Abstract:

Two studies considered possible gender differences in work experiences and service quality behaviors of front-line service employees working in hotels in Turkey. The first study examined perceptions of servant leadership provided by their supervisors/managers and worker’s reports of service quality provided to clients by their hotels of male and female front line workers employed in four- and five –star hotels.  Data were collected from 204 front-line employees, 122 males and 82 females, a 37% response rate,   using anonymously completed questionnaires.  Previously developed and validated measures of servant leadership (Liden, Wayne, Zhao & Henderson, 2008) and service quality (Parasuraman, Zeithaml & Berry, 1998) were used and both were found to be highly reliable in this study. Males and females were similar on five personal demographic items. Males tended to report higher levels (p<.10) on two dimensions of servant leadership (emotional support, conceptual skills) than did females. In addition, males rated the quality of service provided higher on three dimensions (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, and tended top rate the quality of service higher on the composite score) (p<.10) than did females. The differences on perceptions of service quality might be attributed to the departments in which males and females were more likely to work, males tended to work in departments having greater direct client contact. The second investigation examined gender differences in levels of service rewards provided by their hotels and employees engaging in in three prosocial service behaviors: extra role, role prescribed, and cooperation (Bettencourt & Brown, 1997). Data were collected from 239 employees, 151 males and 88 females working in 18 different hotels in the Cappadocia region, using anonymously completed questionnaires, a 60% response rate. There were no differences in perceptions of service rewards or in prosocial behaviors.  In essence, male and female front-line service workers generally indicated more similar than different appraisals of their work experiences in both investigations.