scholarly journals Attracting and retaining female chefs

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Orido

The chef profession is considered a challenging career, with female chefs seeming to be most affected. As such, it is rare to find female chefs occupying the coveted executive chef positions. The aim of this research was to establish if female chefs in Kenya encounter similar challenges to those experienced by female chefs elsewhere. Previous research shows that female chefs encounter career challenges in hospitality organisations and hence they struggle to make it as chefs; for example, studies by Druckman [1] and Harris and Giuffre [2,3] in the United States, Murray-Gibbons and Gibbons [4] in the United Kingdom, as well as Zengeni et al. [5] in Zimbabwe. This article poses the important question: how can these challenges be overcome? The study sought to make sense of the lived work experiences of Kenyan female chefs. Baum [6] recommends contextualised research methodologies to explore hospitality issues in non-Western countries. Moreover, Adelowo [7] asserts that lived experiences are better expressed through stories. Therefore, a qualitative approach was employed in this study where 15 chefs working in the Kenyan hospitality industry were interviewed [8]. Ten female chefs told stories of their workplace experiences while five male executive chefs recounted their experiences of working with female chefs. Despite the different geographical, socio-cultural and economic factors between Kenya and other countries previously studied, female chefs expressed common challenges such as sexual harassment, gender discrimination, unsupportive attitudes towards pregnancy and an unhealthy work environment, as well as hierarchical kitchen structures that they believed discriminated against them. There was an indication of engrained patriarchal attitudes that limit the professional success of potential female chefs. Unfortunately, hospitality employers appeared to support the status quo; that is, a gendering of the chef’s profession that privileges men and penalises women. These findings suggest a trend that must worry hospitality employers. The highly competitive career structures and the male domination that discourages women from making a long-term career in the kitchen [2], coupled with stiff competition for scarce hospitality human resources, support the need to retain female chefs. Christensen and Rog [9] stress that employee retention strategies will only work if human resource managers are fully committed to creating a positive workplace culture that treats all employees equally, regardless of their gender or any other dimension of diversity. In his study, Orido [8] suggests that the following measures may help to attract and retain female chefs. Firstly, employers should introduce personalised career development plans. For instance, a female chef who has attained postgraduate qualifications ought to be promoted and remunerated accordingly. This will not only retain female chefs but also enable them to further their career aspirations within the hospitality industry. Secondly, female chefs should be given the opportunity to fully participate at all levels of the kitchen hierarchy, thereby acquiring the necessary skills for promotion in the future to executive chef’s positions. Additionally, it will encourage a clear career progression path within the kitchen hierarchy. Hospitality employers must ensure that employment opportunities as well as employment terms and career progression are not dependant on a chef’s gender, but on their qualifications and competencies. By investing in female chefs and, most importantly, keeping them safe from bullying at work, the hospitality industry will not only attract, but retain, these talented professionals in satisfying culinary careers. If you would like to read the PhD thesis this research is based on you can access it here: http://hdl.handle.net/10292/10626 Corresponding author Charles is a chef and lecturer at Kenya Utalii College, Nairobi, Kenya. His research interests include inhospitable hospitality, culinary arts, human behaviour in the hospitality industry, and indigenous research. He holds a Certificate in Food Production (currently Culinary Arts) from Kenya Utalii College, a BA degree in Hospitality Management from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, and a Master of International Hospitality Management (MIHM) from Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. Charles Orido can be contacted at: [email protected] or [email protected] References (1) Druckman, C. Why Are There No Great Women Chefs? Gastronomica 2010, 10, 24–31. https://doi.org/10.1525/gfc.2010.10.1.24 (2) Harris, D. A.; Giuffre, P. “The Price You Pay”: How Female Professional Chefs Negotiate Work and Family. Gender Issues 2010, 27, 27–52. (3) Harris, D. A.; Giuffre, P. Taking the Heat: Women Chefs and Gender Inequality in the Professional Kitchen; Rutgers University Press: New Brunswick, NJ, 2015. https://books.google.co.nz/books?id=qTaACgAAQBAJ (4) Murray-Gibbons, R.; Gibbons, C. Occupational Stress in the Chef Profession. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 2007, 19, 32–42. https://doi.org/10.1108/09596110710724143 (5) Zengeni, D. M. F.; Tendani, E.; Zengeni, N. The Absence of Females in Executive Chef Position in Zimbabwean Hotels: Case of Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG). Australian Journal of Business and Management Research 2013, 3, 1–18. (6) Baum, T. Human Resources in Tourism: Still Waiting for Change? – A 2015 Reprise. Tourism Management 2015, 50, 204–212. (7) Adelowo, A. The Adjustment of African Women Living in New Zealand: A Narrative Study; Ph.D. Thesis, Auckland University of Technology, 2012. http://aut.researchgateway.ac.nz/handle/10292/4601 (8) Orido, C. O. Challenges Faced by Female Chefs in the Kenyan Hospitality Industry: A Study through an African Oral Tradition of Storytelling; Ph.D. Thesis, Auckland University of Technology, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10292/10626 (9) Christensen, J.; Rog, E. Talent Management: A Strategy for Improving Employee Recruitment, Retention and Engagement within Hospitality Organizations. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 2008, 20, 743–757.

