Women in Organizations: Evidence from Arab World Katlin Omair
PhD student, University of Jyväskylä
Women in Organizations: Evidence from Arab World Katlin Omair
PhD student, University of Jyväskylä
Objectives
Specify the topic and region under study.
Give an introduction of the region’s socio-economic situation.
Explain the statistics.
Give an overview of the researches conducted in the region about women managers.
Map of the Middle East
Adult literacy rate at 2004
Youth literacy rate (aged 15-24) at 2004
Female labour force (% of total)
Attitudes towards women who work
Moderate change from traditional attitudes to more liberal views.
Considerable gender gap, with women more supportive than men.
No great generation differences among men, but very strong generation differences among women.
Situation may change in favour of women in near future.
Sectors employing women
Service sector and local market.
Less investment or experience required.
Less interaction with general public.
Hobbies can be expressed.
Traditionally female jobs: schools, hospitals, social work, hair-dressing, tailoring.
Over-employment in some of the female-dominated jobs is ten times the need.
Reasons for working
Enjoyment or hobby
Utilize knowledge and skills
Occupy oneself
Personal development
Self-recognition
Economic gain
Ambition
Independence
Obstacles for career advancement
Inequality in promotion and pay (women earn 35% of what men earn).
Women as higher employment risk due to familial duties.
Traditional stereotypical attitudes.
Patriarchal environment imposing restrictions on women’s daily lives.
Women are prevented from taking decision-making or key power positions.
Men given priority and women discouraged from working if men can replace them.
Women’s professional capabilities questioned.
Male resistance to women in management.
Obstacles (continuing)
Feeling inferiority complex towards men in management.
The absence of human resource policies and strategies to promote women managers.
Lack of professional management training programs.
Corporate cultures forbidding gender interactions.
Exclusion from formal and informal networks.
The absence of mentoring programs.
Men controlling key networks and more likely to be mentors.
The absence of benefits e.g. flexitime, child-care support, job-sharing.
Conflicting roles of being a domesticated wife and mother and a business woman.
Opportunities for success
Good education (also from abroad).
Government support and faster services.
Using husband’s or father’s influence.
Family relationships and knowing the right people.
Developing informal networks.
Positive attitudes from business partners.
Consulting family on business matters.
Work-family balance
On average two servants to help with children and housework.
A combination of family and career is possible as far as it does not interfere with one’s role as a mother or wife.
Husbands’ and wives’ roles have changed.
Family structure changed from joint to nuclear family.
Social and cultural factors influencing women’s working lives
The biggest obstacles for women are the tradition and customs that place them in inferior position.
Majority of women do not (or cannot) question the customs and traditions and have tried to manipulate the system or carve out their own ways.
Laws, customs and norms are based on Islam and its teachings.
No secular law on personal status has been established, formal secular laws cannot be established if they come against deeply rooted customs and traditions.
A wide distinction between religion and the patriarchal interpretation of religion.
Islam functioning as liberating force for women.
Patriarchal interpretation of Islam based on customs from pre-Islamic era.
Comments on researches
Quantitative methods used (e.g. MAWWWS; AWS; Ben’s Sex Role Inventory).
The researches lack scientific or analytical focus.
A need to research all aspects of women’s managerial work and leadership.
Studies of ethics and CSR are non-exisant.
The impact of tradition should be included in all studies of business in Middle East.
A need to study patriarchy and hostile sexism in Arab countries.
A need to study acculturation and whether new cultural patterns are finding base in Middle East.
Thank You for Your attention! Questions and comments, please.
Comments