engleski

Position of female managers in Croatian tourism

Theories on leadership heretofore have excluded women and this exacerbated the problem of women not being seen as an appropriate fit in a management or leadership role. Therefore, a more positive outcome for women advancing to senior roles of management or leadership may be observed in the future. The first female executives, because they were breaking new ground, adhered to many of the „rules of conduct“ that spelled success for men. Modern tourism organizations understand that faster and enhanced inclusion of women in management structures helps them gain the necessary diversity of leadership styles and approaches to management. This is of high significance to modern tourism organizations if they wish to survive, grow and develop. The aim of this paper was to present some overall structural indicators of the gender inequality evidenced in the field of Croatian tourism. The objective is to determine specific personal and professional characteristics of women in managerial positions in Croatian tourism organisations and the differences relating to the same characteristics in men. The working hypothesis was that a female manager is increasingly aware of her position in society, her chances and qualities, and therefore asks for the relevant acknowledgements as well. The sample of fifty (N=50) leading female managers in Croatian tourism organizations took part in online survey. The findings indicated that women tend to use the supporting management style. Over one fifth of the leading female managers in Croatian tourism point out that insufficient authority and ambition are the main obstacles to advancement of women to leadership positions.

leadership style, management, position, tourism organizations, women

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