Samenvatting

'This research explored how emotionally intelligent leadership can foster inclusive workplaces for LGBTQIA+ Generation Z employees within the Dutch hospitality industry. Despite existing legal frameworks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, LGBTQIA+ Gen Z employees continue to face exclusion, microaggressions, and underrepresentation in Dutch hospitality workplaces. Unconscious bias, heteronormativity, and a lack of psychological safety continuously shapes the lived experiences of this population and remain persistent challenges, particularly in operational positions.

While the Covid-19 pandemic may have raised global awareness of social equity, many workplaces were unable to efficiently adapt practices to meet policy intentions. As Gen Z increasingly enters the workforce, their strong values around equality, emotional support and authenticity are leaving hospitality leaders with increasing pressure to turn inclusive intentions into lived, everyday practices.
The literature review draws on theories of diversity, social identity, and emotional intelligence to further explore how inclusive leadership can better support LGBTQIA+ Gen Z employees and leaders in Dutch hospitality. Social Identity Theory explains how unconscious bias and in-group dynamics further contribute to exclusionary behavior, while existing DEI literature reveals organizational misalignment and structural barriers, refining the scope of the main research question:
How can emotionally intelligent leadership reduce systemic barriers and foster inclusive workplace environments for LGBTQIA+ Gen Z employees in the Dutch hospitality industry?
While Emotional Intelligence, focused on Goleman´s five key competencies, emerged as a potential leadership tool to bridge the gap between inclusive intentions and daily organizational behavior in Dutch hospitality, its application to LGBTQIA+ Gen Z inclusion remains underexplored, forming the supporting research topics:
• SRQ#1: The role of unconscious bias in exclusion
• SRQ#2: Systemic barriers in Dutch hospitality
• SRQ#3: LGBTQIA+ Gen Z workplace values and workplace inclusivity
• SRQ#4: Emotional Intelligence competencies and inclusive work environments
• SRQ#5: Impact of Emotional Intelligence on inclusive work environments
A qualitative research approach was applied by introducing semi-structured interviews with LGBTQIA+ Gen Z employees, organizational stakeholders, and coaching professionals to allow for insights into lived experiences, leadership behavior, and organizational practices. Data was thematically analyzed using Braun and Clarke´s framework, coded both deductively and inductively in NVivo 15, guided by a structured codebook.

Findings offer new insight into the generational characteristics of the population, confirming that systemic barriers, microaggressions, and unconscious bias remain persistent for LGBTQIA+ Gen Z employees in Dutch hospitality environments. A lack of psychological safety, cultural awareness, and conflict management was observed, reinforcing exclusion across leadership levels. Emotional intelligence competencies, especially empathy and emotional self-awareness, were identified as key skills to enable psychological safety. However, conflict management and organizational awareness appeared underdeveloped and inconsistently applied by leadership.

As this research shows, emotionally intelligent leadership can reduce systemic barriers and foster inclusion, but only when supported by development, behavioral alignment, and organizational commitment. In response, the Inner Development Toolkit for Inclusive Leadership was created to shift inclusion from individual intention to action. Therefore, the toolkit encourages leaders to begin with themselves by developing emotional intelligence competencies in line with LGBTQIA+ Gen Z employee’s values through practices and reflection that can influence team culture, challenge systemic exclusion, and foster inclusive work environments.