A study on age group differences in gender awareness among female employees in the hotel industry

Introduction Women constitute a growing share of the hospitality workforce. Differences in gender consciousness between younger and older female hotel employees remain under-explored, particularly outside Western contexts, as do the factors that account for them. Methods This study examined such differences among 302 female hotel employees in China, drawing on an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design in which a structured survey of two age groups (151 aged 18 to 44 and 151 aged 45 and above) was followed by semi-structured interviews of ten employees (five from each age group). Grounded in social role theory and generational cohort theory, the survey examined two related gender-relevant constructs, feminine communal orientation and gender equality awareness, while interview data were used to explore participants’ interpretations of the observed differences. Results Younger employees showed significantly higher feminine communal orientation and more egalitarian gender attitudes than middle-aged and older employees in the primary group comparisons. After adjustment for educational attainment, hotel-industry tenure, and job level, the age-group difference in feminine communal orientation was attenuated and no longer statistically significant, whereas the difference in gender equality awareness remained significant. Interview participants attributed these differences to three factors, namely educational attainment and knowledge structure, exposure to media and information technology, and changes in social environment and family structure. Discussion Cohort membership in this workforce was closely intertwined with tenure, job level, and educational composition. The findings extend gender consciousness research, previously concentrated in media, education, and general labor market settings, into the hospitality workforce, and they suggest that uniform human resource policies may serve this workforce poorly. Practical implications include transparent promotion criteria, gender-neutral job design, and needs-responsive gender-awareness initiatives aimed at supporting female employees across different career circumstances.