The effect of resilience of female chefs working in kitchen departments on efficiency perception in hotel businesses: The case of Istanbul

Professional kitchens are seen as places that exemplify gender discrimination. In professional kitchens in hotels, where female employees are less preferred for employment than male employees, the idea that females resilience levels will have a negative impact on their efficiency and the performance of businesses is one of the most fundamental problems in the sector. The aim of the study was to reveal and examine the effect of the resilience levels of female chefs working in the kitchen departments of five-star hotel establishments in Istanbul on their perceived efficiency levels in the workplace. It was determined the number of five-star hotels with tourism business certificate operating in Istanbul in 2021 was 116. In this context, a survey was conducted with 395 female chefs selected by simple random method from probability-based sampling methods. As a result of the research, it was determined that there was no significant difference between the scores obtained by the female chefs from the resilience scale and the variables of age, marital status, income level, education level and working time. It was determined that there was no significant difference between the scores obtained by the female chefs participating in the study from the efficiency scales and the variables of age, marital status, income levels and education levels. The efficiency of the female chefs participating in the study was compared according to their working time in the business and it was determined that there was a significant difference (Sig =,038; p<0.05). A significant (F=152,587; p<0.05) and positive (r=0,529) relationship was found between the resilience levels of the female chefs participating in the study and their perception of efficiency. It can be mentioned that as the resilience levels of female chefs increase, their employee efficiency increases; as their resilience levels decrease, their efficiency decreases. This is an important result for professional hotel kitchens, as it suggests that investing in programmes or initiatives that promote resilience among female chefs can have a positive impact on their efficiency and overall job performance.