Challenging gender norms: women’s leadership, political authority, and autonomy

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noora Lari ◽  
Mohammad Al-Ansari ◽  
Engi El-Maghraby
Keyword(s):  
Political Power ◽  
Political Authority ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
Gulf States

Purpose In patriarchal settings, cultural barriers continue to influence women’s participation in positions of leadership and political authority. This paper aims to explore these findings in light of the theoretical concepts of “hegemonic masculinity” and “patriarchy,” which explain gender disparities in the occupancy of political power and leadership positions in Qatar. Design/methodology/approach Data from original face-to-face national surveys conducted among subjects in Qatar were used, including 1,611 completed household interviews. Findings The findings were consistent with the prevailing patriarchal beliefs present in Qatari society and Arab Gulf States. The analysis showed that there was greater significant support for men holding key leadership and authority positions than women. Individual-level factors were found to have a significant association with attitudes favoring women. Compared to respondents who had never attended school, those who had completed secondary school and those who had partaken in higher education favored having women in leadership roles. Practical implications As a means to fix the gender imbalance within the occupancy of positions of political power in Qatar, this study recommends putting substantial efforts into increasing the number of interventions underpinning gender equality through social awareness programs that may improve the public’s perceptions. Furthermore, gender-equitable affirmative actions are needed to promote the inclusion of women in power and increase their presence in leadership roles. Originality/value This study is among the very few that have theoretically and empirically addressed the issue of women’s authority and involvement in key leadership roles in the context of Qatar.

African American women leadership across contexts

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-376
Author(s):  
Shannon Sales ◽  
Monica Galloway Burke ◽  
Colin Cannonier
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Women Leaders ◽  
Q Methodology ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Content Type ◽  
American Women ◽  
History Of ◽  
Perceptions Of Leadership

Purpose This paper aims to examine women leaders from diverse career backgrounds and ethnicities to discover their perspectives of their leadership roles and empowerment to determine similarities and differences among them, focusing on the perspectives of African American women. Design/methodology/approach The review process began with a comprehensive review of African American women in history in the context of leadership and empowerment. Next, a Q-sort methodology was used as a semi-qualitative approach for women leaders to rank words of empowerment and facilitate discussions among these women. The Q methodology is known for exploring issues that are correlated with individuals who are influenced with personal feelings and opinions. Findings The paper concludes that perceptions of leadership roles differ among the African American women leaders when compared to other ethnicities. The results support the idea that women from diverse ethnic backgrounds have different experiences in the workplace, and these experiences influence how they identify factors they perceive as beneficial to them in terms of their perspectives on leadership and empowerment. Several themes emerged for African American women leaders including being overlooked, marginalized, undervalued and unappreciated in their professions as leaders due to their dual minority status. As it is now as it was in the past, such barriers can deter or stop progression for African American women leaders. Originality/value The history of African American women in leadership roles is scantily recognized or not recognized at all. This paper highlights leadership roles and barriers for African American women currently in leadership roles in contrast to other women. The issues they face are still similar to those faced by African American women in earlier decades in spite of increased career mobility. A relatively understudied topic in leadership and management history in general, this paper provides a unique lens from which to build awareness about the leadership roles and empowerment of African American women and to effect needed change.

Women leaders' views on demand-side strategies

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyson Byrne ◽  
Ingrid C. Chadwick ◽  
Amanda J. Hancock
Keyword(s):  
Women Leaders ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Career Stage ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Demand Side ◽  
Engaged Scholarship ◽  
Female Leaders ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine female leaders' attitudes toward demand-side strategies to close the gender-leadership gap and discuss implications for organizations.Design/methodology/approachThis article describes the process of knowledge co-creation that took place using an engaged scholarship epistemology over 23 interviews with North American women in senior leadership roles.FindingsFive key themes related to women leaders' attitudes toward demand-side strategies are discussed. Some felt uncertain or opposed toward these strategies, whereas others supported them. Support for these strategies was dependent on perceptions of backlash regarding the implementation of these strategies and the participants' career stage. Finally, participants acknowledged that demand-side strategies are insufficient in isolation and require additional organizational supports.Research limitations/implicationsThese findings enhance our understanding and provide theoretical refinement of the mechanisms that drive female leaders' reactions to demand-side strategies to close the gender-leadership gap.Practical implicationsParticipants advocated for certain practices to be considered when organizations contemplate the adoption of demand-side strategies. Importantly, participants advocated that the implementation of demand-side strategies would be insufficient unless organizations encourage greater dialogue regarding the gender-leadership gap, that top management support more gender inclusive leadership, and that male colleagues act as allies for women in leadership.Originality/valueThis article extends past research and theory by integrating the pragmatic perspectives of successful female leaders with previous empirical evidence to illustrate different reactions to demand-side strategies and ways for organizations to manage those in their efforts to close the gender-leadership gap.

