Diversity in the German Hospitality Industry and how it affects Human Resources Management concerning women friendly working policies

Bachelor Thesis , 2005 , 74 Pages , Grade: 77% First

Tourism - Hotel Industry / Catering

Due to changes in the society and globalisation, the workforce got more diverse. Especially the female labour market participation increased, due to lower fertility rates, better education and new expectations and possibilities for women. Particularly the hospitality industry is a very multicultural and female dominated industry. Hence managing diversity should be a current topic for hotel companies to use the full potential of their human resources. The aim of this dissertation is to identify how the German hospitality industry deals with the topic diversity, considering women friendly working policies and how it affects the human resource management. The meaning, importance and benefits of diversity and women friendly working policies are evaluated and the link of the topic to human resources management is shown. Research, based on interviews with Human Resources Managers of chain hotels in Frankfurt, Germany, show their opinions and perceptions about the topic managing diversity and women friendly policies. It was revealed that diversity procedures and policies hardly exist or are at a developing stage. More over they are often not considered as being crucial to think about since lack of demand is suppose to exist. Recommendations for future improvements are made.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• 1.0 Introduction
• 1.1 Rationale
• 1.2 The Aims and Objectives of the Dissertation
• 1.2.1 The Aim
• 1.2.2 The Objectives
• 1.3 Research Methods
• 1.4 Summary of Chapters
• 2.0 Literature Review
• 2.1 Introduction
• 2.2 Diversity
• 2.2.1 General Information
• 2.2.2 Importance of Managing diversity
• 2.2.3 Benefits of Managing Diversity
• 2.2.4 Origin, Legal and Historical Aspects of Diversity
• 2.2.5 Conclusion
• 2.3 Gender and the aspect of Women Friendly Working Policies
• 2.3.1 Introduction
• 2.3.2 Definition of Women Friendly Working Policies
• 2.3.3 Facts about women in the labour market
• 2.3.4 Problems which women face
• 2.3.6 Legal Aspects
• 2.3.7 Benefits of women friendly working policies
• 2.3.8 Conclusion
• 2.4 Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry
• 2.4.1 Introduction
• 2.4.2 From Personnel Management to Human Resource Management
• 2.4.3 Human Resource Management
• 2.4.4 Human Resource Management and the Aspect of Diversity
• 2.4.5 Conclusion
• 2.5 Conclusion
• 3.0 Methodology
• 3.1 Introduction
• 3.2 Secondary Research
• 3.2.1 General Information
• 3.2.2 Analysis of Secondary Data
• 3.2.3 Limitations of Secondary Research
• 3.3 Primary Research
• 3.3.1 General Information
• 3.3.2 Qualitative and Quantitative Research
• 3.3.3 Analysis of Primary Research
• 3.4 The Interview
• 3.4.1 The Research Project
• 3.4.2 Limitations and Bias of the Interview
• 3.4.3 Evaluation of Research Method
• 4.0 Findings and Analysis
• 4.1 Introduction
• 4.2 Overview of interviewed hotels
• 4.2.1 Marriott International, Inc.
• 4.2.2 InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
• 4.2.3 Hilton International
• 4.2.4 Arabella Sheraton Hotelmanagement GmbH
• 4.3 Diversity Practices in the Hotel Industry in General (Objective 1)
• 4.3.1 Internet based findings
• 4.3.2 Primary research findings
• 4.3.3 Analysis
• 4.4 Change of the German labour market with respect to women participation (Objective 2)
• 4.4.1 Findings
• 4.4.2 Analysis
• 4.5 Implementation of Women Friendly Working Policies in General (Objective 3)
• 4.5.1 Findings
• 4.5.2 Analysis
• 4.6 Women Friendly Working Policies in the Frankfurt Hotels (Objective 4)
• 4.6.1 Findings
• 4.6.2 Analysis
• 4.7 Future Procedures and Conclusion (Objective 5)
• 4.7.1 Findings
• 4.7.2 Analysis
• 5.0 Conclusion and Recommendations
• 5.1 Conclusion
• 5.2 Recommendations

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This dissertation aims to analyze how the German hospitality industry manages diversity and addresses women-friendly working policies in relation to human resource management. The research explores the impact of diversity on HR practices, focusing on the challenges and opportunities presented by a diverse workforce, particularly concerning women's participation in the industry.

• The significance and benefits of managing diversity
• The definition and implementation of women-friendly working policies
• The role of human resource management in fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace
• The current practices and perceptions of diversity management in the German hospitality industry
• Recommendations for improving diversity and women-friendly working policies within the industry

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The dissertation is structured to provide a comprehensive understanding of the topic. The first chapter introduces the rationale, aims, and objectives of the study, outlining the research methods employed. Chapter two presents a literature review exploring the concepts of diversity, women-friendly working policies, and human resource management within the context of the hospitality industry.

The methodology chapter (Chapter three) delves into the research methods used, including both secondary and primary research, with a specific focus on interviews conducted with Human Resources Managers of chain hotels in Frankfurt, Germany. Chapter four presents the findings and analysis, highlighting key observations regarding diversity practices, women-friendly working policies, and the changing nature of the German labor market.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This dissertation explores key topics like diversity management, women-friendly working policies, human resource management, hospitality industry, German labor market, gender equality, and the implementation of inclusive practices within the workplace.

• College: University of Brighton
• Grade: 77% First
• Author: Friederike Horn (Author)
• Publication Year: 2005
• Pages: 74
• Catalog Number: V60756
• ISBN (eBook): 9783638543446
• ISBN (Book): 9783656815761
• Language: English
• Tags: Diversity, German, Hospitality, Industry, Human, Resources, Management