African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure | 2026
Authors: Öztürk İ.
DOI: 10.46222/ajhtl.19770720.734
Journal: African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure
Year: 2026
Publisher: Africa Journals
Document Type: Article
Open Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access
Cited by: 0
This study examines the experiences of young chefs in hotel kitchens regarding the crab-bucket syndrome (CBS) and explores how competition, hierarchy, and perceptions of justice shape workplace dynamics in the tourism sector. Adopting a constructivist paradigm, a qualitative research design was employed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 30 young chefs and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-phase thematic analysis with the support of MAXQDA 24. The findings reveal that CBS is not limited to individual jealousy but emerges as an organizationally embedded phenomenon reinforced by hierarchical structures, knowledge withholding, organizational silence, and perceived injustice. Although participants reported high self-efficacy, they experienced constraints in demonstrating their capabilities due to limited meritocracy and restricted knowledge sharing. Collaboration increased during peak workloads but shifted towards opportunistic competition under less pressure. The study highlights the negative effects of CBS on motivation, career development, and employee retention. It suggests that fair promotion systems, mentorship, knowledge-sharing practices, and open communication channels are critical for mitigating these effects. By conceptualizing CBS as a systemic organizational issue, this study contributes a nuanced perspective to tourism and hospitality management literature. © 2026 AJHTL. This work is published by African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
crab-bucket syndrome; Hospitality industry; qualitative thematic analysis; workplace dynamics