Assessments-7101 MBA

Assessments-7101 MBA

Assessment Number

1

Assessment Type (and weighting)

Portfolio – including evidence of study and research skills, a proposal and ethics form.(60%)

Assessment Name

Portfolio

Assessment Submission Date

11th July 2020

A Problem Statement – 2 pages
Explain and rationalize the problem selected research topic (A study of the challenges faced by women in leadership roles in a hotel) on the basis of the following: specific significance, uniqueness and value to the company. In short, you must justify its selection on the basis of these three criteria.

Example:

· Write down what you consider the problem in one sentence

· List 3 significant pieces of literature that back up the fact that this situation is indeed the problem

· Write another sentence that answers the question

Learning Outcome 2

Write a Research Proposal of 2 page for research topic (A study of the challenges faced by women in leadership roles in a hotel) that is in the domain of your programme of study, of sufficient interest to yourself to ultimately be the basis for your Masters Dissertation project and meets the pragmatic criteria given to you for a reasonable and feasible topic. This proposal should be based on your Problem Statement in Part 1 and will be expanded to include how you will shape your research with justification for the same.

Students should submit a Research Title (A study of the challenges faced by women in leadership roles in a hotel) feasible research objectives, rationale and research plan and underpinning research philosophy

Guidance:

· Using the Problem Statement and justification outlined in Part 1 –

1. Introduction

2. Research background of the chosen company in depth

3. Discuss the problem you have identified using research study of books, peer reviewed journals, periodicals, white papers, and other dissertation papers found to discover and identify the problems.

4. Sketch out feasible research objectives for a possible project to solve the identified problem

5. Research Philosophy underpinning the research

6. You should also generate an indicative bibliography list for the planned study, in Harvard convention

ANSWER

Hospitality comprising hotels, catering and tourism is a large industry and constantly improving and growing. There is a promise for the industry to continue growing despite hiccups caused by the current COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, this industry boasts up to 55.5% in women participation and up to 70% on a regional level (Baum 2013). Women’s contribution in the business world has generally improved but in a hotel, one challenge that stands out aside from all the rest as identified by researchers and analysis is a concept they refer to as a ‘glass ceiling”. This refers to a condition where something has obstructed women in hotels to ascend in higher supervisory ranks and management positions. For this research, I will focus on the ABC Hotel,  a global franchise with its headquarters in New York in the United States of America.

Kanchana (2015), in A Study on Challenges of Women in Hospitality and Tourism Industry, confirms with human resource managers that employment of women in the hotel industry is majorly restricted to housekeeping, front and back office. Women remain shunned from male-dominated leadership positions and departments like food and beverages. In the journal, the author supposes that the idea of women in hospitality is to be seen and not to be felt. In any hotel, the first person at the reception is always a woman but as you climb higher into the hierarchy, the fewer the women until there are none left. Kanchana supposes that this should be offensive to any woman in the industry.

Brownell (1993), in Addressing career challenges faced by women in hospitality management examines the reason why despite boasting large numbers of women in the hospitality industry, it is also prevalent that women are leaving the same industry more than twice the rate of men. Globally, women account for less than 4% of presidents and CEOs suggesting the presence of an obstacle or ‘glass ceiling” when it comes to the hospitality industry. Whenever career women get to a certain point where the industry prohibits any further advancement in their careers, women prefer to leave the industry for another one that presents better opportunities for them. The ‘glass ceiling’ has a direct effect on middle management women in the industry with ambitions to rise higher where it may send them out of the industry altogether.

Lastly, Baum (2013) studies the same concept in International perspectives on women and work in hotels, catering and tourism. The author uses cultural and structural issues to expound on the topic of the ‘glass ceiling’ where he uses concepts such as wage parity, sex segregation, the role of women and career opportunities for his analysis. In some cases, there is a difference in what women earn in comparison to what men earn. Globally, women may earn only 70% for the same roles in the industry. This may stop women from wanting to get into the industry or push the ones already there away in search of better opportunities that do not segregate them for their gender.

In conclusion, there are challenges faced by women in leadership roles in hotels everywhere. An obstruction prevents women from gaining high positions in hotels including ABC hotels, a situation that has been there for centuries. The source of this phenomenon is not just one single thing but a variety of reasons as indicated by the three authors, Baum (2013), Brownell (1993) and Kanchana (2015). While in other industries including political offices women continue to gain more and more, the situation may not change in the hospitality industry which means the industry requires a reform.

References

Brownell, J. (1993). Addressing career challenges faced by women in hospitality management. Hospitality & Tourism Educator, 5(4), 11-15.

Baum, T. (2013). International perspectives on women and work in hotels, catering and tourism.

Kanchana. Arun, (2015). A Study on Challenges of Women in Hospitality and Tourism Industry. 1.