Challenges of Women Working as Leaders in Aruba’s Hotel Industry

Abstract

Summary The hotel industry tends to underrepresent females in top management positions. Arguably, this problem is more acute in small island nations where few higher management positions are available due to the smallness of the sector. This case study explores female hotel leaders’ perceptions of gender bias in Aruba’s hotel sector. Semi-structured interviews were expanded with the Zoomorphic Forced Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZFMET). This method surfaces nonconscious memories and offers rich insights on study participants’ perception of the implicit bias barriers that they encountered. These self-reports include their cognitive and behavioral responses to these barriers. Results show how the female managers evolve as they overcame gender bias. Overall, the managers perceive that they have grown wiser, stronger, and more alert to the occurrence of implicit gender bias. Information © The Authors 2024