Editorial: Addressing the lack of Black representation

Abstract

Addressing the lack of Black representationA survey of Black hospitality management students in the USA reflects a growing concern with the lack of representation for Blacks in the industry at the managerial level.One student's expression showed concern about never meeting a Black GM throughout all her years of academic study and work in the hospitality industry.The commitment voiced by an encouraging number of hotels and resorts between 2020 and 2022 suggested that the movement initiated by the Black Lives Matter organization, on the heels of the George Floyd murder, had begun to influence and shape the industry's recognition of the need for diversity and inclusion in leadership roles (IHG Hotels & Resorts, 2020; Marriott International, 2020;Saunders Hotel Group, 2022; Tourism Diversity Matters, 2021; Travel Update, 2020).However, the results to date have been short lived.Data garnered from the 2022 Black Representation in Hospitality Industry Leadership review of company websites shows that not only have Blacks not been included as executives, but there has also been a reduction in the number of Black workers employed by these organizations (Castell Project, Inc., 2022a, b).A paltry 11% of these websites show Black executives, and a comparison of other men to Blacks at the CEO levels shows a ratio of 80 to 1.The case for women interestingly reflects an under representation of women in general, so that the ratio of other women to Black women executives is a comparable 25 to 1.This data raises questions regarding true commitment and inclusion in the hospitality industry.Hospitality management students again weighed in clearly feeling that so-called efforts being made were token lip service, "all just talk".A growing number of Black employees who have just begun their careers in the field of hospitality have expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of opportunity for upward mobility in the organization, the lack of recognition of Black talent, and the double standard at work in the companies.Aggravating the situation is the failure of management to recognize and discourage existing acts of microaggressions against employees of color on the job.It is evident in general that Black employees are held to a different set of standards than their white counterparts and are forced to work in an environment that is less than welcoming.It could also be that they are held to similar standards that are not inclusive; the expectation being assimilation, where output and performance expectancy is the same regardless of skillset.Pointing to another piece of evidence that there is racial discrimination in the industry, a study out of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, highlights the experience of hospitality students who face such hostile behavior on the job, as a matter of course (Shum, Gatling, & Garlington, 2020).The study suggests that these students experience low levels of career satisfaction, leading to low levels of employment for Black executives.The lack of real support from hospitality leaders seems at odds with well-documented expert views that diversity in the workplace allows for increased creativity and efficiency, and creates opportunities for growth in the industry.

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