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Muslim Women's Experiences And Career Paths in New Zealand Hotels

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Dissertation(663.49 KB)

Date

2023

Authors

Supervisor

Williamson, David

Item type

Degree name

Master of International Hospitality Management

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Publisher

Auckland University of Technology

Abstract

The population of Muslims in New Zealand has increased substantially in recent decades, from about 6000 in 1991 to approximately 46,000 in 2013, and the number is projected to reach more than 100,000 by 2030 (Foroutan, 2017). However, on Friday March 15, 2019, the Christchurch Mosque shooting occurred in New Zealand, which deeply impacted the Muslim community and resulted in significant policy changes and discussion related to matters such as hate crimes, racism, discrimination, gun laws and Islamophobia (Salahshour & Boamah, 2020). Islam holds significant importance for Muslims and their lifestyles, encompassing certain duties that may potentially conflict with the concept of hospitality. Muslim women may face multiple layers of discrimination in various aspects of society in non-Muslim societies, including employment and other significant societal structures, which places them in a state of ‘triple to quadruple jeopardy’ (Ahmed & Gorey, 2023). However, the emergence of the hospitality industry as the most rapidly expanding sector globally has coincided with the increasing participation of women in the workforce. There have been many studies globally where research has explored the theme of women challenging traditional roles within the hotel industry. In light of the existing challenges that women encounter in the hotel industry, such as gender pay inequality, discrimination, sexual harassment, limited career advancement opportunities, and various other concerns, it is important to consider the additional challenges faced by Muslim women, particularly in the context of Islamophobia and their faith contracting with some of the hotel role descriptions that they may encounter. These encounters can be seen as challenging such as serving alcohol and pork and the uniform. This study explores the process of career progression within the New Zealand hotel industry for Muslim women. This research is the first research that hasbeen conducted in New Zealand regarding Muslim women and their career progression in hotels. This study used an interpretive paradigm, with a qualitative methodology. This involved semi-structured interviews five participants who consider themselves followers of the Islamic faith and have worked in the hotel sector in New Zealand. The themes were uncovered via semi-structured interviews where the participants shared their in-depth experiences with their hotel career progression and their personal encounters. The research findings identified significant difficulties and opportunities in Muslim womens’ professional lives, particularly in the areas of diversity management and discrimination regarding the prohibitions of Islam.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10292/16934

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Masters Dissertations