Understanding women’s career decisions and actions over time is crucial to eliminating systemic barriers in hotel leadership. The purpose of this study was to develop a hotel-specific, process-oriented model of women’s career advancement by examining the actions, sequences and conditions that shape their progression to executive leadership roles.
Using constructivist grounded theory, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 women hotel executives in the USA.
The career advancement model emerged from data analysis. Results reveal four cyclical career actions: gaining knowledge, developing a network, setting goals and mobility, with personal and organizational factors serving as boundary conditions of their trajectories.
Theoretically, the study integrates individual, organizational and societal perspectives to explain women’s career progression. Practically, it provides actionable strategies for organizations, the industry and women seeking advancement.
By focusing on the actions women take, this study advances existing research on barriers and facilitators to leadership, offering a deeper understanding of how women circumvent organizational challenges.
