Purpose This paper aims to examine how educational leadership identities are constructed and negotiated at the intersection of immigration, academic status, gender, ethnicity, culture and language within UK higher education by giving voice to the non-Western European minority of female middle managers. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a combined narrative and multiple case study approach to gather data from ten participants. To fully explore the complexities of intersectional leadership identity construction, the study adopts a unique four-stage analysis, consisting of thematic, positioning and narrative parts. Findings With gender as a central focus, this study reveals dilemmatic identities that oscillate between resistance to and compliance with institutional and patriarchal discourses, including gender norms, intellectual hierarchies and cultural stereotyping. As middle managers, participants’ identities are further destabilised by institutional neglect, intensified workloads and role uncertainty. Practical implications The findings have implications for policymakers in higher education, middle management, human resources and mentorship within the under-researched field of leadership in Institution-Wide Language Programmes (IWLPs). It makes a compelling case for leadership development in the age of austerity for foreign language education. Originality/value This study makes an original contribution to educational leadership scholarship by revealing the complexities of intersectional identity construction of middle-level leaders in the previously unexplored context of IWLP. The triangulation of feminist poststructuralist, critical race, dilemmatic identity and social role theories adds theoretical value to the study.
Purpose The paper aims to analyze women's participation and leadership in finance research over the last decade. To this end, the research considers three streams: (1) female authorship of scientific articles on finance, (2) the gender gap in authorship and (3) female participation in high-impact articles.Design/methodology/approach The research is supported by the quantitative methodology of bibliometric analysis. The authors used a unique data set of 10,457 academic articles published in 250 scientific journals by 26,858 (co)authors from 123 countries. The data were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Subsequently, the gender of the 26,858 (co)authors was determined to analyze the role of women in financial research.Findings The findings show that over the last decade (2014-2023) female authors in finance articles averaged around 22%. However, at the beginning of the period women accounted for 20.1% of (co)authors, while at the end of the period their representation reached 26.7%. Consequently, the gender gap dropped from 59.8% to 46.5%. Although the gender gap remained evident throughout the period analyzed, the data reveal advances in women's participation within academia. Regarding women's leadership in finance research, results reveal that only 21.4% of authors of the most cited papers are women and in just 24% of these high-impact articles a woman appeared as the first author, evidencing persistent male dominance in leadership positions within academic finance.Research limitations/implications Some limitations should be acknowledged, such as the small subsample used for the analysis of women's leadership and its descriptive nature, which may limit the generalizability of the results as well as the identification of the causes behind the gender gap. Likewise, the use of a binary variable to determine gender (male or female) could also be considered a limitation.Originality/value This study advances the gender and finance literature, going beyond the analysis of authorship by incorporating women's academic leadership as a key contribution, a perspective largely absent from previous research. By distinguishing between barriers to women's access and barriers to academic promotion, the study provides new insights into gender inequalities in the academic labor market within a context of neoliberalization and marketization of higher education. Likewise, it fosters debate on the Sustainable Development Goals (5 and 10) by examining gender equality in research and its connection to the academic labor market.
Purpose This case study aims to examine reactions following the 2025 Czech Parliamentary elections, in which the civic campaign “Circle a Woman” led to a record increase in female representation. It explores whether this outcome advanced gender equality or provoked backlash discourses questioning women’s legitimacy and merit. Design/methodology/approach Using qualitative discourse analysis, the study investigates statements by political leaders, media coverage and verified social media posts within two weeks after the elections (10–22 October 2025), capturing the peak of post-election commentary and debate. The findings are compared with data from the 2021 elections to identify changes in public rhetoric. Coding focused on frames of meritocracy, legitimacy, tokenism, sexism and ageism, with emphasis on contrasts in the portrayal of women and men. Findings Results indicate that, although the campaign effectively increased women’s representation, several political and media actors framed the outcome as “unfair” or “undeserved.” Female MPs were often described as “too young” or “inexperienced”, whereas comparable scrutiny of male politicians was rare. The asymmetry of these evaluations reveals persistent gendered and ageist biases that undermine perceptions of competence and equality. Research limitations/implications The analysis is limited to Czech mainstream and online media and two election periods (2021, 2025). Future research could expand the comparative perspective across Central and Eastern Europe to assess whether similar patterns of conditional legitimacy emerge elsewhere. Practical implications Findings suggest that political actors and equality advocates should anticipate and counter gendered and ageist narratives through targeted communication strategies that promote an informed understanding of preference voting. Social implications By revealing how subtle media framing reproduces gendered and ageist hierarchies even in seemingly egalitarian contexts, the study highlights the importance of fostering inclusive public discourse. Promoting awareness of symbolic backlash can strengthen democratic culture and support broader societal acceptance of women’s political leadership. Originality/value The study contributes to understanding representational backlash in post-election discourse in Central Europe. It links feminist institutionalism and media framing to reveal how gender, age and merit intersect in the construction of political legitimacy.
