Investigating Lookism Within the Moroccan Hospitality Industry

Abstract: Hospitality is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and the second largest contributor to income of countries in terms of foreign currency exchange (Langford & Weissenberg, 2018). Because the hospitality industry requires direct contact between front-line staff and customers, a great deal of importance is placed on staff’s aesthetics and looks. According to Nickson et al., (2004) “employers increasingly desire that [their] employees […] have the ‘right’ appearance in that they ‘look good’ and ‘sound right’ in the service encounter in retail and hospitality” (p. 3). Within the Moroccan context, tourism activities have a significant impact on the economic growth and development of the country (Bouzahzah & El Menyari, 2013); it is an important element of diversification of the Moroccan economy. In 2013, the tourism sector provided a direct 8.6% contribution to the GDP and 7.6% direct employment (Tekken & Jürgen, 2015). It is also important to note that Morocco is a Muslim country with a progressive orientation, which promotes values such as freedom of choice and religious pluralism (Forster, & Fenwick, 2015).
Most of the research in the service and hospitality industry focuses on aesthetics, management and leadership (Hassi, 2019). However, little to no research is available on the different types of lookism-based discrimination (the physical appearance of employees) and its impact on talent acquisition and retention in Morocco. With a specific focus on hotels, the purpose of this study is to investigate and identify the different forms of lookism-based discrimination in the Moroccan hospitality sector, and propose human resource development strategies aimed at eliminating all forms of talent recruitment- and retention-related discrimination.
Through a qualitative research approach, this study will use an exploratory approach. This research design is appropriate given the paucity of empirical evidence conducted within the Moroccan hospitality context. To that end, drawing on data of employment discrimination from a series of interviews with staff members from at least 15 hotels, this study aims to examine the issue of employee lookism within the Moroccan hospitality industry and propose a framework to improve recruitment and retention practices. Our poster addresses the following research objectives:
1. Identify the covert recruitment requirements in Moroccan hotels.
2. Identify the main forms and sources of employment discrimination in Moroccan hotels, and determine if they are gender-specific.
3. Based on findings from the two previous questions, we will propose meaningful strategies that may reduce or eliminate the impact of different types of discrimination during the recruitment process.