Abstract:

Meaning-making has traditionally been understood on a linear continuum and often examined in formal and structured organizations. In this study, we examine how meaning-making happens within women-led homestay enterprises in a collectivist social structure. Drawing on findings of multi-method qualitative research conducted in Kerala, India, we show that although women perform substantial labour within domestic-economic spaces, their identity formation is rarely a function of such. This self-perception of identity formation leads to meaning-making of the contributions of women in homestays as meaningful or meaningless. Additionally, this relationship (of identity and meaning) is a complex and layered process where tasks gain significance through external validation, economic value, and degree of skill acquisition while remaining vulnerable to structural devaluation and gendered stereotypes that position them (women and their contributions) as ‘natural’ rather than professional. By situating the discussion within broader discussions of invisible labor and gendered management, this study invites a reconsideration of where ‘management’ happens, who gets to ‘manage’, whose contribution is acknowledged in such management, and how meaning is shaped under conditions of structural inequality.

Please choose your submission type: Developmental Paper

Primary Track: Gender in Management

Keywords: Gender diversity and inclusion policies and practices;Gender discrimination and industry specific features;Gender and entrepreneurship

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Prof Toney Thomas