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-13
Author(s):  
Mario Basnayake ◽  
David Williamson

This article shares the results of research that explored the demographics and career pathways of hospitality graduates from Auckland University of Technology (AUT). The study [1] investigated graduates’ employment during and after their studies; promotions; job mobility; tenure of employment; and other aspects of their career pathways. A small selection of the key findings are presented here. The study analysed graduate profiles on LinkedIn, which is the world’s largest professional, online social network. LinkedIn is an employment-oriented network service that provides a website and mobile app allowing both employers and job seekers to make profiles and build connections with each other. In 2019, there were more than two million New Zealand LinkedIn users. In this study, the researcher selected a sample of 130 profiles of New Zealand LinkedIn users who had completed a Bachelor of International Hospitality Management degree at AUT in 2008–2018. A selection of the key findings Of the study participants, 72% were women and 28% were men. This gender distribution broadly matches the results of previous studies worldwide [2, 3], showing that, internationally, most people studying hospitality management in universities are female. 62% of the LinkedIn participants were domestic enrolments and 38% were from overseas. A key finding was that 80% of New Zealand’s hospitality graduates were employed throughout their studies, and that 66% were employed in the hospitality sector while still studying. This finding informs the ongoing discussion between education providers and employers about how ‘work ready’ graduates are and the effectiveness of tertiary education in providing relevant skills [4, 5]. The finding shows that a clear majority of graduates had been working in the industry for several years before they graduated and therefore had experiences of ‘real world’ hospitality work in addition to theory. After graduating, 74% of hospitality graduates decided to work in the hospitality sector (Figure 1), which is 8% more than the 66% of graduates who worked in the hospitality sector during their studies. This 8% worked outside of the hospitality industry as undergraduates but took hospitality work after graduating. Internationally, 74% of graduates finding work in hospitality is a high percentage compared to findings from other countries, e.g. Oman [6], where in 2017 this figure was only 41%; in contrast, research in Poland [7] found a figure of 59%, which is nearer to the result in New Zealand. Figure 1: Sector in which New Zealand hospitality students were employed immediately after their graduation (2008–2018) A quarter (26%) of New Zealand hospitality students decided not to work in the hospitality sector after graduation and opted instead for work in other industries; three quarters of these graduates were male (76%). Of the 74% of graduates who entered the hospitality workforce, the results show that about two-thirds were female and one-third were male. While this is a pleasing result for tertiary educators, showing a good result for industry-specific employment outcomes for hospitality graduates, the gender imbalance raises some intriguing questions that would benefit from further research. Further results show details of graduates’ length of stay at their first workplace. While a quarter (24%) of the participants chose not to enter the hospitality industry after graduating, 34% of graduates left their first place of employment within one year and 22% decided to leave their employer within two years. With a total of 56% percent of graduates leaving their employer within two years, this finding raises serious questions regarding the effect of early employment conditions on hospitality graduates. A possible contributing factor to this high turnover is the result that shows only 20% of graduates employed in the hospitality sector had any career advancement within their first place of employment. The data show that only 7% of graduates had job advancement in their first year, and 8% had a job advancement in their second year. Three percent had job advancement in their third and fourth years, combining to a rather lean 23% of graduates who were promoted within the first four years of their hospitality careers. The data from this study provides a useful and original insight into New Zealand hospitality graduate work choices and raises some interesting questions about the quality of career pathways in the sector. Further findings and discussion can be found in the original dissertation here: https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/handle/10292/14117 Corresponding author Mario Basnayake can be contacted at: [email protected] References (1) Basnayake, M. An Exploratory Study of the Progress of Hospitality Graduates’ Career Pathways in New Zealand; Master’s Thesis, Auckland University of Technology, 2021. https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/handle/10292/14117 (accessed Jul 7, 2021). (2) Chuang, N. K.; Dellmann-Jenkins, M. Career Decision Making and Intention: A Study of Hospitality Undergraduate Students. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research 2010, 34(4), 512–530. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348010370867 (3) Richardson, S. Generation Y’s Perceptions and Attitudes towards a Career in Tourism and Hospitality. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism 2010, 9(2), 179–199. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332840903383855 (4) Major, B.; Evans, N. Reassessing Employer Expectations of Graduates in UK Travel Services. International Journal of Tourism Research 2008, 10(5), 409–422. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.670 (5) Richardson, S.; Thomas, N. J. Utilising Generation Y: United States Hospitality and Tourism Students’ Perceptions of Careers in the Industry. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 2012, 19(1), 102–114. https://doi.org/10.1017/jht.2012.12 (6) Atef, T.; Al Balushi, M. Omani Tourism and Hospitality Students’ Employment Intentions and Job Preferences: Ramifications on Omanization Plans. Quality Assurance in Education 2017, 25(4), 440-461. https://doi.org./10.1108/QAE-04-2016-0022 (7) Grobelna, A.; Marciszewska, B. Work Motivation of Tourism and Hospitality Students: Implications for Human Resource Management. In Proceedings of the 8th European Conference on Intellectual Capital; Bagnoli, C., Mio, C., Garlatti, A., Massaro, M., Eds.; Academic Conferences and Publishing International: Reading, England, 2016, pp 95–103.


