Women managers in tourism: Associations for building a sustainable world
Introduction
The tourism industry is a large, rapidly growing service sector that accounts for a significant part of the global economy: in 2017, it was responsible for 1 in 5 new jobs (WTTC, 2018). According to UNWTO (2019), tourism is an important source of employment for women. For instance, women make up over 60% of the labor force in the hotel industry (WTTC, 2018). This is also true in Spain, where most employees in the hospitality sector are women. Tourism offers a wide range of income generating opportunities for women in both formal and informal work. Tourism jobs are usually flexible and can be carried out in various places, such as at work, in the community or at home. It is widely accepted that the inclusion of women in the workplace is one of the positive impacts of tourism development.
However, profoundly negative consequences also emerge when analyzing women's role in the tourism sector. Gender inequality is a worldwide issue in all sectors, and the tourism industry is no exception. Due to the scale and deep entrenchment of gender inequality, addressing it is not an easy task (Guimarães & Silva, 2016). As existing literature shows, there is also evidence that women face wage disparity and vertical segregation, two critical issues that have not been resolved (Huete, Brotons, & Sigüenza, 2016; Kogovsek & Kogovsek, 2015). Women in the tourism industry often hold low level, low paying, precarious jobs (UNWTO, 2019; Hutchings, Moyle, Chai, Garofano, & Moore, 2020). Moreover, the numerical superiority of women in tourism positions is not reflected in the sector's technical leadership or management (Baum, 2013). In Spain, women employed in accommodation, travel agencies, tour operators and air transport account for 57% of the total number of workers in these three industries. However, only a third of high-ranking positions are held by women with only 3% becoming CEOs of tourism companies (Canalis, 2019).
The low representativeness of women in decision-making positions is a global phenomenon that impacts negatively on equality and social justice (Chambers, Munar, Khoo-Lattimore, & Biran, 2017). The existence of barriers to women's access to leadership roles has been demonstrated in prior studies (Villamil & Alonso, 2013). Globally, women face barriers such as family responsibilities, gender stereotypes and male-centric corporate cultures that make it difficult for them to be selected for top positions (ILO, 2016). In recent years, the business community has made significant progress in ensuring female representation in the highest spheres. The percentage of companies with at least one woman in top management has grown significantly, from 66% to 75%; this means that more companies have reached some level of gender balance (Grant Thornton, 2018). In the tourism industry the number of women on board of directors has also risen significantly. However, a growing number of women in top management positions does not ensure real gender equality. A global strategy based on diversity must determine the resources and actions plans needed to guarantee equality in tourism (Equality in Tourism, 2018). When women are underrepresented on corporate boards, companies cannot draw from a full range of talent. Boards are more effective in making decisions when women are included in mixed teams (Davies, 2011) as this means a wider variety of skills, knowledge and experiences are considered (Hoogendoorn, Oosterbeek, & Van Praag, 2013).
Existing literature suggests that there is an urgent need to translate the long-standing awareness of gender inequality in the hospitality industry into practical solutions and change in organizations (Chambers et al., 2017; Khoo-Lattimore, Chiao Ling Yang, & Je, 2019; Munar et al., 2015; Munar, Khoo-Lattimore, Chambers, & Biran, 2017). Prior studies have examined gender inequality on boards of directors and its characteristics. However, hospitality and gender studies barely converge in any constant or valid engagement (Khoo-Lattimore et al., 2019; Morgan & Pritchard, 2019). According to Figueroa-Domecq, Pritchard, Segovia-Perez, Morgan, and Villace-Molinero (2015), journals of feminist studies include less than 10% on hospitality and gender. Gender itself remains of minimal interest to scholars researching hospitality. In the Spanish tourism sector, little attention has been paid to the field of gender studies, despite its impact on the Spanish economy and the importance of women in tourism as entrepreneurs and employees (Segovia-Pérez & Figueroa-Domecq, 2014). If success in the tourism industry is tied to efficient and committed employees who ensure high-quality service, labor policies should promote greater equality in opportunities, pay and working conditions. Moreover, COVID-19 has dramatically impacted the industry, destroying jobs, and exacerbating gender inequality and the lack of female empowerment (Moreno Alarcón, 2020). As women are the majority in the tourism workforce, the current situation of this vulnerable sector is very worrying.
