Mindfulness for Career Advancement: Women of Color Executives Overcoming Self-Doubt

Abstract: The hospitality industry plays an important role in bringing people together in a global community. It enables people to experience other cultures and see the world beyond their national borders. (Yu et al., 2014). Women of color (WOC), who comprise a large portion of the labor workforce in the lodging sector of the U.S. hospitality industry, are underrepresented in executive positions. WOC are frequently hired into positions with little or no chance for career advancement into executive positions within the sector and they experience several organizational and personal factors which hinder their career advancement into executive positions.
Research has shown that a personal factor which has been identified as a barrier to WOC advancing to executive positions in the lodging sector has been their self-doubt. WOC executives’ self-doubt impacted how they performed in their jobs and their approach to applying for future positions. WOC executives reported that their self-doubt was based on lack of self-confidence and fear of being treated and/or evaluated negatively by others. The findings were consistent with Chen, Shin, and DiPietro (2021) study which found that the career advancement of women in the hospitality industry may be hindered by women’s lack of self-confidence which stemmed from their self-doubt and/or perception that others were not supportive of their advancement.
Research has shown that individuals can overcome their self-doubt by practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness is a meditative practice, rooted in Buddhist values, where individuals focus on changing thinking habits from distracted to aware (Reid, 2009). Kabat-Zinn (1994) established mindfulness practice in the contemporary world of health care, stress management, psychotherapy and defines the mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally” (p. 4).
Within the mindfulness literature, there were no studies which have explored how mindfulness practice influences WOC executives’ self-doubt as they advance in their careers in the U.S. hospitality industry. The studies which exist highlight how mindfulness influences self-doubt in emerging adults (i.e., late teens through the twenties) and dental students (Peer & McAuslan, 2016, Pastan et. al, 2022,). The findings from the studies indicate that mindfulness practice aided the participants in coping with their self-doubt by helping participants cultivate a more realistic and positive self-image. However, none of the studies reviewed identified the gender and/or racial or ethnic background of the participants. Therefore, the purpose of the poster session is to discuss the preliminary findings of a study designed to understand the perceived impact mindfulness has on WOC executives’ self-doubt as they advance in their careers within the lodging sector of the hospitality industry.
The main research question for this study is, How does the practice of mindfulness mediation influence WOC executives’ self-doubt? This question will be addressed by exploring the following sub-questions: How do WOC executives select mindfulness practices to influence their self-doubt? How do WOC executives who use mindfulness practices perceive the practices to impact their self-doubt regarding their career advancement?
The subjects of this study will be recruited from U.S. hospitality and lodging sector women executive groups and professional organizations using invitations sent by email and LinkedIn. In addition, snowball sampling technique will be employed by asking WOC executives who agree to be part of the study to refer other participants who meet the participants’ selection criteria. This study will use the qualitative data collection method of interviewing to obtain data from the research participants. In-depth, interviews will be conducted with WOC executives who practice mindfulness, virtually using media which allows for video and audio interaction. Interviews will be recorded and then transcribed verbatim immediately after the interview is concluded.
Exploring how the practice of mindfulness influences self-doubt of WOC executives within the lodging sector of the U.S. hospitality industry, has the potential to assist human resource development (HRD) professionals in the lodging sector as they develop and evaluate programs designed to assist WOC in overcoming their self-doubt to become leaders within the organization. This study will offer WOC executives in the lodging sector of the U.S. hospitality industry, the rare opportunity to discuss how mindfulness influences their self-doubt as they advance in their careers. The findings of this study can provide insights into whether mindfulness can help WOC in the lodging sector, who are interested in becoming executives, overcome their self-doubt.
Keywords: hospitality, mindfulness, women of color (WOC)