Career Performance of Muslim Female Bachelor of Hospitality Management Graduates

Islam is the second largest religion in the world and its representation is growing in the workplace. Islam is the largest religion in Malaysia. However, little is known about how it affects work performance of those who adhere to the faith especially for those in the hospitality industry. Career in the hospitality industry is perceived not suitable for Muslim women due to the nature of the jobs in the industry that is physically exhausting, demands long working hours and serves non-halal food. Jobs in the industry also require employees wearing uniforms that hardly comply with the Muslim women dress code. Despite the contradictory nature of the industry with Muslim women, studies assessing Muslim female Bachelor of Hospitality Management (BHM) graduates’ career performance in comparison to the non-Muslim graduates are scarce. The purpose of this study is to assess and compare the Muslim and non-Muslim female BHM graduates’ career performance by finding the graduates’ employment rate, areas of employment, employment level and monthly salary. A quantitative survey method was used for data collection. It is discovered that the percentage of Muslim female graduates working in the hospitality industry is higher compared to the non-Muslim female graduates. However, regardless the type of industry, a low percentage of graduates manage to attain management position, and the Muslim female BHM graduates’ average monthly salary is also low. The findings imply that Islam may have some influence, but it is not the main barrier to the Muslim female graduates’ career performance. The information provided from this study signals the Muslim female BHM students to better equip themselves for the industry.