Workforce diversity and hotel performance: A systematic review and synthesis of the international empirical evidence

The purpose of this study is to synthesize the international empirical evidence concerning the impacts of workforce diversity (as mediated by management and a number of other organizational and environmental factors) on hotel performance. To clarify the complexity in the studied relations, we develop a conceptual framework and consolidate the key (qualitative and quantitative) evidence, which we discuss in the context of the wider human resource management hospitality literature. The findings indicate that the aforementioned factors are often neglected and that workforce diversity unmediated by management can have negative impacts on hotel performance. On the basis of the critically reviewed evidence we conclude that staffing initiatives, and especially recruitment policies, have the widest reaching positive effects on hotel performance. Respective policy implications are provided cautioning the need for further research in most of the above areas.