Trailblazers in Hospitality: Career Advancement Experiences of Women of Color Executives

Abstract

This qualitative study sought to explore the career advancement experiences of women of color (WOC) executives in the lodging sector (e.g., hotels, motels, resorts, and bed and breakfasts) of the U.S. hospitality industry through the lens of career motivation theory and intersectionality theory. Twenty WOC executives participated in individual, in-depth, semi-structured interviews to address the study’s central research question, What are the career advancement experiences of women of color executives in the lodging sector of U.S. hospitality industry?” and sub-questions: “What are the organizational factors that helped or hindered the career advancement experiences of women of color executives in the lodging sector of the U.S. hospitality industry?” , “What are the personal factors that helped or hindered the career advancement experiences of women of color executives in the lodging sector of the U.S. hospitality industry?”, “What role, if any, did race and gender play in the career advancement experiences of women of color executives in the lodging sector of the U.S. hospitality industry?”

Study participants, WOC who self-identified as a WOC as defined by this study (e.g., a term used in the U.S. and Canada to denote women who are not white) and held a range of leadership positions (e.g., Director, Vice President, Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President, Chief, Managing Director, Principal/Partner, President, CEO), reflected on their career advancement experiences. The data collected through the participants’ interviews tell a collective story of the factors that facilitated or hindered their advancement.

Four main themes and five sub-themes emerged from a comprehensive thematic data analysis: 1) Facilitators to career advancement (sub-themes include obtaining diverse work experiences, leveraging professional network, and family member support); 2) Barriers to career advancement (sub-themes include overcoming hospitality work culture and managing self-doubt: imposter syndrome); 3) Participants’ race and gender’s impact on career advancement: The perception of otherness and 4) Being a trailblazer.

Findings from the study revealed that the career advancement journey for WOC executives within the lodging sector of the U.S. hospitality industry is a complex and at times challenging experience, however, WOC executives have successfully navigated the terrain by remaining focused on learning all aspects of the business while receiving support from members of their family and professional networks.

Several recommendations are identified for future research, including but not limited to: exploring how WOC executives cultivate their professional networks; examining the career advancement experiences of different generations of WOC; and exploring the influence of family members on the career advancement of WOC executives. Recommendations for practice highlighted the programs, trainings, and strategies human resource development (HRD) professionals in the lodging organizations of U.S. hospitality industry could employ to improve the hospitality work culture and create a workplace that provides WOC with the skills, opportunities, and tools they need to reach their potential and advance to executive positions.