CAPACITY BUILDING OF WOMEN LEADERS VIA MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS

Despite of women advancement in politics, business, and other spheres of life, women are largely absent from senior position and are marginalized in terms of power and resources. In Latvia women set up and lead vibrant and successful governmental and private organizations. The purpose of the article is to explore cultural roots of gendered inequality in leadership and economic power positions by the literature review and as reviled in interviews. Interview data reveal the obstacles women need to overcome in their career advancement and their stories of success. Methodology: The study presents a qualitative study on women’s leadership as defined in legislation and recent research and is supported by the qualitative inquiry of life stories of seven women engaged in the education’s management programs. These women undertake leadership positions in their organizations. Conclusions: To conclude, the goal of equal participation for both male and female players in all significant spheres of life as declared in the international legislation and the United Nations, declarations will strengthen democracy and will promote its proper functioning. The authors assert that higher education through management study programs can also build women’s capacity for leadership by assertiveness training and encouraging independent and critical thinkers.

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Exploring the Opportunities and Challenges of Female Health Leaders in Three Regional States of Ethiopia: A Phenomenological Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-910350/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sualiha Abdulkader Muktar ◽

Binyam Fekadu Desta ◽

Heran Demissie ◽

Wubishet Kebede Heyi ◽

Elias Mamo Gurmamo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Career Development ◽

Women Leaders ◽

Low Income ◽

Organizational Support ◽

Health Sector ◽

Qualitative Inquiry ◽

Organizational Level ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

Use Of Resources ◽

Societal Norms

Abstract Background: Gender equity involves fairness in all aspects of life for women and men and is usually determined by social, political, economic, and cultural contexts. The proportion of female leaders in healthcare within the health sector is low. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the experiences, opportunities, and challenges faced by women in their path towards becoming leaders within the health sector.Methods: This study was conducted using the phenomenological method of qualitative inquiry. A purposive sampling technique was used to identify six women leaders. Semi-structured interviews were conducted through telephone by the investigators. The qualitative data analysis was conducted parallel with data collection using steps of thematic analysis.Results: This study identified individual, societal, and organizational level opportunities and challenges that had an influence on the career paths of female health leaders in Ethiopia. The leadership positions were an opportunity in the career development of women who had long-term goals, were known for their empathy, and exercised wise use of resources. In addition, women who had the support of close family members and their peers are more likely to compete and rise to leadership positions. Furthermore, women who received organizational support in the form of affirmative action, training, development, and recognition also tended to rise to leadership positions. However, women who assumed leadership positions but whose day-to-day decision-making was influenced by their supervisors, those who had experienced sexual harassment, and those under the influence of societal norms were less likely to attain leadership positions.Conclusion: This study explored the opportunities and challenges of women leaders in the health sector in a low-income country. The findings highlight individual, social, organizational, and societal factors influencing the career development of women leaders. Therefore, enhancing the leadership capacity of women, and improving social and organizational support is recommended. In addition, addressing the low level of self-image among women and patriarchal societal norms at the community level is recommended.

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The Business Case for Women Leaders: Meta-Analysis, Research Critique, and Path Forward

Journal of Management ◽

10.1177/0149206316628643 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 44 (6) ◽

pp. 2473-2499 ◽

Cited By ~ 69

Author(s):

Jenny M. Hoobler ◽

Courtney R. Masterson ◽

Stella M. Nkomo ◽

Eric J. Michel

Keyword(s):

Financial Performance ◽

Women Leaders ◽

Boards Of Directors ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Business Case ◽

Top Management Teams ◽

Women's Leadership ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

Women's Representation ◽

Women’S Representation

Since the 1990s, a growing body of research has sought to quantify the relationship between women’s representation in leadership positions and organizational financial performance. Commonly known as the “business case” for women’s leadership, the idea is that having more women leaders is good for business. Through meta-analysis ( k = 78, n = 117,639 organizations) of the direct effects of women’s representation in leadership (as CEOs, on top management teams, and on boards of directors) on financial performance, and tests that proxy theoretical arguments for moderated relationships, we call attention to equivocal findings. Our results suggest women’s leadership may affect firm performance in general and sales performance in particular. And women’s leadership—overall and, specifically, the presence of a female CEO—is more likely to positively relate to firms’ financial performance in more gender egalitarian cultures. Yet taking our findings as a whole, we argue that commonly used methods of testing the business case for women leaders may limit our ability as scholars to understand the value that women bring to leadership positions. We do not advocate that the business case be abandoned altogether but, rather, improved and refined. We name exemplary research studies to show how different perspectives on gender, alternative conceptualizations of value, and the specification of underlying mechanisms linking leadership to performance can generate changes in both the dominant ontology and the epistemology underlying this body of research.

