Managing Diversity in the Cruise Industry: Exploring Practices and Metrics

Abstract

The cruise sector's workforce is highly diverse in terms of nationalities, age, and gender. However, diversity in the workforce does not guarantee business success.

Decades of research on the effects of diversity indicate that it can negatively or positively affect an organization's performance. A more diverse workforce does not automatically perform better financially, feels more committed to their companies, nor experiences higher levels of satisfaction. Indeed, data suggest diversity may produce more conflict, employee turnover, but if well managed can lead to greater creativity and innovation.

This chapter explores the cruise industry's diversity and inclusion challenges and management practices. To examine what cruise companies are doing in this field, we reviewed the public data of the four largest cruise companies. We analyzed how these companies define diversity, their commitment to inclusion, their practices, their metrics, and their primary objectives.

Firstly, there is no theoretical model that includes all variables that affect the management of diversity in the cruise sector. Secondly, companies communicate a commitment to inclusion in their corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports and refer to similar policies implemented by the hospitality industry. Thirdly, the main challenges are the multicultural environment and the limited female representation.

The major limitation of this study is the data source. We recommend further studies supported by nonpublic company data. We encourage cruise industry leaders to support the research to develop an empirically tested model that captures the specific variables that affect diversity management in the industry.

Citation

Susaeta, L., Suárez, E. and Babinger, F. (2024), "Managing Diversity in the Cruise Industry: Exploring Practices and Metrics", Wasieleski, D. and Weber, J. (Ed.) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Management (Business and Society 360, Vol. 6), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 161-191. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2514-175920240000006007