The Influence of Cultural Differences on Gender Issues in Tourism and Hospitality Employment: A Grounded Theory Analysis

Abstract

Gender issues involving job employment and promotion in the tourism and hospitality industry are influenced by cultural differences between individualism and collectivism. As many countries rely on revenue from tourism and hospitality, raising awareness of culturebased gender issues contributes to the sustainable development of this sector. Consequently, given the uncertainty and ambiguity surrounding these concepts, it is important to explore the functional mechanisms of cultural differences in gender issues. To this end, this study employed the grounded theory method to conduct semi-structured interviews of human resource managers of tourism organizations in various countries. It was concluded that four key factors—gender-based employment opportunities, gender-based job promotions, gender in leadership roles, and gender bias—are impacted by cultural differences in gender issues. These findings are discussed with the support of previous research, following which a theoretical framework is constructed to illustrate the significance of individualistic and collectivistic cultures' different perspectives on gender issues. This paper then explains the implications of the findings for scholarly and managerial fields, with a particular focus on the implications for the Asian business context. Finally, the limitations of the study are acknowledged, and recommendations for future research are provided.