Success and agency: localizing women’s leadership in Oman

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 606-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maia Hallward ◽  
Hania Bekdash-Muellers
Keyword(s):  
Women Leaders ◽  
Women's Leadership ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Women's Agency ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women’S Agency ◽  
Hired Labor ◽  
High Level ◽  
Domestic Support

Purpose This study aims to examine women’s leadership in Oman, seeking to empirically determine whether and how local perceptions of “success” and lifestyle preferences are related to women’s agency and propensity for leadership. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the literature, this paper qualitatively analyzes 32 semi-structured interviews of diverse Omani women leaders, identifying their conceptions of success as predominantly subjective or objective. At the same time, the study uses Hakim’s (2006) lifestyle preference model to explore women's agency. Findings Contrary to the literature on the central importance of domestic responsibilities for Arab Muslim women, more women in leadership positions are identified as career-centered (14/32, 44%); those who did identify as family-centered (6/32, 19%) did not cite Islam to justify that preference, and success is envisioned more subjectively (19/32, 59%). Research limitations/implications The sample has an urban bias and does not claim to be representative of all Omani women. Interviews were conducted in English; most women leaders in Oman are required to speak English. Practical implications By analyzing work-life balance preferences as a proxy for agency and interrogating Omani women's own conceptions of success, the study may lead to more robust and culturally aware policies to support women’s leadership. Social implications Defining in subjective terms suggests that success is not necessarily equated with achieving a high level position for Omani women. Further, only 6/32 were identified as home-centered, thus indicating the critical importance of domestic support from hired labor or family members. Originality/value This study contributes new empirical findings on women leaders in Oman that illustrates the role of personal agency and lifestyle preference in contrast to many studies that treat culture as a constant.

scholarly journals “Having more women humanitarian leaders will help transform the humanitarian system”: challenges and opportunities for women leaders in conflict and humanitarian health

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Preeti Patel ◽  
Kristen Meagher ◽  
Nassim El Achi ◽  
Abdulkarim Ekzayez ◽  
Richard Sullivan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Women Leaders ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Women's Leadership ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Humanitarian Emergencies ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Barriers And Opportunities

Abstract Background It is estimated that over 40% of the half a million humanitarian workers who provide frontline care during emergencies, wars and disasters, are women. Women are at the forefront of improving health for conflict-affected populations through service delivery, education and capacity strengthening, advocacy and research. Women are also disproportionately affected by conflict and humanitarian emergencies. The growing evidence base demonstrating excess female morbidity and mortality reflects the necessity of evaluating the role of women in leadership driving health research, policy and programmatic interventions in conflict-related humanitarian contexts. Despite global commitments to improving gender equality, the issue of women leaders in conflict and humanitarian health has been given little or no attention. The aim of this paper focuses on three domains: importance, barriers and opportunities for women leaders in conflict and humanitarian health. Following thematic analysis of the material collected, we discuss the following themes: barriers of women’s leadership domain at societal level, and organisational level, which is subcategorized into culture and strategy. Building on the available opportunities and initiatives and on inspirational experiences of the limited number of women leaders in this field, recommendations for empowering and supporting women’s leadership in conflict health are presented. Methods A desk-based literature review of academic and grey sources was conducted followed by thematic analysis. Results There is very limited evidence on women leaders in conflict and humanitarian health. Some data shows that women have leadership skills that help to support more inclusive solutions which are incredibly important in this sector. However, deeply imbedded discrimination against women at the organisational, cultural, social, financial and political levels is exacerbated in conflict which makes it more challenging for women to progress in such settings. Conclusion Advocating for women leaders in conflict and health in the humanitarian sector, governmental bodies, academia and the global health community is crucial to increasing effective interventions that adequately address the complexity and diversity of humanitarian crises.

Juggling on the line

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Evans
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Employee Relations ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
High Level

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the interplay between the role of front line managers (FLMs) and their contribution to the reported gap between intended and actual human resource management (HRM). Design/methodology/approach – The findings draw on case study research using 51 semi-structured interviews with managers across two UK retail organisations between 2012 and 2013. Findings – This paper argues that FLMs are key agents in people management and play a critical role in the gap between intended and actual employee relations (ER) and HRM. The research found that these managers held a high level of responsibility for people management, but experienced a lack of institutional support, monitoring or incentives to implement according to central policy. This provided an opportunity for them to modify or resist intended policy and the tensions inherent in their role were a critical factor in this manipulation of their people management responsibilities. Research limitations/implications – The data were collected from only one industry and two organisations so the conclusions need to be considered within these limitations. Practical implications – Efforts to address the gap between intended and actual ER/HRM within organisations will need to consider the role tensions of both front line and middle managers. Originality/value – This research provides a more nuanced understanding of the interplay between FLMs and the gap between intended and actual HRM within organisations. It addresses the issue of FLMs receiving less attention in the HRM-line management literature and the call to research their role in the translation of policy into practice.

