Breaking through the glass ceiling: The three-dimensional model (Macro, Meso and Micro) towards promoting women participation in an academic context: Insights from a mixed-methods approach

This study aimed at bridging this gap and proposed a Three-Dimensional Model (Macro, Meso, and Micro). It also attempted to gain a deeper understanding of the nature of the glass ceiling, which limits women's participation in higher decision-making positions and determined how to overcome these barriers. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach. Three exploratory workshops involving 65 academic women leaders were conducted at three Saudi universities. This was followed by a field survey of the overall population involving 213 female leaders. Then six interviews of 35 female leaders were conducted. The results of the field survey illustrated the barriers preventing women from career development. According to the participants, the most challenging barriers at the institutional level were related to administrative and organizational aspects. They were followed by the barriers related to institutional culture. The social and personal barriers were ranked the last. The results of the interviews also revealed a set of ideas, which proposed methods to support women's progress to senior positions. They included political authority, policy development, open-door policy, adherence to the standards for selecting leaders based on competence, continuous evaluation, and professional development. The important role of the academic woman leader in the development of her career requires her to take responsibility for her professional growth and meet the requirements of the leadership role. The study recommends a comprehensive and profound treatment of the glass ceiling phenomenon. The study recommends a comprehensive training plan to support the skills, experiences, and capabilities of qualified women to occupy academic leadership. Benefiting from international expertise regarding this issue is highly recommended. There must be continuous monitoring and analysis of some quantitative and qualitative indicators based on an accurate database related to the academic empowerment of Saudi women.

Using an employee resource group to develop GRIT in female healthcare leaders: a case study

Purpose This case study aims to demonstrate how the Greater Leadership Opportunities for Women (GLOW) Mayo Clinic Employee Resource Groups (MERG) has positively impacted leadership development focusing on growth, resilience, inspiration and tenacity (GRIT) and increased advancement for female leaders at Mayo Clinic. It will also establish how the innovative utilization of employee resource groups can positively impact the development of leaders within an institution in general and specially can enhance behaviors related to GRIT. Design/methodology/approach This case study design was used to measure the impact of the GLOW MERG’s interventions through qualitative and quantitative approaches that highlight both process and outcome to increase study validity through complementarity, which “seeks elaboration, enhancement, illustration, clarification of the results from one method with the results from another” (Greene, et al., 1989, p. 259) as well as completeness and context (Onghena et al., 2019; Schoonenboom and Johnson, 2017; Bryman, 2006). Learning outcomes (knowledge), skill accomplishments and attitude development were evaluated within two weeks after each session and annually through standardized surveys sent to participants via email. The surveys were designed to capture key information about the sessions, including the impact of the session content, the willingness and ability of attendees to apply the learning and identification of opportunities for improvement in session design and delivery, as well as measure satisfaction with the activities offered, the frequency and method(s) of communication, barriers to session attendance and particular topics or speakers of interest to members (Appendix 1). Response options included dichotomous scales, Likert-type scales, multi-select and free text. This provided a voluntary response sampling, as post-session surveys were sent to all session attendees and annual surveys were sent to all GLOW MERG members, which allowed individuals to choose if they would respond to the surveys (Creswell and Creswell, 2018). To foster an environment of continuous improvement, plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles (Langley et al., 2009) were conducted after every survey by the event planning team and the GLOW MERG Board. Interventions were tested, reviewed and discussed during monthly board meetings and event planning. Improvements were made and results were shared with key stakeholders through regular communication channels. Additionally, 30 past and present GLOW MERG leaders were surveyed to measure their perceived impact of participation in the GLOW MERG interventions using dichotomous scales, multi-select and free text responses (Appendix 2). This targeted purposive sample was selected because of their high level of engagement with the MERG to provide a retrospective evaluation of the success of the GLOW MERG, and its interventions for career advancement related to the development of GRIT attributes, knowledge and skills resulting in career advancement for those who are/have been highly engaged with the MERG. Findings The results spanning the past few years of GLOW MERG interventions has shown that the GLOW MERG has been successful in providing targeted educational events that address the GRIT knowledge, skills and attributes, needed for female health-care leaders to be successful in developing GRIT capabilities. By staying true to its mission and vision, the GLOW MERG has been able to promote, educate and empower female leaders at Mayo Clinic while actively breaking down the barriers that can prevent women from obtaining leadership positions. Research limitations/implications There are several limitations with this case study’s data collection and sampling methods. First, the post-session and annual survey sampling was based mainly on ease of access, with responses obtained from respondents who are more likely to volunteer or those with the strongest opinions. This allowed for potential bias as responses may not be representative of all GLOW MERG member opinions. Furthermore, the purposive sample of present and past GLOW MERG leaders was also subject to volunteer bias and may not have be representative of the GLOW MERG population. Additionally, the case study examined the practices of only one site and MERG group and may not be representative of all sites or employee resources groups. Practical implications The interventions implemented by the GLOW MERG to assist women with developing GRIT knowledge, skills and attributes – barriers women often face in leadership roles – were tested, reviewed and discussed during monthly board meetings and event planning. PDSA cycles were conducted, improvements were made and results were shared with key stakeholders through regular communication channels (Langley et al., 2009). Key lessons learned from these assessments include: One size does not fit all for leadership development. GLOW members have a wide variety of backgrounds, skills and experiences. Repetition is important in the development of GRIT knowledge, skills and attributes associated with GRIT. A one-time event provides attendees with an information overview and the steps to start developing a new skill but no dedicated time to practice and implement that skill. Originality/value The innovative utilization of employee resource groups can positively impact the development of leaders within an institution in general and specially can enhance behaviors related to GRIT.