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A Journey of Difference: The Voices of Women Leaders

Frontiers in Education ◽

10.3389/feduc.2021.548870 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

Author(s):

Victoria Showunmi

Keyword(s):

Women Leaders ◽

White Women ◽

Data Gathering ◽

Ethnically Diverse ◽

Data Interpretation ◽

Women's Leadership ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

Black And White ◽

Making A Difference ◽

Insight Into

This paper offers a view on narrative inquiries based upon leadership, in order to shed light on women’s of color and multicultural groups experience and nuance understanding of their leadership career path. Since black and other ethnic group women are ‘theoretically erased’ (Crenshaw, 1989: 139), this empirical study offers an insight into how gender, class and race influence on women’s leadership practices in three countries, while it adds to theorizing identity and leadership at schools in different international contexts. This paper intends to give voice to women leaders who are making a difference in their organization. During the past decade, interest in gender and leadership has grown to the extent that it is slowly becoming part of the leadership norm. Narrative inquiries are treated as a means of a systematic data gathering and analysis which challenges the traditional views of gender discussions (thus gender is predominantly about white women) and incorporating ethnic minority around leadership. Unfolding the stories of women—from multi-ethnic groups and mixed social class-higher education leadership positions in England, and Pakistan, may expose differences of interpretations offered by researchers from a racially and ethnically diverse background (black and white Europeans). Hence, an issue that arises is whether researchers’ cultural background affects data interpretation of studies with a highly qualitative stance.

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Social Construction of Women Leaders among College Students

International Journal of Qualitative Research ◽

10.47540/ijqr.v1i1.312 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 38-47

Author(s):

A. Octamaya Tenri Awaru ◽

Muhammad Syukur ◽

Muhammad Taufik Hidayat ◽

Supriadi Torro

Keyword(s):

Social Construction ◽

Women Leaders ◽

Qualitative Method ◽

Structured Interview ◽

Women's Leadership ◽

Accurate Information ◽

Leadership Roles ◽

Equal Rights ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

The Social

Over the years men have been dominant as leaders and consider women less suitable and competent for leadership roles due to various reasons. On the contrary women of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries are emerging as successful leaders in various segments of society. But with enormous struggle and they are also few in number compared to men. Gender stereotyping is no more a relevant concept as men and women occupy all positions irrespective of their gender. Leadership has been possible for some women while others don’t get the same opportunity men get in leading organizations. Some women struggle and fight their way into leadership positions while others don’t. Women are ignored or set aside based on several reasons one primary being they need to take care of the home. Though all sort of justification is made for women not being in leadership positions it is important to understand the loss the society faces due to minimum women leaders. Despite all of this, women are said to have equal rights with men in terms of leadership. This study examines the factors that help in the formation of women leaders among the students and the social construction of women leaders among the students. This study uses a qualitative method via a structured interview. The informants of this study are selected based on certain criteria with the belief that the informants will provide accurate information related to women’s leadership among students.

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Insight Into the Organizational Culture and Challenges Faced by Women STEM Leaders in Africa

10.20944/preprints202102.0394.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Olubukola Oluranti Babalola ◽

Yvonne du Plessis ◽

Sunday Samson Babalola

Keyword(s):

Organizational Culture ◽

Women Leaders ◽

Women's Leadership ◽

Women In Leadership ◽

African Women ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

African Countries ◽

Managerial Implications ◽

And Mathematics ◽

Purposive Sample

Compared to their men counterparts, women do not rapidly climb up the leadership ladder due to a glass ceiling obstacle. This study aims to explore the inhibiting factors demotivating Africa women's leadership pursuit in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). A qualitative approach was adopted using online open-ended questions to seek narratives from African women leaders on their roles and experiences of a STEM career. Data were collected using a non-probability, purposive sample of African women leaders in STEM in African research institutes and universities. Forty-two women in leadership positions in 12 African countries participated in the study, which was content analyzed, seeking patterns and themes to explore the narratives. A common thread exists in the tone and life experiences of the African women leaders in STEM. Scholarship, supportive organizational structure, commitment, hard work, and tenacity were all experienced as enablers of the career path process and their attained positions. The education level contributed to a strong leadership position. Women experience less acceptance than males in STEM leadership as the organizational culture still devalues women in leadership positions in several African countries. The study's contribution, the limitations, recommendations, and managerial implications are discussed, with suggestions for further research are made.

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Insight into the Organizational Culture and Challenges Faced by Women STEM Leaders in Africa

Social Sciences ◽

10.3390/socsci10030105 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 105

Author(s):

Olubukola Oluranti Babalola ◽

Yvonne du Plessis ◽

Sunday Samson Babalola

Keyword(s):

Organizational Culture ◽

Women Leaders ◽

Women's Leadership ◽

Women In Leadership ◽

African Women ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

African Countries ◽

Managerial Implications ◽

And Mathematics ◽

Purposive Sample

Compared to their men counterparts, women do not rapidly climb up the leadership ladder due to a glass ceiling obstacle. This study aims to explore the inhibiting factors demotivating Africa women’s leadership pursuit in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). A qualitative approach was adopted using online open-ended questions to seek narratives from African women leaders on their roles and experiences of a STEM career. Data were collected using a non-probability, purposive sample of African women leaders in STEM in African research institutes and universities. Forty-two women in leadership positions in 12 African countries participated in the study, which was content analyzed, seeking patterns and themes to explore the narratives. A common thread exists in the tone and life experiences of the African women leaders in STEM. Scholarship, supportive organizational structure, commitment, hard work, and tenacity were all experienced as enablers of the career path process and their attained positions. The education level contributed to a strong leadership position. Women experience less acceptance than males in STEM leadership as the organizational culture still devalues women in leadership positions in several African countries. The study’s contribution, limitations, recommendations, and managerial implications are discussed, with suggestions for further research are made.