Mixed embeddedness of Brazilian entrepreneurs in Toronto

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Pessoa de Queiroz Falcão ◽  
Michel Mott Machado ◽  
Eduardo Picanço Cruz ◽  
Caroline Shenaz Hossein
Keyword(s):  
Service Sector ◽  
The Body ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Immigrant Entrepreneurship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brazilian Government ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Multi Method Approach ◽  
High Level ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to investigate how social integration, immigrant networks and barriers to ventureing affect the entrepreneurial activities of Brazilians in Canada, indicating how mixed embeddedness takes place in that context.Design/methodology/approachData were collected in Toronto, through the application of a survey with 74 Brazilian entrepreneur respondents and 42 semi-structured interviews with selected subjects, thus representing a multi-method approach. The analysis included descriptive statistics from the survey data and a qualitative analysis of the trajectories and life stories of Brazilian immigrants.FindingsOur sample comprises respondents with a high level of education and proficiency in English, coming predominantly from the southeast of Brazil, white, aged from 30 to 49. The majority of businesses are small and related to the service sector. The article contributes to the literature by discussing the elements related to mixed embeddedness, including the need for cultural adaptation and for the creation of networks as a crucial element for business venturing.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focuses on entrepreneurs regardless of their businesses sector or formality/informality status. It could be used as an instrument to support Canadian public policies for welcoming Brazilians and for the Brazilian government to prevent the evasion of potential entrepreneurs.Originality/valueThe article contributes to the body of knowledge of immigrant entrepreneurship in Canada and of Brazilian entrepreneurship overseas. The results suggest factors that may be relevant to the expansion of their business, such as social networking, cultural embeddedness and adaptation of the products/services to a wider range of target customers.

Comparative CSR decision-making in the Middle East: an exploratory study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre El Haddad ◽  
Alexandre Anatolievich Bachkirov ◽  
Olga Grishina
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Managerial Decision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nodal Model ◽  
Comparative Csr ◽  
High Level ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose This study aims to explore the commonalities and differences of corporate social responsibility (CSR) perceptions among business leaders in Oman and Lebanon, two Middle Eastern countries forming a comparative dyad with a high level of cultural variance within the Arab cluster. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were used to elicit qualitative data that were analyzed by means of multilevel analysis. Findings The findings provide empirical evidence that CSR is a powerful factor in managerial decision-making in the Middle East with the national cultures of Oman and Lebanon exerting partially differing effects on CSR decision-making. Practical implications The study enlightens practicing managers and policymakers in terms of the salience of multiple actors’ influence on CSR decision-making processes and the responses they may receive when developing and implementing CSR initiatives in the Middle East. Originality/value The study proposes a seven nodal model, which captures the flow of CSR decision-making in the research contexts.

Gender inequality in the work environment: a study of private research organizations in India

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Namrata Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Gender Inequality ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Leadership Positions ◽  
Indian Culture ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ideal Woman

Purpose Since liberalization in the 1990s, India has witnessed a growth in the number of educated middle-class women in professions. However, there are few women in leadership positions and decision-making bodies. While the earlier notion of the ideal woman as homemaker has been replaced by one which idealizes women of substance, a woman’s role in the family continues to be pivotal and is even viewed as central in defining Indian culture. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how and to what extent gender inequalities are reproduced in the organizations employing educated professionals. Design/methodology/approach Based on the perspective that gender is socially constructed, this paper analyzes gender inequality in Indian organizations through semi-structured interviews of men and women scientists in two private pharmaceutical laboratories. Findings The findings show reproduction of a gendered normative order through two types of norms and practices: one, norms and practices that favor men and second, socio-cultural norms that devalue women in public spaces which help to maintain masculinity in the workplace. Although these practices might be found elsewhere in the world, the manner in which they are enacted reflects national cultural norms. Originality/value The paper highlights how various norms and practices enacted in the specific Indian socio-cultural context construct and maintain masculinity at workplace depriving opportunities to professional women which affect their rise to leadership positions.

scholarly journals Women’s leadership and gendered experiences in tech cities

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 188-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariann Hardey
Keyword(s):  
Women Leaders ◽  
Women Professionals ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Women's Leadership ◽  
Spatial Context ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Professional Experiences ◽  
Cultural Boundaries ◽  
Senior Women ◽  
Hidden Biases

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the findings from longitudinal study conducted with women leaders in tech cities to understand the cultural and discursive burden affecting their professional experiences and the dominant cultural boundaries they regularly have to cross to legitimise their knowledge and expertise. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on research from the Gender in Tech City project that included serial interviews with 50 senior women leaders over three years at three different tech city sites. Findings The paper illustrates the differing spatialities that women continue to face within tech culture and how terms such as “women in tech” are problematic. Research limitations/implications This study adds to the conceptualisation of tech culture and gendered constructions within a spatial context; there is a need to strengthen this path of investigation beyond gender as a lone issue. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature on spatial context, examining a new micro-context within tech culture that amplifies hidden biases and restricts the movement of women professionals.

