The effectiveness of gender equality initiatives in hospitality organizations: Exploring the perceptions of organizational actors using critical realism

Calls to advance gender equality have increased in the hospitality sector, yet women still face discrimination in career progression. This study explores the implementation of gender equality initiatives as perceived by hospitality organizational actors and reveals the underlying cognitive mechanisms impacting effective implementation. Underpinned by critical realism, a qualitative case study was conducted involving semi-structured in-depth interviews with 63 organizational actors in global hotels from top management to entry-level positions. The findings present the mixed realities of implementing gender equality initiatives, with effective implementation potentially over-estimated by participants who disregard gender discrimination in favour of maintaining the status quo. This study highlights the embedded cognitive mechanism of system justification, which manifests in participants, their belief of meritocracy and ambivalent sexism. The study contributes novel insights by exploring how various cognitive mechanisms contribute to shallow understandings of gender equality initiatives, which may deter their effective implementation in global hotels. • Organisational justice theory used to explore gender initiatives in hospitality. • Critical realism captures the mixed realities of implementation of initiatives. • System justification is revealed as an underlying cognitive mechanism. • Calls to monitor the genuine progress of gender equality initiatives in hospitality.