Microsoft Word 2007 ichrie conference Proceedings Final-Final 06-06-07. doc

 
2007 Annual International CHRIE Conference & Exposition 
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findings of the current study confirm that curriculum changes are needed. It is encouraging that most respondents in 
the study realized the importance of hospitality education with regard to women’s advancement. However, 
recruiters, who represent the hospitality industry, were less aware of the barriers to women’s career advancement, 
such as conflicts with family responsibilities and lack of equity. Many questions remain unanswered as to the 
reasons for recruiters’ limited awareness, but it is clear that overcoming barriers to women’s advancement lies not 
only in better preparation of women to work hard to foster their abilities, but in the creation of a more equitable 
organizational culture in the industry, as suggested by Ng & Pine (2003). Hospitality education can play an 
important role in preparing the future
 
leaders of the industry to improve the organizational environment. 
A recent article in Finance and Economics (2006) stated that “making better use of women’s skills is not 
just a matter of fairness.” (p. 3). A study by Catalyst, (cited in Finance and Economics) found that when more 
women held senior management positions, American companies earned a higher return on equity than those with 
fewer women at the top. One possible explanation is that women may be better at communicating and team building 
and that male and female teams are more effective at problem solving. Since hospitality students are the future 
leaders of the industry, it is important that hospitality education programs help female students prepare for 
advancement in the industry and make all students aware of the existence of barriers to women’s career success. 
Addressing these issues in educational and industry settings will enable both educators and the industry leaders to 
fulfill their responsibilities to contribute to the creation of a more supportive industry environment for women.