Attitudes towards female managers in Austrian and Macau tourism industry

Abstract

Abstract This study measures attitudes towards female managers in Austria and compares them to the attitudes in Macau within one industry to discover possible mitigating factors. The study takes quantitative approach and distributes Women As Managers Survey (WAMS) to 135 Austrian and 209 Macau hospitality employees. The findings indicate that attitudes towards women as managers are more negative in Austrian than in Macau tourism industry in physical constraints, acceptance, ability and leadership aspects of WAMS. In contrast, Macau attitudes are more positive, especially among male respondents in all four aspects. The results have implications for gender related policies and suggest that talent management rather than gender equality measures may be needed in a high profile industry.