Career Advancement in the Hotel Industry in Timor-Leste: Study of Individual, Organizational, and Gender Differences

Abstract

The hotel industry in Timor-Leste is female-dominated, but women are under-represented in management and senior executive positions. The objective of this study is to examine gender differences in the relative importance of individual and organizational factors and their effects on career advancement in the hotel industry in Dili. A survey of hotel employees in Dili was undertaken, yielding a total of 385 respondents. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The hypothesized model predicted that individual factors of personality traits, education, work experience, and organizational variables of opportunities for promotion and corporate training and development would have a positive effect on career advancement. The results found that for both genders, education and work experience were two common factors with a direct effect on career advancement. However, for male employees, conscientiousness directly predicted career growth, while corporate training and development mediated the effect of harmonious passion for work on career advancement. On the other hand, among female employees, corporate training and development directly influenced career progression and mediated the effect of openness to experience and opportunity for promotion on career advancement. This study is the first to examine the factors facilitating the career advancement of hotel employees in Timor-Leste and the extent to which their path to advancement differed for males and females. We present the theoretical and practical implications of the role of individual and organizational factors on career advancement and possible ways to mitigate gender inequality in organizations.