Leadership skills and the glass ceiling in event management: a social role theory approach

Purpose Although event industry employees are predominantly female, there is a critical scarcity of women in leadership roles. Like other industries worldwide, women in the events industry experience several barriers to leadership roles. The unique characteristics of the events industry exacerbate these barriers and have led to more women leaving the company or even the industry. This study aims to investigate the impact of leadership barriers, including the perception of a glass ceiling and the importance of leadership skills in promotion decisions on career satisfaction, work-family conflict and turnover intention of employees in the events industry. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from members of an international event association, and 427 responses were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings Findings suggested the perception of a glass ceiling and the importance of leadership skills in promotion can impact career satisfaction, work-family conflict and turnover intention of employees in the events industry. Originality/value This study extends the scope of research on leadership barriers beyond assessing their causes by analyzing their outcomes in the event industry. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first in event research and the broader hospitality industry to consider the perceptions of male and female employees regarding leadership barriers by using a foundation of the social role theory.