Voice Dispossession and Attributional Accommodation for Career Persistence

This chapter presents the results of a systematic review to analyze the current research since 2019 for voice dispossession as attributional accommodation among women in higher education leadership. The authors sought to quantify and categorize these attributes to better identify the verbal and nonverbal accommodations made by women in higher education leadership to extend prior critical review of gender parity and equity for these leaders. Study findings may inform higher educational leadership to better understand voice dispossession among female leaders and the resulting attributional accommodations made to improve gender equity and parity for leadership roles in higher education.

Vielfalt in der Arbeitswelt

Anyone involved in occupational science or diversity management will notice that diversity in the world of work is being perceived and analysed in an increasingly nuanced way. This involves various dimensions of diversity in different functions, company sizes and industries. This volume brings together various contributions, all of which deal with diversity in the world of work. They address unconscious bias in personnel selection, introverts in leadership situations, sensation seekers in organisations, the motivation of employees in the gig economy, female leaders in middle management, and diversity as an organisational imperative.

Queen Bee Syndrome a Part of Sexual Politics or another Gendered Stereotype

Purpose: The aim of the study is to explore the queen bee stereotype in the financial institutions running its operations in Pakistan since there has been seen an increase in the trend of participation of women in the commercial banks. Design/Methodology/Approach: Using a qualitative research methodology, the lived experiences of the female at leadership position and their subordinates are explored; by recognizing the factors of phenomena of queen bee syndrome as well as the sexual politics prevalent in the banking industry. Findings: The results highlighted that the phenomena of queen bee is a gender based stereotype along with being a part of the sexual politics which is taking place in the banking sector since it is a sector having domination of male. The study also found that there is female to female acceptance and female leaders help their fellow women to grow in the banking sector. Implications/Originality/Value: The study is beneficial to all the stakeholders and provides a clear insight about the predominant dynamics in females working in the same organization but at different position which results in eliminating the perpetuation of biases within female staff members regarding the women leaders.

Gender, sexism, and war

We analyze a model of leader gender and crisis bargaining under asymmetric information. There are no essential differences between the sexes in their willingness to use force, but sexist leaders receive a subjective boost for defeating female leaders in war and pay a subjective cost for defeat. We show that this hostile sexism can lead to war for two reasons, first by offering sufficient private benefits to make peace impossible and second by influencing an uninformed leader’s willingness to risk war. We also show that (a) the effect of leader sex on disputes and war depends on the distribution of power, (b) sexist leaders may initiate disputes at less favorable distributions of power than non-sexist leaders, and (c) sexist leaders adopt bargaining strategies that make it difficult for women to cultivate and benefit from reputations for resolve, even in the absence of sex differences in the willingness to use force.

