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F.acT: Why is this topic relevant for the Tyrolean tourism industry?
Vera Weißwange: I consider the topic to be highly relevant for the Tyrolean tourism industry because traditional cultural symbols such as clothing and language make a significant contribution to regional authenticity. At the same time, there are many foreign employees working in the hospitality industry in Tyrol whose cultural background does not match local traditions. This tension can create identity conflicts that affect job satisfaction, retention and quality of guest contact. It is therefore important to understand how such conflicts arise and how businesses can respond to them.
F.acT: What methodological approach did you use in your work?
Vera Weißwange: I chose a qualitative research design for my work. I conducted twelve semi-structured interviews with foreign employees in the Tyrolean hospitality industry. The evaluation was carried out using a combination of deductive and inductive thematic analysis, which allowed both theoretically sound categories and new empirical findings to be taken into account. I used Elsbach's identification narrative theory as a theoretical basis in order to systematically analyze identification processes.
F.acT: What are the core results of your work and what significance do they have for tourist destinations and businesses?
Vera Weißwange: The results show that identity conflicts occur particularly when employees derive their professional self-image strongly from their own cultural imprint and are simultaneously confronted with clear, less flexible expectations of "authentic" behavior. These include, for example, guidelines on clothing, language or appearance. There is a reciprocal relationship between identification narratives and conflicts. Conflicts can give rise to certain narrative positions, while at the same time these narratives create new tensions or reinforce existing ones.
For tourism businesses and destinations, this means that culturally strongly influenced working environments are susceptible to identity tensions, especially for foreign employees. At the same time, it is clear that flexible and supportive structures facilitate identity negotiation and thus contribute to greater satisfaction and more stable working relationships.
F.acT: What specific recommendations for action do you make in your Master's thesis?
Vera Weißwange: Based on my findings, I recommend
- Targeted dialog between managers and employees to be able to openly address cultural expectations and identity needs.
- HR strategies that actively incorporate cultural diversity in order to shape identity work more consciously and minimize conflicts.
These recommendations help to reduce identity conflicts, provide better support for employees and secure Tyrol's authentic positioning in tourism in the long term.