Purpose This paper aims to critically examine how career aspirations have been conceptualized and studied, with a focus on undergraduate women. Drawing on a scoping review, the authors synthesize theoretical models, definitions, measures, predictors and outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The authors reviewed 67 articles from 2001 to 2024 from ten databases, following the PRISMA-scr protocol. Findings Besides identifying conceptual and methodological gaps, this review shows that career aspirations are often studied through individualistic lenses, neglecting the relational, institutional and structural contexts in which they emerge. The authors propose a comprehensive multilevel model that integrates micro-, meso- and macrolevel factors; reflects on established career theories (e.g. Social Cognitive Career Theory, Gottfredson’s Theory of Circumscription and Compromise); and provides a foundation for developing interventions and policies. The authors also redefine career aspirations as context-sensitive, future-oriented goals related to one’s working life, shaped by personal values, cultural norms and structural conditions. Originality/value This review explores the epistemological validity of the career aspiration construct in light of precarization of work and the pluralism of values, while critically examining the underlying assumptions of dominant career theories. It also proposes a context-sensitive conceptualization of aspirations, as shaped by the interplay between agency and structural conditions, rather than a fixed indicator of ambition or linear career progression. Finally, it connects career development research to broader debates on gender inequality and social justice, supporting multilevel and contextually grounded approaches to research, interventions and policy in higher education and the workforce.
Purpose This paper aims to explore how social infrastructures shape the leadership trajectories of women in Poland’s logistics industry. It applies a feminist lens to reveal how organisational culture, emotional labour, mentorship, training and feedback operate as infrastructures that either enable or constrain women’s leadership, despite formal gender-equality measures. Design/methodology/approach Using Feminist Standpoint Research, this study draws on in-depth interviews with women occupying or supporting leadership roles in a logistics centre in Poland. Grounded theory techniques identify key themes within women’s narratives, centring their lived experiences as legitimate sources of organisational knowledge. Findings Findings reveal that gendered power relations persist through masculine organisational cultures, expectations of emotional self-regulation and inconsistent support systems. Women’s leadership trajectories are strengthened by empathetic mentorship, women-focused training and constructive feedback, yet constrained by exclusionary cultures and the unequal recognition of emotional labour. Originality/value This study advances an “infrastructural” feminist framework for understanding gender inequality in organisations. By conceptualising infrastructures as relational systems rather than isolated policies, it contributes to feminist organisation theory and offers insights for reconfiguring support for women leaders.
PurposeThis paper aims to examine women's participation in informal employment in Lebanon through an intersectional lens that foregrounds power, positioning and agency under conditions of protracted crisis. It advances intersectional scholarship by conceptualizing women's informal labor in Lebanon as a translocational and relational field of power, where agency emerges within shifting configurations of legality, gender, citizenship and crisis.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on interviews with 20 women and Anthias's frameworks of translocational positionality, the study shows that women's economic lives are shaped not by fixed identities but by dynamic intersections of legality, gender, economy, space and social networks. Legal status, citizenship and displacement anchor women in distinct forms of precarity, while adaptive practices, social ties and moral commitments enable survival, recognition and micro-resistance. Informality is thus both a site of vulnerability and a space where relational, situated and ethically grounded agency emerges.FindingsThe paper illuminates the differentiated experiences of Lebanese, Syrian refugee, Palestinian refugee and migrant women and advances intersectional analyses by linking macro-level structures to micro-level practices and translocational positionality. Legal status, displacement and crisis structure differentiated forms of precarity. Within these constraints, women negotiate work, identity and aspiration through relational and moral practices that produce context-bound and situated agency.Originality/valueThis study offers grounded empirical evidence from Lebanon on how women navigate informal labor under crisis conditions, while extending intersectional analysis beyond Western contexts. It reconceptualizes informal work as a dynamic site where vulnerability and agency are co-produced. The findings challenge homogenizing interpretations of informal work and offer critical insights that support dignity, resilience and context-sensitive empowerment in precarious labor contexts. It extends intersectional analysis beyond Western settings and offers a comparative, multi-level framework for understanding gendered labor in crisis-affected economies.
