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.
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
Objectives and Scope
This dissertation examines how the German hospitality industry addresses workforce diversity, with a specific focus on women-friendly working policies and their impact on human resource management strategies. The primary goal is to investigate whether chain hotels in Frankfurt implement such policies and to evaluate the effectiveness of these practices in managing a diverse labour force.
- Analysis of existing literature regarding diversity management within the hospitality sector.
- Evaluation of shifts in the German labour market concerning female participation.
- Assessment of current diversity and women-friendly policies within prominent chain hotels in Frankfurt.
- Identification of barriers preventing the implementation of effective women-friendly working practices.
- Provision of recommendations for improving human resource management in the context of diversity.
Excerpt from the Book
2.3.4 Problems which women face
If women decide to start working there may be some problems. A major one seems to be ‘time’.
Since most women also have responsibilities, like childcare, outside their work life, part-time work is a common way for women to combine paid work with family responsibilities. In fact, in 2001 the European Labour Force Survey revealed that 32.5 percent part-time workers worked part-time due to the reason of also having to look after children or an incapacitated adult (Women and Equality Unit, 2003). In the hospitality sector three quarters of all women work part-time (Purcell, 1996). One can say that part-time working arrangements are a women domain (Purcell, 1996). The problem of part-time can be decreased career chances (Weiss, 1998).
Women are often employed in jobs with little or no qualifications or have part-time jobs and are rarely found in leadership and top management positions, since these positions require total commitment and the cultivation of workplace responsibilities and relationships (Siegers et al., 1991, Schwartz, 1996). Women with family responsibilities usually do not have the time to do that. In Germany most childcare facilities, from which by the way there are far too little, only are open till midday as well as schools which usually end at one o’clock (Guffey and Helms, 1997).
Summary of Chapters
1.0 Introduction: Outlines the rationale for investigating diversity in the German hospitality industry, sets the research aims and objectives, and provides a brief overview of the research methodology.
2.0 Literature Review: Provides a comprehensive theoretical foundation by reviewing literature on diversity, gender equality, women-friendly policies, and human resource management within the hospitality sector.
3.0 Methodology: Describes the qualitative research approach, specifically the face-to-face interviews with HR managers in Frankfurt, and discusses the rationale and limitations of the methods used.
4.0 Findings and Analysis: Presents and discusses the empirical results gathered from the hotel interviews, comparing them against the established literature to evaluate current industry practices.
5.0 Conclusion and Recommendations: Synthesizes the core findings of the dissertation and offers strategic recommendations for German hospitality firms to improve their diversity and human resource management policies.
Keywords
Diversity, Human Resource Management, Hospitality Industry, Women-friendly Policies, Labour Market, Gender Equality, Part-time Work, Employee Retention, Personnel Management, Frankfurt Hotels, Work-life Balance, Workforce Diversity, Antidiscrimination Law
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this dissertation?
The dissertation investigates how the German hospitality industry deals with diversity, specifically regarding women-friendly working policies and their effect on human resource management.
Which industries are central to this research?
The research is primarily centered on the hospitality industry, specifically large international hotel chains operating within Frankfurt, Germany.
What is the core research question?
The study asks how diversity affects the German hospitality industry, how HR management handles these policies, what specifically is done for women, and where future improvements could be made.
What scientific methodology was used?
The research employs a qualitative methodology, combining a literature review (secondary research) with primary research conducted through face-to-face interviews with HR Managers of four major hotel chains.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main sections cover theoretical frameworks of diversity, the evolution of the German labour market regarding women, the role of HRM in managing diverse workforces, and empirical findings regarding current hotel practices.
What are the key themes and characteristics identified?
Key themes include the impact of demographic shifts, the importance of work-life balance, the barriers to career advancement for women, and the economic benefits of effective diversity management.
How do German chain hotels generally perceive the demand for women-friendly policies?
The interviewed managers generally expressed that there is little to no perceived demand from employees for such policies, often citing that existing German labour laws already provide sufficient protection.
Did the research find a gap between theoretical diversity benefits and actual practices?
Yes, the research highlights that while literature emphasizes the competitive advantages of diversity, most investigated Frankfurt hotels do not have formal, active diversity procedures, suggesting a disconnect between theory and practice.
- Citation du texte
- Friederike Horn (Auteur), 2005, Diversity in the German Hospitality Industry and how it affects Human Resources Management concerning women friendly working policies, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/60756
