“What, Was I Supposed to Give Up My Career?”: The Working Worlds of Women in Gaming Management

Session Title

Session 2-2-E: Research – Women in the Industry

Presentation Type

Event

Location

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada

Start Date

29-5-2019 11:00 AM

End Date

29-5-2019 12:25 PM

Disciplines

Gender and Sexuality

Abstract

This study sets out to explore the work and lives of women in casino gaming management. I focus on making women’s voices and experiences heard in an industry that is still heavily male dominant. This research uses in-depth, semi-structured interviews to discover work experiences of women across departments and industry divides, exploring four dimensions of their daily work lives and career decisions: barriers to advancement, work-life balance, mothering, and sexual harassment. I interview women from various sectors of the gaming industry, from resort operations, to manufacturing, to consulting firms, to compare and contrast different work cultures as variables to paint the totality of the industry. This study introduces both an academic and policy discussion around what is—and what isn’t—working for gaming women at work. By listening to women’s stories and understanding their experiences, as well as offering new perspectives and counter narratives, we can begin to invite change to create safer, healthier, happier, more inclusive workplaces for all. These women’s stories and experiences serves as a reminder that although women have come far in the workplace, there is still further to go.

Keywords

Women, women in gaming, sexual harassment, work-life balance, mothering, barriers to advancement

Author Bios

Shekinah Hoffman: Shekinah Hoffman is Special Project Coordinator and Ph.D. student in sociology at the UNLV International Gaming Institute. Hoffman’s research is focused on the women’s leadership gap and women’s issues in the gaming workplace. At IGI, she oversees the Young Executive Scholars, a hospitality and tourism program serving under-resourced youth in the Las Vegas community. Prior to IGI, Hoffman worked at the American Gaming Association managing the Global Gaming Women program.

Funding Sources

none

Competing Interests

none

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May 29th, 11:00 AM May 29th, 12:25 PM

“What, Was I Supposed to Give Up My Career?”: The Working Worlds of Women in Gaming Management

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada

This study sets out to explore the work and lives of women in casino gaming management. I focus on making women’s voices and experiences heard in an industry that is still heavily male dominant. This research uses in-depth, semi-structured interviews to discover work experiences of women across departments and industry divides, exploring four dimensions of their daily work lives and career decisions: barriers to advancement, work-life balance, mothering, and sexual harassment. I interview women from various sectors of the gaming industry, from resort operations, to manufacturing, to consulting firms, to compare and contrast different work cultures as variables to paint the totality of the industry. This study introduces both an academic and policy discussion around what is—and what isn’t—working for gaming women at work. By listening to women’s stories and understanding their experiences, as well as offering new perspectives and counter narratives, we can begin to invite change to create safer, healthier, happier, more inclusive workplaces for all. These women’s stories and experiences serves as a reminder that although women have come far in the workplace, there is still further to go.