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.

scholarly journals Gender, authentic leadership and identity: analysis of women leaders’ autobiographies

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 339-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isla Kapasi ◽  
Katherine J.C. Sang ◽  
Rafal Sitko
Keyword(s):  
Women Leaders ◽  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
The Body ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Gender And Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
Representation Of Women ◽  
Gendered Leadership

Purpose Leadership theories have moved from viewing leadership as an innate trait, towards models that recognise leadership as a social construction. Alongside this theorisation, gender and leadership remain of considerable interest, particularly given the under-representation of women in leadership positions. Methodological approaches to understanding leadership have begun to embrace innovative methods, such as historical analyses. This paper aims to understand how high profile women leaders construct a gendered leadership identity, with particular reference to authentic leadership. Design/methodology/approach Thematic analysis of autobiographies, a form of identity work, of four women leaders from business and politics: Sheryl Sandberg, Karren Brady, Hillary Clinton and Julia Gillard. Findings Analyses reveal that these women construct gender and leadership along familiar normative lines; for example, the emphasis on personal and familial values. However, their stories differ in that the normative extends to include close examination of the body and a sense of responsibility to other women. Overall, media representations of these “authentic” leaders conform to social constructions of gender. Thus, in the case of authentic leadership, a theory presented as gender neutral, the authenticity of leadership has to some extent been crafted by the media rather than the leader. Originality/value The study reveals that despite attempts to “craft” and control the image of the authentic self for consumption by followers, gendered media representations of individuals and leadership remain. Thus, alternative approaches to crafting an authentic leadership self which extend beyond (mainstream) media is suggested.

Women’s Experience of Trust Within the Midwife–Mother Relationship

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Lewis ◽  
Aled Jones ◽  
Billie Hunter
Keyword(s):  
Hybrid Model ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Natural Setting ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Women's Agency ◽  
Concurrent Process ◽  
Women's Experience ◽  
Women’S Agency ◽  
Over Time

This article summarizes the main findings from my PhD study exploring individual women’s experiences of trust within the midwife–mother relationship.Evidence suggests that trust is an important element of care provision (Department of Health, 2010; Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2015), yet it is poorly defined as a concept.AIM: The aim of the study was to explore the concept of trust within the midwife–mother relationship increasing understanding of individual women’s experience of trust and its meaning to them within the caring relationship. No specific research questions were identified at the outset as congruent with the hybrid methodological approach used.METHODOLOGY: A hybrid model approach was used, underpinned by a Heideggerian phenomenological approach. The hybrid model provides a theoretical framework for incorporating the literature and theory in the developing concept analysis with empirical data as a continuous concurrent process (Schwartz-Barcott & Kim, 1993). Longitudinal semi-structured interviews were carried out at three time points: in early pregnancy, at 37 weeks of pregnancy, and 8 weeks postnatal with a purposive sample of nine women experiencing straightforward pregnancy. Phenomenology allowed the concept to be explored within the lived experience of the participants in the natural setting.ANALYSIS: Thematic analysis was conducted, supported by Nvivo 9. The text was analyzed as a whole, by sections of text and by line-by-line coding examining the participant’s words for meaning. Extracts were coded, clustered, and synthesized into overarching themes. Comparison of the themes at each stage assisted in the understanding of the development and changes within the concept being studied over time. Themes were taken back to participants to guide subsequent interviews clarifying their meaning, authenticity, and ensuring that the data gathered reflected their personal insight.FINDINGS: The experience of trust was described as an evolving concept that developed over time as a series of building blocks. The participants described an initial trust associated with an expectation of assumed competence in the midwife, but this was then influenced by the developing relationship between midwife and mother. The concept of trust was interwoven with women’s agency; women expressed a desire to develop a two-way trust that included the midwife trusting the woman. This article reports on the overall findings, concentrating on the development of trust and key themes relevant to clinical midwifery practice: need, expectation, the midwife–mother relationship, and impact of continuity of carer and the importance of women’s agency.IMPLICATIONS: Understanding the concept of trust from the woman’s perspective is important for developing maternity services that meet the needs of women.

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