2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael W. Riggs ◽  
Aaron W. Hughey

It is important that education and training programmes align with the needs of the professions they are designed to support. The culinary arts and hospitality industry is a vocational area that needs to be examined more closely to ensure that the skills and competencies taught are those that will actually be needed when students matriculate from career preparation programmes. This study compared the self-assessed leadership roles and managerial competencies of hospitality students and hospitality management professionals in employment. Using the Competing Values Framework (CVF) as a theoretical framework, eight leadership roles and 24 managerial competencies were examined in an effort to identify similarities and differences between the two groups. The authors found limited significant differences between the perceptions of the two groups; overall, the ranking of leadership roles and managerial competencies by the two populations were very similar. Implications for academic culinary arts and hospitality programmes are also presented, together with recommendations for future inquiry.


2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 479-486
Author(s):  
Nirmala Dorasamy ◽  
Rishi Balkaran

Any segment of the hospitality industry, as a service industry, focuses on the customer’s total experience. This focus is imperative if organisations are to maintain an edge in an increasingly competitive industry that demands added value. Services, both tangible and intangible, can be considered as a customer experience which cannot be recalled. Therefore, the standards for service operations must be zero defects. The establishment of standards and enactment thereof, is an integral part of the conduct of service employees. This article investigates through a qualitative approach how a service culture can be developed among hospitality management students during work integrated learning to enhance teaching and learning. The extent to which a quality service culture is advocated within the work integrated learning component by the Department of Hospitality Management at the Durban University of Technology is explored. It is argued that a focus on the service quality aspects of service in the areas of professional cookery, accommodation, catering and; food and beverage management can make a significant contribution to developing attributes like reliability, helpfulness and good communication. The article further demonstrates that by exposing students to the expected attributes and skills necessary for a service oriented culture, they are made aware of what constitutes “exceptional service quality”, thereby contributing to their learning about the importance of service in the hospitality industry. While work integrated learning is a philosophy of education based on the “theory of experience of the customer” within the hospitality industry, it is also an integral part of the students’ experience


