the top position in any hospitality sector are discussed which show the discrimination
faced by them in order to succeed in the professional life. The factors that influence women
and which hinder their growth on a professional level are discussed in the study. To carry out
the research, various tools have been made use of like qualitative research, quantitative
research and analysis of those research coupled with some recommendations (Lloyd and Payne,
2012).
Women have always been pushed back from reaching the managerial position in any company
due to family pressure, long working hours, gruesome work and no personal life- professional
life balance. Due to all this, women have to make sacrifices regarding their work and have to go
with one choice which makes them difficult to carry out their work in the professional field.
Especially in the hospitality sector where there is constant pressure to make things work,
attend demanding consumers and to provide them the best comfort and stay, the job is
considered not apt for women. Researches show that women battle gender inequality while
getting promotion or getting a fair pay. The pay gap between the genders is an issue that is long
talked about and has become more evident considering the pay-gap in almost all sectors now,
from hospitality to media to academics. The research focuses on the hospitality sector where
women play an active role in ensuring service and comfort to the consumers while managing
overall activities of the hotel. Women are more engaged in the lower level activities like chefs,
housekeeping and catering services of the hotel and are found in scarcity among the higher
positions like the manager, CEO or VP. This is a matter of great concern as hindering the growth
and progress of women in the hospitality sector is adversely affecting their professional growth
and reduces their confidence in leading those roles (Nickson, 2013).

1.2 TITLE OF THE PROJECT
The title of the project is “A study to explore main barriers to women taking up management
positions in the hospitality industry in the UK”.
1.3 KEY WORDS
There are certain key words which are majorly utilized in the research study such as women,
management, job positions, Marriott, tourism sector, growth, and success.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
The statement of the problem is to explore the main barriers faced by women in reaching the
higher positions in the hospitality sector. The problem is identified with the help of many
researches and publications that highlight this issue. Peggy Berg which is an alumna from the
Broad College of Business had issued a report on ‘Women in Hospitality Industry Leadership
2017’ which highlights how women have been battling to reach the professional positions much
more than their male counterparts who easily get promotion even when both are doing the
same amount of work (Campos-Soria et al., 2011).

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the research are to find ways in which the equality among men and women at
the workplace can be ensured. This includes finding ways in which women are discriminated in
the hospitality sector and proposing ways to eliminate them. The research objectives have been
framed with due consideration and after in-depth study that requires understanding the
hospitality sector from a deeper perspective and ensuring that the rights of women are met.
The women face discrimination at various levels at workplace. The research objectives cover
the gist of the research project and are stated as follows:
 To understand the ways in which women are a victim of discrimination at work
 To find out the barriers of professional success for women
 Analyse the issues that concern women at work
These business objectives are created for the better understanding of the issue that is
concerning from past many decades (Baum, 2013).
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The research questions have been framed after doing various studies and reading a number of
relevant materials that shows the depth of the problem. The research questions that are
covered and tried to answer in the research project are as follows-
 How do women face discrimination at the hospitality sector that they work in
 What are the barriers of professional growth for women?
 What impact does it have on women when their professional growth is hindered
 How to ensure that women get fair chance at professional growth in the hospitality
company
These are the research questions that are covered in the research project. The questions are
answered in the research project with the help of various research methodologies like the
primary research, secondary research, qualitative and quantitative research. The data from the
research is analysed to make conclusions and recommendations for the study (Clevenger and
Singh, 2013).

1.7 NEED OF THE STUDY
The need of the study is felt as women form almost half of the population, carry the most vital
tasks of raising a family and yet are denied their professional success. The research is needed
on the topic of unfair treatment received by women to reach the top positions at management
in the hospitality sector. There are numerous articles and researches published on the topic
which are used in the creation of the research project. The abundance of material on the
subject shows that the problem is really in presence and widespread. The fact that the problem
is talked about and measures are taken to give equal opportunity to women in order to reach
the management positions is of help (Harris et al., 2011).
1.8 RESEARCH TYPE
The research type is a mix of qualitative and quantitative research where literature review is
used to include the research material from published authors and eminent scholars who have
done adequate research on the subject. The quantitative data has also been used from the
questionnaire and surveys. The questionnaire provides responses from various women who are
a part of the hospitality sector and working in the hotels, and interview provides one-to-one
responses from women regarding the issues.
1.9 RESEARCH APPLICATION
The application of the research can be carried forward to a number of hospitality sector
avenues which recruit women. The hospitality sectors such as lodging, food and drink services,
event planning, theme parks, resorts, amusement parks, cruise line, restaurants, tourism
planning and other leisure activities comprise of the hospitality sector where women work
(Sobaih, 2015).

CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter deals with the research studies that have been carried on a similar research topic.
The outcomes of these research studies are effectively scrutinized in order to attain substantial
knowledge and information regarding the required area. The research study is based on
exploring the main barriers which are faced by the women in taking up management positions
in the hospitality industry in the UK. The chapter involves a literature review where various
studies which are conducted on a similar research area would be critically assessed which helps
in evaluating suitable strategies that could be utilized for overcoming this barrier.
2.2 PRIOR RESEARCH STUDY
There are various researches which have been carried on a similar research area. The critical
assessment of the studies would be helpful in attaining substantial information regarding the
research topic. In addition to this, the research studies would help in gaining insights regarding
the barriers which are faced by the women in the hospitality sector. It is essential that the
challenges experienced by the women regarding the management positions should be
managed effectively. The current era focus on equal opportunity and equal development which
should be available for women also.
Cook and Glass (2014) have conducted a study which helps in understanding a relationship
between women and top leadership positions. It has been experienced that the women are not
represented at top leadership positions in the organization which demonstrate a different kind
of barriers. There are similar studies which have been carried on the similar research area and it
has been determined that there is a certain number of women who got promoted to top
management position but the conditions were different than usual. In addition to this, it has
been evaluated from the study that the women lack certain qualities which are required for
attaining top management positions. There are different reasons due to which the women are
not availing top position such as inadequate diversity among the decision-makers, not firm
performance, and less likelihood of the women toward top positions. In recent time, the

