Abstract:
Female employees in the hotel industry are sometimes unable to
compete with their male counterparts on an equal level due to several visible
and invisible barriers and challenges such as the demands of marriage and
motherhood, gender and sex discrimination, sexual harassment among others.
In Ghana very little is known about the problems females face in the hotel
industry and how these create challenges for them. This study therefore
explores prospects and challenges that prevent females working in hotels from
advancing in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis. Both questionnaires and
interviews were used to collect data from hotel managers and employees.
Convenient and purposive sampling methods were used to gather data from
the respondents from 20th June to 22nd August, 2014. A total of 201
respondents participated in the study, out of which 196 responded to
questionnaires, with 5 managers being interviewed. Tabulations procedures
such as frequency distributions, percentages and factor analysis were used to
analyse the quantitative data, while the qualitative data was analysed
manually. The study revealed challenges associated with work-family
conflicts and how these in turn reduce the confidence levels of females’
workers thereby leading to unstable minds and attitudes toward work.
Comparatively men enjoy better chances of advancing their careers and being
promoted to management positions unlike women. The study therefore
recommends the implementation of affirmative action policies and quota
system, which permit the allocation of a certain number of positions to
women. Such system ensures equal representation of women in management
and leadership positions, and also guarantees equal treatment for both women
and men.
