ABSTRACT
The old boys’ club is an invisible, male social network which, because of its exclusiveness, has endorsed and promoted male-dominant management cultures and career trajectories that create and perpetuate the glass ceiling that inhibit women from achieving senior management roles. By exploring the nature of the hospitality industry, including its characteristics and vulnerabilities that perpetuate gender inequalities, this chapter also draws on the latest research about women’s career development in hospitality, including best practice examples. It also provides insights on how the industry can move forward and ensure an inclusive working environment and equal career opportunities for all its current and future employees. The boys’ club mentality is a by-product of the culture of patriarchy that presumes male superiority is natural and unquestionable. This chapter reflects the presumptions about the gender profile of leaders and implications that result in a manager gender stereotype that is primarily male when the workforce is predominantly female.
