Abstract

Female chefs in the culinary sector encounter barriers which affect their career experiences. This sector and the wider hospitality industry demands long working hours which are challenging for female chefs, in addition to other gendered issues that affect their career development. Despite the awareness of female chefs' skills, abilities and success stories, their presence is still limited, especially in Malaysia, a country with substantial ethnic diversity. Literature has suggested that gender and ethnicity have an intersecting relationship that impacts women's careers. Underpinned by theories of gender, ethnicity, behaviour and careers, this research explores the career experiences of female chefs in Malaysia, using a narrative approach. It highlights the individual experiences of female chefs from the three main ethnic groups in Malaysia: - Malay, Chinese and Indian. The research explores the factors that influence women's career behaviours and perceptions, and investigates whether the intersectionality between gender and ethnicity has an impact on women's career experiences and how they perceive their future career prospects.

Underpinned by feminist epistemology, narrative stories were collected via semi-structured online interviews with eighteen female chefs from the three main ethnic groups in Malaysia. The findings have identified that female chefs' career experiences, are reflected in their behaviours and perceptions and these are gendered. Family and confidence levels have shaped their career behaviours, while adaptability and continuous development influenced their career perceptions. Interestingly, the research found that female chefs' careers were also affected by their body size, physical strength, stereotypes, and work-family commitments, all related to being a woman in the kitchen. From the point of view of the female chefs interviewed, there is no significant intersectionality between gender and ethnicity in terms of their career experiences and perceptions. However, the findings demonstrate that the influence of ethnic diversity on their career experiences is multifaceted, representing both opportunities and challenges. In viewing future careers, the findings suggest that continuous development is crucial to how female chefs see their career planning.

This research, by gathering the career experiences of female chefs from three ethnic groups in a single study, adds critical depth to the literature on gender and career studies, addressing women's career strategies and behaviours. The narrative approach has enabled female chefs to share career stories and experiences that reflect their career journeys, offering new perspectives about women's careers, especially in the context of Malaysia. Theoretically, this study contributes fresh insights by revealing the complex relationships between gender, ethnicity, careers, and behaviours. Furthermore, this study also provides important practical recommendations for the management of the culinary industry in Malaysia so as to increase the awareness of different career pathways for female chefs.