women employees have been working effectively to attain top leadership positions in the
organization (Pinar et al., 2011). The diversity among the decision-makers provides an
opportunity for women to attain significant growth. It is essential that the organization should
work on significant factors for improving the performance of women and assist them in
attaining top management positions.
A study has been conducted by Kurtulus and Tomaskovic-Devey (2012) which helps in
understanding that the female top managers are helping women to advance. The primary
objective of the study is to assess whether the female top managers are providing an
opportunity to women employees in order to reduce the barrier for the women in the
organization. It has been evaluated from the study that the women in the top leadership
positions pave opportunity for the women employees to attain development. It further helps
the organization in building a potential workforce and building a healthy culture in the
organization. The employees work effectively toward the organizational objectives due to
suitable growth (Evangelia, 2014). Moreover, it could be stated from the findings of the study
that the women employees at the top position in the organization could develop opportunities
for the women employees. It is essential in the organization that gender diversity should be
encouraged.
Tlaiss and Kauser (2011) have conducted a study which helps in understanding the impact of
gender, family and works on the career advancement of the Lebanese women managers. It has
been evident in the past time that the women employees face major difficulty in carrying their
job role due to several reasons such as family, children, etc. The findings of the study help in
evaluating that the factors which influence the women managers to work effectively have been
deprived in recent time. In the given case study of Lebanese women managers, it has been
stated that the women managers are not facing obstacles in their career advancement. The
impact of factors like gender, work, and family has been negligible on the performance of
women managers. In addition to this, it is evaluated that the responsibilities of the women
managers toward their families not impacted their performance in the career (Aynalem et al.,
2016). Moreover, it is also understood that the role of personality traits, ambition, and

educational level possess a huge role in the growth of women managers. The management of
the organization also assists women managers to attain substantial growth.
According to Baum (2013), the transformations in the travel and tourism sector have been
carrying in a significant manner and the role of women employees in the sector has been vital.
The key focus of the study is on reflecting the international perspective regarding women and
work in hotels, catering, and tourism. The hotel, catering, and tourism industry has been
growing in a rapid manner and the participation of female has been significant at the local and
global level. There are different roles and responsibilities which are carried by the women in
several sectors. The promotion of the women employees in the sector has been majorly
dependent on their skills and experience. It further assists them in attaining the technical and
managerial leadership positions in the sector.
2.3 CONCEPTUAL THERY FRAMEWORK
It is vital for the organizations that they ensure that the women employees attain a significant
position in their career. The women employees and the organization should ensure that
required skills and knowledge should be possessed for attaining growth and development in the
career. There are various strategies and tactics which could be applied by the organizations for
encouraging the women employees to attain a substantial position. There are certain studies
which help in understanding the ways through which the women employees could attain
management positions effectively.
According to Masadeh (2013), the role of women in the hotel industry has been significant and
it is vital to take significant measure to ensure the growth of women in the industry. It has been
evident from the past that the hotel and tourism industry is majorly dominated by the males
and they possess the top management positions. Still, there are certain changes which have
been observed in the industry that reflects that the situation of women has been changing at a
worldwide level. The role of different parties has been significant in enhancing the position of
the women in the hotel and tourism industry. Initially, the government has played a vital role in
the tourism sector to manage issues regarding gender and industry practice. Moreover, it is
important for the organizations that they work on the cultural aspect in order to develop

opportunities for women. The women managers are considered with the soft skills and
democratic management style which are not potent for the top management as the current
situation. Furthermore, the gender composition at the workplace would be helpful for women
employees in attaining better positions and growth.
Dhar (2015) has conducted a study and assist in gaining knowledge of service quality and
training of the employees. The role of the organization in enhancing the quality of their service
is vital and it could be effectively carried through the application of different strategies. In the
hotel industry, the role of service is considered as potent in the success of the organization.
Whether they are men or women it is essential that they possess required skills and knowledge
to fulfill their roles and responsibilities in an effective manner. The organization effectively
works on this aspect and carries suitable training for their employees (Muralidhar et al., 2016).
The men and women employees are provided with required training so that they could
enhance their existing skills and knowledge which would be helpful in attaining desired growth
and offering quality services. Moreover, it is the organizational commitment that the
organization would be offering quality services such that they offer significant training to the
employees which nurture the attributes of their employees. It further helps the employees in
attaining substantial growth and development at the professional level. Thus, it could be stated
that women employees also require substantial training to attain growth.
Nickson (2013) has conducted a study which assists in understanding the human resource
management practices in hospitality, tourism, and events. The organizations in the hospitality
and tourism sector have been carrying their operations in an abysmal manner such that it is
vital for them to follow certain practices so that the employees, as well as the customers, could
attain benefits. The book helps in understanding the approaches which should be applied by
the organizations in areas like recruitment, health and welfare and remuneration. The men and
women employees are huge in the hospitality and tourism sector but there are various
challenges which are experienced by them in attaining management positions in the
organization especially women (Zheng et al., 2010). It is necessary for the organization that they
work on the organizational policies and frameworks in order to maintain a healthy