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-12
Author(s):  
Ziye Zhang

Social media and review websites such as Trip Advisor are emerging as important platforms for restaurant reviews. The tendency of consumers to seek out electronic word of mouth before deciding where to dine has increased rapidly, with online content being shown to significantly impact purchasing decisions. Practitioners have indicated they are keenly aware of the importance of online reviews, but there is almost no research that looks at this phenomenon in the New Zealand context, and no research that compares traditional, print-based reviews with online content. In order to address this gap, a recent Auckland University of Technology master’s thesis applied content analysis to compare online and published restaurant reviews of restaurants in Auckland, New Zealand. Three hundred reviews from TripAdvisor website, Cuisine Magazine and the New Zealand Herald newspaper were analysed, and some results are presented here. Traditional print reviews (Cuisine and the Herald) tend towards a more ‘specialist’ approach, including detailed information about the chefs, the owners and the restaurants’ histories. They also use more ‘fancy’ language in their food descriptions, including very detailed menu ingredients. TripAdvisor reviews, by contrast, tend towards non-specialist, ‘plain language’ reviews, with simple menu descriptor words and little attention on ingredients. When discussing price, print reviews take an ‘objective’ stance, listing the price but rarely making a personal judgement about value; whereas the online reviews feature prominent personal judgements about value for money. In addition, online reviews emphasise the social aspects of dining (who they are dining with, the social nature of the event, e.g. birthday, interactions throughout the meal), often spending as much time discussing their companions as the products and service involved in the experience. By contrast, print reviews tend to focus more on the ‘physical’ aspects of dining (the wine, the food, the decor). Finally, both platforms strongly emphasise food and service as the main criteria for judgement, accounting for almost half the word counts in both styles of reviews. What can the practitioner take from this research? Firstly, the fact that food and service are the predominant criteria for both online and professional reviewers serves as a reminder for restaurant operators that, no matter how exquisite or stylish the restaurant is, well-cooked food and attentive service are significantly emphasised as the primary criteria by reviewers. Moreover, both review formats stress that the reliability of the booking system and efficiency of the service staff tended to enhance all reviewers’ satisfaction. However, there are clear differences in the review styles that represent the different audiences they are addressing. Each format attempts to recognise the perceived social identity of their audience, with the print reviews taking the ‘insider expert’ voice and appearing to speak to a more sophisticated upmarket, product-focussed audience. The print reviews also assume their readers are less sensitive to price, rarely discussing the perceived value of the meal. By contrast, the online reviews are more ‘plain language’, discuss value directly and are socially driven. By being aware of these differences in reviewing approaches, restaurant operators’ can finesse their marketing strategies. By reading and reflecting on the link between the contrasting review styles and the social identity of the respective readers, practitioners can consider how their offering ‘fits’ with their target markets. Finally, as online review platforms become increasingly important, practitioners should engage with the content they find there, ensuring they take time for reading, reflecting and responding. If you would like to read the original thesis this article is based on, please email: [email protected] Corresponding author Ziye is an emerging researcher in the field of hospitality management. She received her bachelor’s degree from Beijing Union University in 2015 and her master’s degree from Auckland University of Technology in 2017, majoring in international hospitality management. Her research focusses on user-generated content in restaurant reviews, a relatively new data source for analysis in this area. Ziye also researches electronic word-of-mouth, online restaurant reviews and writers’ criteria for restaurant measurement. Ziye Zhang can be contacted at: [email protected]


Author(s):  
Wendy Bussen

This book is about the experiences of contemporary chief information officers (CIO). CIOs in New Zealand, Taiwan, and the United States of America agreed to participate. They also agreed to be identified along with the name of their company. They provided their interpretation of issues that have been dealt with and those they anticipate having to deal with in the foreseeable future. The results of the interviews allowed the identification of emerging themes related to management and technological aspects. Another important result is the identification of an alignment issue. That is, it is important to ensure that the interpretation of the CIO role is clearly and explicitly agreed upon by both the chief executive officer (CEO) and the CIO.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amaia Del Campo ◽  
Marisalva Fávero

Abstract. During the last decades, several studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of sexual abuse prevention programs implemented in different countries. In this article, we present a review of 70 studies (1981–2017) evaluating prevention programs, conducted mostly in the United States and Canada, although with a considerable presence also in other countries, such as New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The results of these studies, in general, are very promising and encourage us to continue this type of intervention, almost unanimously confirming its effectiveness. Prevention programs encourage children and adolescents to report the abuse experienced and they may help to reduce the trauma of sexual abuse if there are victims among the participants. We also found that some evaluations have not considered the possible negative effects of this type of programs in the event that they are applied inappropriately. Finally, we present some methodological considerations as critical analysis to this type of evaluations.


Shore & Beach ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 53-64
Author(s):  
Edward Atkin ◽  
Dan Reineman ◽  
Jesse Reiblich ◽  
David Revell

Surf breaks are finite, valuable, and vulnerable natural resources, that not only influence community and cultural identities, but are a source of revenue and provide a range of health benefits. Despite these values, surf breaks largely lack recognition as coastal resources and therefore the associated management measures required to maintain them. Some countries, especially those endowed with high-quality surf breaks and where the sport of surfing is accepted as mainstream, have recognized the value of surfing resources and have specific policies for their conservation. In Aotearoa New Zealand surf breaks are included within national environmental policy. Aotearoa New Zealand has recently produced Management Guidelines for Surfing Resources (MGSR), which were developed in conjunction with universities, regional authorities, not-for-profit entities, and government agencies. The MGSR provide recommendations for both consenting authorities and those wishing to undertake activities in the coastal marine area, as well as tools and techniques to aid in the management of surfing resources. While the MGSR are firmly aligned with Aotearoa New Zealand’s cultural and legal frameworks, much of their content is applicable to surf breaks worldwide. In the United States, there are several national-level and state-level statutes that are generally relevant to various aspects of surfing resources, but there is no law or policy that directly addresses them. This paper describes the MGSR, considers California’s existing governance frameworks, and examines the potential benefits of adapting and expanding the MGSR in this state.


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