Women in leadership in Kuwait: a research agenda

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athmar Al-Salem ◽  
Mark Speece
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Gulf Cooperation Council ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mena Countries ◽  
Women In Management ◽  
General Acceptance ◽  
Managerial Positions

Purpose This study aims to examine perceptions in Kuwait about women’s leadership in management. Design/methodology/approach This study includes a review of data on the gender gap across Middle East/North Africa (MENA) countries, comparison with selected Asian and Western countries and summaries of multiple small surveys in Kuwait on women in management. The surveys were all convenience samples ranging from 100-500, targeting middle-class respondents. Findings The MENA is behind most of the world in closing the gender gap, but progress among Gulf Cooperation Council countries has been fairly rapid. Many Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) indicators are comparable to other non-Western cultural areas. Multiple surveys in Kuwait show fairly widespread acceptance of women in leadership positions. Respondents feel that characteristics of women vs men managers are different, but strengths and weaknesses by gender balance out, so that men and women perform about the same. Traditional Kuwaiti culture seems conducive to women in management, but some specific cultural barriers remain. In particular, the diwaniyya, social gatherings to network and discuss current affairs, and wasta, connections, are dominated by men in modern Kuwaiti society. These are essentially social capital issues. Practical implications Fostering continued progress for women in management requires recognition of the actual social and cultural situation; simply arguing that Kuwait should be more Western in how it does things does not seem very useful. Originality/value Research on women in management in MENA is not very extensive, but is important for understanding how to facilitate opportunities for women. In Kuwait, there seems to be general acceptance that women can be leaders in managerial positions, and little overt discrimination. However, lack of access to traditional social capital networks puts women at a disadvantage. Research needs to focus on this issue to help develop ways to overcome this subtle obstacle to further progress.

Stereotyping and women's roles in leadership positions

2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 332-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cortney Baker
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Leadership Skills ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Leadership Traits ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Leadership Positions ◽  
Leadership Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
And Gender

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a literature review of current trends with regard to women in leadership positions. Women are increasingly reported as having excellent leadership skills. In fact, women, more than men, are praised for having traits and styles that are associated with effective leadership performance. Design/methodology/approach – The design of this paper was a literature review of current research on gender differences in men and women in top leadership roles. Findings – Despite the evidence that women are capable of being top performers, women are still not attaining top-level leadership positions in comparison to their male peers. This paper will consider some of the reasons that women have difficulty in climbing the corporate ladder as well as discuss stereotyping and gender as it relates to leadership traits. Social implications – As a result of this paper, employers are encouraged to hire and promote women into their corporations top leadership positions. Originality/value – This paper further contributes to the discussion of women in leadership and the disparity that continues in having women employed in the upper echelons of corporations. The value of this paper is to provide employers further evidence that women comprise skillsets that necessary for company advancement.

Hospital management from a high reliability organizational change perspective

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nomie Eriksson
Keyword(s):  
Six Sigma ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Nurses Perceptions ◽  
Continuous Work

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze nurses’ perceptions and evaluations of healthcare developmental work after the introduction of Lean and Six Sigma and, how nurses aspire to maintain a high reliability organization (HRO). Design/methodology/approach Nurses’ roles and the way they respond to new efficiency and quality working methods are crucial. Underlying themes were analyzed from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with (n=17) nurses at two Swedish hospitals. Findings The nurses perceived that Lean worked better than Six Sigma, because of its bottom-up approach, and its similarities with nurses’ well-known work qualities. Nurses coordinate patients care, collaborate in teams and take leadership roles. To maintain high reliability and to become quality developers, nurses need stable resources. However, professional’s logic collides with management’s logic. Expert knowledge (top-down approach) without nurses’ local knowledge (bottom-up approach) can lead to problems. Healthcare quality methods are standardized but must be used with flexibility. However, HROs ensue not only from method quality but also from work attitudes, commitment and continuous work-improvement. Practical implications Management can support personnel in developmental work with: continuous education, training, teamwork, knowledge sharing and cooperation. Authoritarian method structures that limit the healthcare professionals’ autonomy should be softened or abandoned. Originality/value The study uses theoretical concepts from HROs, which were developed for unexpected events, to explain the consequences of implementing Lean and Six Sigma in healthcare.

African Women in Leadership

2021 ◽  
pp. 398-417
Author(s):  
Terri R. Lituchy ◽  
Bella L. Galperin ◽  
Lemayon Melyoki ◽  
Thomas Senaji ◽  
Betty Jane Punnett
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Effective Leadership ◽  
Leadership Skills ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
African Women ◽  
Positive Development ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Leadership Positions ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Women's Participation

This chapter considers African women's participation in leadership and their views on effective leadership. The literature suggests that African women remain underrepresented in leadership roles, although participation rates are increasing. African women are well represented as entrepreneurs, in the less profitable informal sector, and are increasingly found in political spheres. The LEAD research shows men and women holding similar views regarding effective leadership. Preliminary results suggest that traditional views about leadership, which held women back, may be changing. This is a positive development, as society will benefit from the leadership skills of women. Efforts by African governments to mandate percentages of women in leadership positions may have an effect on government as well as business. Africa, however, is a large continent with parts of its population residing in rural areas where traditions continue. Consequently, more research is needed to understand developments regarding the involvement of women in leadership to inform policy and influence practice.