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

Conflict and Health ◽

10.1186/s13031-020-00330-9 ◽

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.

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The Impact of Religion and Culture on Leadership Styles of Women Policy-Makers in the Education Industry

Journal of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy ◽

10.11113/jostip.v7n1.64 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 18-26

Author(s):

Shadiya Mohamad Saleh Baqutayan ◽

Fauziah Raji

Keyword(s):

Leadership Styles ◽

Women Leaders ◽

Women's Leadership ◽

Leadership Roles ◽

Public And Private ◽

Individual Interviews ◽

Gender Culture ◽

Education Industry ◽

Public And Private Sector ◽

The Impact

This qualitative study is purposive in sampling and explored a small number of women leaders in the education industry who are policymakers of Malay Muslim origin of their experiences in leadership positions. Policymaking here involved policies at the micro-level, which related more to their institutions and organizations. The researcher examined the women's leadership styles and the factors that influenced how they lead explicitly. Likewise, the researcher focused on how gender, culture, and religion may relate to women's experiences. Basic interpretive and descriptive qualitative research methods were employed. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews. Participants interviewed included nine women leaders in the public and private sector who were either teachers/lecturers or administrators in the education industry. These women held positions within the top echelon of their organization or institution. The finding of this research indicated that gender, religion, and culture play an important role in women's leadership experiences, therefore, themes emerged around influences on the women's approaches to leadership, with particular emphasis on the role of the larger environment in impacting women's leadership behaviors. To further focus on the impact of culture and religion on women's leadership styles, the researcher conducted a focused discussion group on the second group of Malay Muslim women leaders. This group of women leaders compromised mainly of women leaders who are department and section heads but still involved in policymaking decisions albeit within their department or sections. This study can provide insight into the landscape of women‘s leadership roles and how to support these leaders.

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Building Pathways: Nurturing a Female Generation of School Leaders in China

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership ◽

10.32873/unl.dc.jwel.192 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 1-24

Author(s):

Lixia Qin ◽

Mario Torres ◽

Jean Madsen

Keyword(s):

Educational Leadership ◽

Leadership Preparation ◽

Women's Leadership ◽

Leadership Roles ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

Educational Management ◽

Traditional Gender Roles ◽

Changing Practice ◽

Dominant Society ◽

Feminist Perspectives

International feminist perspectives recognize the continuing inequalities of power between men and women across all classes (Adler & Israeli, 1988; Alston, 2000; De la Rey, 2005). In China’s male-dominant society, for example, women often have been inhibited from pursuing leadership positions (Wiseman, Obiakor & Bakken, 2009). Further, women’s access to leadership positions is constrained within many social sectors (Cooke, 2005). In school settings, there is no doubt that women have greatly contributed to the changing practice of educational management in China since 1980s ( Zhong & Ehrich, 2010). However, despite recent changes, women are still vastly underrepresented in educational leadership positions due to a variety of reasons, such as their adherence to traditional gender roles (Coleman, Qiang & Li, 1998). One particular reason that has been drawing increasing attention across the world is the lack of appropriate training and guidance in young women’s leadership (Su, Adams & Miniberg, 2000; Cooke, 2003; Barnett, 2004; Chen, 2005). This paper probes in greater depth one of the most important, yet largely overlooked aspects in the educational leadership of China – women’s leadership roles in education and young women’s leadership preparation.

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Women’s Leadership in New Religions and the Question of Gender Equality in Post-Communist Lithuania

Nova Religio The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions ◽

10.1525/nr.2021.24.4.84 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 84-103

Author(s):

Milda Ališauskienė

Keyword(s):

Women Leaders ◽

Gender Equality ◽

Participant Observation ◽

Women's Leadership ◽

Religious Groups ◽

Life Choices ◽

Communist Society ◽

Religious Leadership ◽

New Religions ◽

Social Innovations

This article discusses features of women’s religious leadership, social innovations, and transmission of existing gender relations patterns within diverse new religions in post-communist society in Lithuania. The article is based on participant observation in Pagan and Hindu-origin religious groups and interviews with women leaders of these groups. The narratives of women leading Pagan and Hindu religious groups in Lithuania reflected their agency, features of their leadership, and the basis for the construction of their religious authority. Research data showed that the women interviewed took leadership of their respective religious groups after gaining professional experience in their careers. Their agency was not permeated by feminist ideas, but instead the importance of men in their life choices was emphasized throughout their narratives. The three case studies indicate that female religious leadership in these new religions follows the tendency toward a return to patriarchal values in post-communist society in Lithuania, rather than moving towards an ideal of gender equality.

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