Women in Positions of Responsibility in the Management of Tourist Accommodation: A Comparison by Gender and Accommodation Type in the Province of Huelva, Spain
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25145/j.pasos.2026.24.073Keywords:
Hotel management, Rural accommodation management, Job satisfaction, Gender analysisAbstract
This study conducts a gender analysis to highlight the profile, role, and degree of job satisfaction of women in positions of responsibility within tourist accommodation management, according to accommodation type. A structured questionnaire was administered to staff holding management positions in hotel and rural accommodation establishments in the Province of Huelva (Spain). To assess associations between categorical variables, chi-square or Fisher's exact tests were employed. For quantitative variables, parametric tests (Student's t-test) or the Mann-Whitney U test were applied to detect significant differences between groups by gender and accommodation type. The findings indicate that the differences in profile, role, and job satisfaction identified between genders and types of tourist accommodation are primarily attributable to women's decision to reconcile their professional careers with their family lives, from which the remaining observed differences consequently arise. These results underscore the need for equality policies that promote women's access to leadership positions within the tourism sector.
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