Description
This project aims to study chefs and kitchen employees in restaurants with a focus on understanding their working life situations and environments from an intersectional perspective, considering factors such as gender, ethnicity, and social position. The research aims to identify the factors that influence the organization, management, and experience of work in restaurant kitchens, as well as the impact of power, control, and well-being on chefs and kitchen staff.
The purpose behind this study is the skill supply challenges faced by the hospitality industry, particularly in recruiting and retaining chefs and kitchen staff. The industry has high staff turnover and provides entry-level job opportunities for foreign-born individuals, recent immigrants, young people, and women. To understand the attractiveness and challenges of this work, specific work situations and dynamics within restaurants need to be thoroughly examined. In Sweden, there is an equal split between men and women employed as cooks. However, the industry remains predominantly male-dominated, especially in senior positions. The research emphasizes the importance of considering social and cultural backgrounds, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality in understanding employees' opportunities, conditions, and work experiences.
The research project adopts a geographical perspective and focuses on individuals' social positions, spatiality, and workplace hierarchies to examine the content and organizational conditions of work that impact well-being and perceived conditions. Previous studies on the hotel and restaurant industry have primarily focused on negative aspects such as abusive treatment, bullying, and stress among kitchen workers. This project aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the work experiences of chefs and kitchen staff, including their mental health, well-being, and career options.
The proposed research uses qualitative methods, including participant observation through work and semi-structured interviews. Approval for the proposed research will be gained from the Ethics Review Authority to ensure a rigorous ethical and moral framework for the research is followed. The researchers plan to conduct studies in various workplaces, including those that are male-dominated, have female chefs, and diverse leadership backgrounds. The semi-structured interviews will explore topics such as leadership, work development, legislation, dignity at work, and digitization of work processes. The researchers will transcribe and analyse the interviews using NVivo software.
The participant observation through work method involves active engagement by the researchers, who will spend one to two weeks working alongside chefs and kitchen staff in selected workplaces. This method allows for the observation of actions, body language, and work attitudes, providing deeper insights into work tasks and relationships. Field notes, photographs, and videos will be collected as data during the work participation. The researchers will hold conversations after each work shift to share experiences, discuss observations, and plan for future days in the field. The researchers will also maintain an autoethnographic approach by recording their personal experiences and reflections during the participant observation. The analysis of data will follow qualitative thematic analysis principles, and an iterative approach will be employed for continuous reading, interpretation, and analysis.
Overall, this project seeks to examine the working life of chefs and kitchen employees in restaurants to provide insights for improving work conditions and environments in the industry. The research aims to generate a thorough and transparent understanding of the work experiences and conditions of chefs and kitchen staff in restaurants, contributing to critical social issues within hospitality industry research.