“To what extent, if at all, can the barriers to women’s opportunities be overcome in the hospitality industry?”
... are more comfortable with imparting relevant organizational knowledge and experience to other men rather than women” (Women in Management Review, Volume 10, Issue 8), if this notion continues then women do not stand a chance when competing against a man for a management position. It seems that men feel more comfortable employing members of the same sex who they can identify with. However even if women do break through the ‘glass ceiling’ into senior management roles then they still face the uncomfortable position of being on the outside of the ‘Old Boys network’, “they are often excluded from informal relations, and thus from important informal networks and communication” (Mullins, Page 338), it seems that while these networks exist then men are definitely advantaged. Limited opportunities for women within the hospitality industry also exist because of stereotyping which still freely takes place within society. Even though it has been suggested that females would in-fact make better managers as they have a “more human dimension” (www.hotelexecutive.com), the notion that “a lady must be a real lady and nothing else” (Mullins pg 333), still prevents them from breaking through this barrier. Because of stereotyping women have constantly occupied different positions from men, this is seen as vertical and horizontal segregation. Vertical segregation mirrors how males are seen as having the top level jobs, whereas horizontal segregation describes the low-level jobs which females typically withhold in hotels, “tasks allocated to women are normally the ones which carry less prestige” (Women In Management, Vol 10, Issue 8). In general the jobs which women occupy tend to mirror that of their perceived designated roles within society, “women predominate in occupations such as data preparation and chambermaids” (Women and Power Organizations), these jobs are ‘sex-typed’ and reflect the way in which the female in seen as the carer and the submissive sex. As long as this degree of stereotyping exists within the industry, then women’s chances of success are going to be greatly reduced. However it appears that the outlook isn’t completely negative, “by working hard, earning college degrees, and making personal sacrifices, women have entered traditionally ‘male only’ board rooms and successfully managed male dominated occupations” (www.hotelexecutive.com), this is a positive sign that the ‘glass ceiling’ is beginning to breakdown. It appears that more women are entering management careers, “there’s increased movement into the ranks of middle and upper level management” (www.hotelexecutive.com) , therefore this could be a sign that slowly the old male dominated management styles are beginning to break down, and that women will soon be treated as equals within the organization. Another main barrier which prevents the upward mobility opportunities for women, especially those who work in the hotel sector is that of their external role as the ‘care giver’, “women also feel pressure to run households as well as maintaining a strong presence at work”(Women in Business 2001) . Those women who are mothers and wives will find many of the aspects of managing a hotel difficult to coincide with their work at home, “family/work conflicts were identified as the second most significant barrier to women’s career development”(www.hotelexecutive.com), these other commitments also allow them seem to be classified as ‘part-time’ workers by their male peers. The “duel role of maintaining a management career and children is too much” (www.diversityworks.com), however certain steps could be made to allow this not to be the case. At the moment only ‘6% of employers provide childcare’ (Working and Living Key Factors 2002), it is extremely rare for hotels to provide childcare, if they did then it would make life a lot easier for working mothers and allow them to strive for more senior positions. Another way to allow females to manage the demanding role of childcare and senior management more effectively is to introduce ‘job sharing’. Therefore “Organizations need to analyse, consciously debate and question their unwritten assumptions and expectations” (Mullins, Pg 340), if women felt that there was a possibility of them juggling work and family life successfully then they would be more attracted to pursuing a senior management roles within the hotel sector. At the moment it is virtually impossible for someone who is a mother to strive for the role of hotel manager simply because of the unsociable hours, “twelve and fourteen hour days, plus business socialising and covering weekend functions”,(Emerald), if they were offered more options, then their skills would be utilised efficiently and effectively. As long as the female is perceived as the main carer, then those who are mothers will always be seen as temporary or part time worker, “all women work merely to supplement the family income; they do not need equal pay or benefits because men support families” (Strategies for Managing a diverse and Global Workforce), the assumption that the female is in fact the main breadwinner doesn’t seem to have been considered. According to a survey conducted by Gold and Pringle, women who strived to become managers indicated that ‘work was central to their lives: any interruptions to work were mostly of short duration’ (Women and Power in Organisations), this demonstrates that in this day and age it is possible to have both a career as a manager and be a mother if the male is prepared to stay at home and be the main care giver. More flexible working rights have been appointed to make this a realistic goal for women, all women with children under the age of six ‘have the right to apply for work flexibility” (www.tiger.gov.uk). If women really want to make it in the world of hotel management then they should strive to do it, with extended support from family, possible job shares and new laws being enforced then it may be completely possible. Another barrier which affects the professional progress of women in the industry is the way in which they see themselves. This assumption is most effectively described by the theorist Robert Morton (1957), he expla...