What Works in Participation

2018 ◽  
pp. 147-160
Author(s):  
Thania Paffenholz
Keyword(s):  
Negotiation Process ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Transition Processes ◽  
Peace Negotiations ◽  
Peace Processes ◽  
Meaningful Participation ◽  
Financial Conditions ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
Research Findings

Despite the adoption of the landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325 over fifteen years ago, women remain significantly underrepresented in peace and transition processes. This chapter analyses how and under which conditions the inclusion of women influences peace processes. It draws upon evidence-based comparative research findings, which show that increasing the number of women included in peace and transition processes does not per se increase the likelihood that more peace agreements are signed and implemented. Making women’s participation in peace and transition processes count is more important than merely counting the number of women included in such processes. This chapter suggests, therefore, that for the discursive shift toward meaningful participation to be seen in practice, peace negotiations need to be designed in a way that facilitates the engagement of women in leadership roles. Moreover, it concludes that substantive participation requires political and financial conditions that enable women to occupy leadership roles in the negotiation process.

Knowing is half the battle

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 512-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher H. Thomas ◽  
Robert R Hirschfeld
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Leader Emergence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Personal Coaching ◽  
Development Literature

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the idea that action makes knowledge more consequential for being deemed an emergent leader among peers. The authors hypothesized that mastery of teamwork knowledge has a stronger relationship with advancement potential when combined with a strong propensity to work toward collective success (i.e. greater action). Design/methodology/approach – The authors tested the hypothesized interaction with moderated path analysis of data from two field studies on team-based trainees in a military leadership-development program. Findings – The findings suggest that to be deemed an exceptional leader among one’s peers, an individual must have both relevant expertise and a propensity to use that expertise to the benefit of others. Either of these attributes matters more when combined with a great deal of the other, such that they are interdependent rather than independent. Practical implications – Informed by the findings, the authors discuss several ways for organizations to build a sufficient internal supply of future leaders. Such interventions include personal coaching and mentoring as means of developing possible candidates, for higher level leadership roles, who are deficient in one or both of the focal attributes (i.e. knowledge and action). Originality/value – The authors propose the role of action in relation to knowledge as one of augmentation rather than compensation. This represents a unique theoretical specification, in that few models have specified interactions among individual-level factors in explaining leader emergence. The finding that action is pivotal in shaping the extent to which knowledge is conducive to establishing oneself as a candidate for higher level roles of organizational leadership represents a unique empirical contribution to the leadership development literature.

Tanzania will resist pressure over social conservatism

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Voter Turnout ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Civil Liberties ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bisexual And Transgender ◽  
Lgbt People ◽  
Political Apathy ◽  
Social Conservatism

Subject Social conservatism in Tanzania. Significance Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Paul Makonda’s call in late October for Tanzanians to report members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LBGT) communities to authorities for arrest has brought social conservatism in Tanzanian politics into the spotlight. In early November, Denmark said it would withhold aid based on such policies, as well as wider human rights concerns, while the World Bank has insisted on mechanisms to allow pregnant schoolgirls to continue their education, as well as respect for LGBT persons, before releasing an education loan. Impacts Tensions with Western donors will relate to policy unpredictability and erratic public financial management as much as illiberal tendencies. Tanzania will remain a difficult place for women, girls and LGBT people, with fewer women in leadership roles, reversing past progress. The wider onslaught on civil liberties will deepen political apathy, especially among youth, likely resulting in low voter turnout in 2020.

A eudaimonic perspective on prejudice and female workers’ psychological well-being

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tala Abuhussein ◽  
Tamer Koburtay ◽  
Jawad Syed
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Female Workers ◽  
Gender Prejudice ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to use Ryff’s (1989) eudaimonic view to examine how prejudice toward female workers affects their psychological well-being. Design/methodology/approach Responses were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews along with open-ended questions in a paper-based survey. In total, 24 female workers across various organizations in Jordan participated in this study. Findings The results show how prejudice against female workers can affect the six dimensions of their eudaimonic psychological well-being (Ryff, 1989). Specifically, the results show that prejudice may push women to work harder to prove they are capable of achieving their goals and, as a result, it may positively enhance their self-acceptance, sense of growth, purpose in life and autonomy. However, the study also shows that prejudice against women negatively affects their environmental mastery and relationships with others. Practical implications This study may help create greater sensitivity and awareness about gender prejudice and its effects on female workers’ psychological well-being. It also highlights women’s resilience which may be deemed valuable to develop women in leadership roles in organizations. Originality/value This study offers a fresh and nuanced understanding of the impact of gender prejudice on female workers’ psychological well-being.

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