Unveiling women’s leadership traits in Southeast Asia’s hospitality and tourism sector: Perceptions of undergraduate female students

Abstract

In the hospitality and tourism industries, women are well-represented in non-management roles but their presence decreases as they rise in leadership. This qualitative study aims to explore critical traits contributing to women’s leadership roles in the hospitality and tourism industries in the Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand from the perspectives of female undergraduate students. The Voyant Tool version 2.6.12 was used to analyze a corpus of 4,469 words obtained via semi-structured interviews. Based on thematic analysis, five key themes emerged: communication skills, strategic thinking, adaptability, resilience, and emotional intelligence. Although these themes were consistent across the three countries, each country’s replies differed. Malaysians prioritized crisis management and market trend prediction. Indonesians noted relationship-building and inventiveness, while Thais noted clarity of communication and analytical thinking. The individuals also did not set themselves apart from stereotypically masculine roles. Instead, they recognize the importance of masculine and feminine traits in leadership approaches and are willing to accept their true selves. The findings provide valuable insights for practical and theoretical advancements in women’s empowerment and gender equality. This study encourages Asian business managers to embrace a gender-neutral leadership style as a means to inform evidence-based gender equality and inclusiveness strategies.