Women's associations are a clear strategy for facing gender issues. They help women reach their professional objectives, providing support on a local, national, and international level. Support networks are crucial for female professional development (ESADE, 2019). However, there is limited research on women's associations and their role in ensuring gender equality and female empowerment. This paper analyzed how women's associations in Catalonia (Spain) help eradicate barriers to gender equality, in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) from the United Nations' 2030 Agenda. SDG 5 strives to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, fighting any form of discrimination they face (United Nations, 2020). Our objectives were to identify the goals and roles of women's associations in Catalonia, the barriers women face when accessing corporate positions and the challenges that lie ahead for women in leadership. We sought in-depth knowledge of how the leading women's management associations in Catalonia help minimize gender inequality, provided practical recommendations for different stakeholders and a better understanding of to what degree the tourism industry is respectful of the SDGs (Saarinen, 2019). In these difficult post-COVID19 times, studies like these, which seek tools and initiatives to solve collective problems are more than necessary.
Section snippets
Women in the worldwide workforce
Gender inequality is a phenomenon that persists throughout the world stagnating social progress. Women's equality is not just an ideology; rather it can be considered one of the main paths towards social improvement (Berkovitch, 1999). In fact, such is the importance of gender equality to ensure and hasten sustainable development, that it is one of the crucial SDGs. SDG 5 strives to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, fighting against any form of discrimination they face (
Methodology
In Catalonia (Spain), there are approximately 40 registered women's associations. Of these, 12 are managers' associations with two associations specifically focused on the tourism and hospitality sector. It is important to note though that generic associations include members that are active leaders at tourism companies. To explore how women's associations in Catalonia (Spain) helped women by eradicating barriers to gender equality (SDG 5), we chose a qualitative approach with an essentialist
Findings and discussion
To analyze how women's associations in Catalonia (Spain) contributed to eradicating barriers to gender equality, we first identified the goals and roles of women's associations in Catalonia. Second, we discussed the barriers to women pursuing corporate-level positions that these associations encountered. Finally, future challenges to women in leadership were presented.
Conclusions
Women still have a long way to go to achieve gender equality in executive-level positions, with many barriers to overcome and many constraints to face. Despite companies making efforts to achieve gender balance, the situation on boards of directors is still not equitable. Achieving equal rights for men and women is still a big challenge for many organizations. However, solidarity, cooperation and commitment among equals do make the journey easier. Existing women's associations seem to be
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Daniela Freund: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Software, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing. Gilda Hernandez-Maskivker: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Investigation, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing.
Gilda Hernandez-Maskivker holds a PhD in Tourism and Leisure from Rovira i Virgili University (URV), Tarragona, Spain. She also has a degree in Tourism and a Master's Degree in Analysis Techniques and Innovation in Tourism. She was a visiting professor at different universities worldwide such us The Maldives National University or Calabria University. In 2013 she completed a research stay at California State University Long Beach (USA). Currently, she is the Director of Official Masters in
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Gilda Hernandez-Maskivker holds a PhD in Tourism and Leisure from Rovira i Virgili University (URV), Tarragona, Spain. She also has a degree in Tourism and a Master's Degree in Analysis Techniques and Innovation in Tourism. She was a visiting professor at different universities worldwide such us The Maldives National University or Calabria University. In 2013 she completed a research stay at California State University Long Beach (USA). Currently, she is the Director of Official Masters in Hotel Management and Innovation in Hospitality at the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Sant Ignasi, Ramón Llull University, Barcelona. Hernandez-Maskivker is lecturer in tourism marketing and research methods. Her main research lines are on consumer behavior, tourism marketing and sustainable tourism. She has participated in numerous seminars and conferences, and published papers in high impact journals.
Daniela Freund is currently completing a PhD in education (URL) and holds a Master in Marketing (UAB), Graduate in Tourism and Hospitality Management (HTSI-URL), PDP Programs (Cornell School of Hospitality Management, USA) and Diploma in Hotel Management (Les Roches, Switzerland). She was a visiting professor at different universities worldwide such as Oxford School of Hospitality Management, Maastricht Hotel Management School, School of Hotel & Tourism Management of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and University San Francisco, School of Management. Currently she is lecturer and researcher at the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Sant Ignasi (URL) where she held leadership position for 13 years (Associate Dean for Corporate and International relations, Master Director, Undergraduate studies Director, Career Services Manager). In addition, she has 10 years of experience as an entrepreneur and professional in hotel companies. Research interests include accesibility, education, marketing, diversity and gender. She has participated in numerous seminars and conferences, and published papers in high impact journals. Passionate about tourism, hospitality, education & women leadership, she contributes towards a more responsible and equal world through teaching, research, women networks, media articles, speaker and as an advisor of women-led tourism and education related start-ups.
For an extended CV and a list of research publications check the following link