| Author: | Morikoshi, Kyoko |
| Title: | Female workforce in a small international ski resort : a case study of Niseko, Japan |
| Advisors: | Xiao, Honggen (SHTM) |
| Degree: | DHTM |
| Year: | 2020 |
| Subject: | Women -- Employment -- Japan Hotels -- Employees -- Japan Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | School of Hotel and Tourism Management |
| Pages: | xi, 232 pages |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Japan has been promoting inbound tourism to revitalize the economy, and the number of international tourist arrivals has increased massively in recent years. Niseko, a ski resort town in Hokkaido, Japan, has become a luxurious international vacation destination, attracting tourists, foreign investment, and human capital from all over the world. Although Niseko's development has been reported by the media and analyzed by scholars, its human resources, one of the key factors to its success, have not been explored academically. In particular, the female workforce has gone unrecognized. This study investigates female workers in Niseko, aiming to illuminate their lives and working environments. It utilizes the qualitative research method of semi-structured interviews to explore the attributes and typology of Niseko's female labor force, including workers' backgrounds, experiences working and living in the town, motivations to work, and intentions in migrating to the area. The results show that the recent tourism development has led to the internationalization of this small town, bringing an influx of foreigners and diverse human resources to the area and making the use of the English language a necessary tool for workers. Niseko has become a cosmopolitan site where Japanese residents can cultivate their cultural understanding and openness to diverse cultures while remaining in their own country. However, the internationalization has also introduced cultural issues to Niseko workplaces and cultural conflict into the community. In addition, the atypical nature of Niseko's highly internationalized workplaces has facilitated a relaxed working atmosphere that is unconventional in the hospitality and tourism industry. This relaxed, unconventional atmosphere empowers Japanese female workers, providing more job and promotion opportunities as well as the chance to start their own businesses. Niseko also enables women to have a better work-life balance than is typically found in conventional Japanese workplaces. At the same time, women in Niseko are expected to work hard, take active roles, and sometimes assume leadership positions with more responsibilities than is generally the norm for Japanese women. The study also illustrates Japanese female workers' everyday lives in this remote place. Though they face inconveniences living in the small mountainous resort town, they seemed to enjoy their lives by making the most of Niseko's natural resources. These Japanese female workers are strong, independent, active, and assertive, and possess good English communication skills and rich overseas experiences. The discussion engages the impacts of Niseko's internationalization on the traditional Japanese gender norms and analyzes the town's female worker population from a "lifestyle mobilities" perspective. Based on the researcher's analysis of the interview results and personal observations in Niseko, recommendations are put forth to help Niseko businesses and policymakers attract and keep talented human resources and improve the overall quality of life in the town. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5443.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 1.28 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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