Improving the Environmental Footprint through Employees: A Case of Female Leaders from the Perspective of CSR

Environmental quality strongly depends on human behavior patterns. Many environmental challenges are rooted in human actions, and thus, it is believed that these problems can be reduced through the promotion of pro-environmental behaviors (PB). Owing to this reality, the current study aims to reduce the environmental footprint of a hospital by promoting its employees’ environment-specific behavior via corporate social responsibility (CSR) and ethical leadership (EL). More importantly, the study also considered the role of female leaders in the proposed relationship. The current study collected the data from the respondents employed in different hospitals of a developing economy through a questionnaire (paper-pencil method). A total of 489 valid responses were collected, which were analyzed by employing the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. As per the current study’s findings, there is a positive relationship between CSR, while EL mediates between CSR and PB. Likewise, the moderating role of female leaders in the proposed relationship was more significant than that of male leaders. More specifically, the study’s findings have considerable theoretical and practical implications, as it opens paths for researchers to further investigate the applicability of different dimensions of CSR and the role of gender in environmental sustainability. It provides insight to policymakers on how to restructure their CSR preferences, priorities on the environment, and gender differences.

Empowering Women in Finance through Developing Girls’ Financial Literacy Skills in the United States

This study examines the effectiveness of a financial literacy program, Invest in Girls (IIG), in promoting financial capability among high school girls. Using a quasi-experimental separate-samples pretest-posttest design and a longitudinal qualitative study, the study aims to assess the program efficacy and investigate the perspectives of the female students on its impact on their knowledge, behavior, and future goals and aspirations. The results indicated that the participants had significantly higher confidence for engaging in financial literacy after the program. The findings from the longitudinal study also suggested that that the program was influencing the students in positive ways, increasing their financial capability and leading them to consider wide occupational pathways available in finance. Given the lack of female leaders in the world of finance, the IIG program aims to address gender disparity in financial knowledge and highlight the importance of building financial literacy skills among girls.

Exploring Female Leadership Advancement in Chinese Corporations: Selection for Senior Positions through Headhunting

<p>Leadership diversity has evoked tremendous debate for decades. This includes the profitability and creativity of organizations and the realization of social capital. In this regard, governments have initiated numerous programs to increase gender equality in leadership positions. A wealth of academic research has also been conducted to investigate factors influencing the paucity of women in the elite leadership group. One noticeable element at the organizational level is the way in which female leaders are selected. Given the increasing proportion of leadership selection conducted through headhunters, this thesis aims at investigating how headhunting influences female leadership progression in the Chinese context. Because the research focuses on meanings and interpretations of female headhunting practices, it employed a qualitative methodology. Consequently, 13 in-depth interviews were carried out in China. In order to make the results more representative, the diverse sample was dispersed not only in Mainland China but in Taiwan. The semi-structured interviews enabled the researcher to gain a deep understanding of how females are selected as well as the underlying elements that can exert influence on the selection results. The findings revealed that the headhunting of female leaders is not a simple or straightforward process. It is influenced by contextual constraints, the recruitment and selections used by headhunters, and no doubt, headhunters’ competency. Also, these issues are influenced by cultural beliefs, economic, and political factors in the Chinese context. Among them, political factors are powerful and interact with cultural and economic factors. They produce gendered results.</p>

Exploring Female Leadership Advancement in Chinese Corporations: Selection for Senior Positions through Headhunting

<p>Leadership diversity has evoked tremendous debate for decades. This includes the profitability and creativity of organizations and the realization of social capital. In this regard, governments have initiated numerous programs to increase gender equality in leadership positions. A wealth of academic research has also been conducted to investigate factors influencing the paucity of women in the elite leadership group. One noticeable element at the organizational level is the way in which female leaders are selected. Given the increasing proportion of leadership selection conducted through headhunters, this thesis aims at investigating how headhunting influences female leadership progression in the Chinese context. Because the research focuses on meanings and interpretations of female headhunting practices, it employed a qualitative methodology. Consequently, 13 in-depth interviews were carried out in China. In order to make the results more representative, the diverse sample was dispersed not only in Mainland China but in Taiwan. The semi-structured interviews enabled the researcher to gain a deep understanding of how females are selected as well as the underlying elements that can exert influence on the selection results. The findings revealed that the headhunting of female leaders is not a simple or straightforward process. It is influenced by contextual constraints, the recruitment and selections used by headhunters, and no doubt, headhunters’ competency. Also, these issues are influenced by cultural beliefs, economic, and political factors in the Chinese context. Among them, political factors are powerful and interact with cultural and economic factors. They produce gendered results.</p>