Gender equality initiatives in global hospitality organisations: an institutional logics theory perspective

Multinational hotel chains continue to struggle to implement gender equality initiatives across their diverse subsidiaries. Drawing on institutional logics theory and a critical realist perspective, this study examines the underlying organisational mechanisms within hotel chains that may account for these persistent challenges. Based on interviews with 48 hospitality leaders across global hotel organisations, the findings reveal that multiple institutional logics (corporate, market, professional, family, regulative, and community) intersect to shape the interpretation and enactment of gender equality initiatives. The findings show that these coexisting logics are not only competing but also internally fragmented, as actors selectively draw on different elements to justify action and inaction. The study extends institutional logics scholarship by illustrating how these logics shape hospitality leaders’ interpretations and enactment of gender equality initiatives.