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The glass ceiling phenomenon which militates against female entry into management positions has been of interest to researchers for a long time. The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of managers on the existence of the glass ceiling phenomenon in the Zimbabwean hotel industiy. Data were collected among women (50%) and men (50%) in management positions in four hotel chains in Zimbabwe. Glass ceiling factors which impede female entiy into hotel senior management in Zimbabwe include long working hours, sex discrimination, lack of mentoring/mentors, work-family conflict and relocation problems. The study has confirmed differences in perceptions of some facilitators and obstacles to management positions between male and female managers. In addition to legislation which mandates quotas to ensure women's representation in hotel senior management, societal education to influence changes in perceptions of gender role stereotyping will go a long way towards facilitating women's entiy into hotel senior management.
Women represent a minority in management in organisations world-wide (Smith & Crimes, 2007). Several studies have confirmed the existence of overt and subtle barriers to the advancement of women into senior management positions (Guerrier, 1986; Marshall, 1995; Woods & Kavanaugh, 1994; Kiaye & Singh, 2013). "Glass ceiling" is a term coined to denote invisible barriers that are not explained by other job-relevant characteristics of the employee, and which impede women's ascension to higher management positions (Cotter et al., 2001; Morrison et al., 1987).
According to Pearce, Morrison and Rutledge (1998) provision of a bed is an important aspect of tourism services. Normally, when people think of accommodation in the tourism industiy they are thinking of hotels. In addition, hotels make up the largest part of the accommodation sector of the tourism industiy (Dickman, 1989). According to the World Tourism Organisation (1997), Africa accounts for the highest staff-to-room ratio at 3.3:1 followed by the Middle East at 2.5:1. In addition, hotels and restaurants are the third largest employers in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has a variety of accommodations ranging from hotels, lodges, backpacker accommodation and campsites.
Hotels play a major part in the tourism industiy and there is a need for continued growth in this sector in order to support the continent's economy. For the sector to continue to grow there is a need, therefore, to ensure...