Women in management positions and the challenges to conciliate personal and professional lives: a study in hotels in São Luís-MA, Brazil

Abstract

This paper aims to understand the possible challenges faced by women that are in middle and senior management positions at the hotels in São Luís, Maranhão-Brazil, in an attempt to conciliate their personal and professional lives. The historical context of the women gaining a foothold in the corporate environment, especially in the hospitality sector, is discussed as well as general considerations about the advancement of women’s participation in leadership positions. Methodologically, this is an exploratory, mix methods study with descriptive statistics and discourse analysis. Semi-structured questionnaires were applied with managers in nine medium and large hotels. The findings indicate a strong participation of women in management positions, but highlight difficulties such as triple journey and resistance of subordinates.