Career challenges for female managers in Egyptian hotels

Purpose This paper aims at providing a profile of female managers in Egypt, determining their positions in hotel departments, and investigating the challenges preventing them from reaching the top management positions. Design/methodology/approach A sample of female managers in five star hotels was randomly selected, followed by an in‐depth interview conducted with 56 female managers. This sample represented 37.6 percent of the total population. Findings The results of the study depicted that the majority of female managers were not in situations that would lead them to the positions of general managers. The study detected several factors preventing female managers from reaching the glass ceiling. The stepwise multiple regression showed that 35.5 percent of the variance in the existence of challenges could be explained by four factors; gender discrimination, relationships at work, mentor support and lack of network access. Research limitations/implications This study might be considered as a first step in understanding the situation of females in the hospitality industry in the Middle East region. Future studies concerned with different female issues in the industry should be diagnosed. Originality/value It is hoped that the results of the study would help alleviate the challenges that female managers face by increasing awareness, and illustrating the predominance of several factors prohibiting females’ advancement within the hospitality industry. It is prospected that the study findings will not only be of academic concern, but will also be beneficial for industry leaders and practitioners in practical application.