Purpose Female leaders are increasingly recognized for their pivotal role in enhancing team performance within the business sector. The purpose of this study is to uncover how work–family enrichment (WFE) functions and affects female leadership effectiveness (FLE). Specifically, the research investigates the mediating and moderating roles of work-to-family enrichment (WTFE) and family-to-work enrichment (FTWE) on FLE. In addition, it examines how various combinations of WFE resource dimensions influence FLE. Design/methodology/approach Using a mixed-method research design, this study integrates two studies. Study 1 gathered survey data from 193 teams, encompassing 193 female leaders and 684 team subordinates. Study 2 utilized a crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis to analyze interview data from 58 female leaders. Findings Results from Study 1 indicate that both WTFE and FTWE positively impact FLE. Positive affect (PA) is identified as the critical mechanism mediating these effects. In addition, the research reveals that family support moderates the indirect effect of FTWE on FLE via PA. Study 2 uncovers 11 distinct pathways, including three core configurations, which facilitate higher levels of FLE. Originality/value This research contributes significantly to understanding how resource depletion and gain coexist in work and family roles among female leaders. It provides practical recommendations for organizations aiming to enhance FLE through diverse and inclusive strategies.
PurposeGuided by the Theory of Gendered Organizations and concepts of institutional isomorphism, this study aims to the maturity of gender diversity in the top management of Brazilian state-owned, publicly traded sanitation companies.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative, documentary approach analyzed corporate reports from seven sanitation companies between 2022 and 2024. A seven-indicator maturity model, grounded in literature on symbolic versus substantive representation, was developed to assess the gap between policy adoption and outcomes.FindingsThe findings reveal a variance in maturity, with some companies achieving "Mature" status on policy adoption while female representation remains low (averaging 20%). This exposes a significant gap between symbolic commitment and substantive change. The results suggest that embedded gendered structures and informal mechanisms like homophily persist, rendering formal policies insufficient on their own to dismantle the glass ceiling.Research limitations/implicationsReliance on documentary data may not capture informal practices influencing gender equality.Practical implicationsThe study provides a replicable framework for diversity maturity and highlights the need to move beyond policy adoption toward implementing accountability mechanisms that address informal barriers and link diversity goals to performance.Social implicationsBy demonstrating the persistence of inequality in a sector vital for public health, it underscores the need for stronger governance to advance social justice and democratic representation in public services.Originality/valueThis research contributes by providing a critical analysis of diversity maturity in the context of Latin American public utilities. It refines the application of maturity models to expose the symbolic-substantive gap and advances theoretical understanding of why gendered organizations are resistant to change.
PurposeThis study aims to identify the blind spots of feminism regarding trans and non-binary individuals in the workplace and to develop an empirically grounded, queer-informed analytical framework, queer diversity management (QDM), that translates queer theoretical insights into organizational diversity analysis. The study emphasizes the importance of acknowledging individual differences in the workplace beyond gender binaries and preferences, with implications for welfare, rights, inclusion and organizational value creation.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative research used a combination of phenomenology, queer theory and grounded theory methodologies. Data were collected through snowball and purposive sampling from 228 trans and non-binary employees across various sectors. The approach prioritized the lived experiences and perceptions of participants to construct a bottom-up theoretical framework.FindingsThe study proposes the five-factor "Queer Diversity Management" framework, which expands queer theory in organizational contexts. The five factors include the following: improving and integrating workplace feminism, transgender, non-binary gender, queer theory, feminism; QDM; color-blindness management in differences; discourse management in the workplace; we-self-empowerment and productive differences. These dimensions illustrate how queer-inclusive frameworks can address gaps in existing feminist approaches and foster inclusive, innovative and empowering workplace environments.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to qualitative data from self-identified trans and non-binary employees, which may not fully capture the diversity of experiences across cultures and organizational types. Future research could expand this model through comparative or longitudinal studies.Practical implications QDM offers actionable insights for organizations, HR practitioners and policymakers aiming to foster inclusivity and productivity. The framework supports relationship-building across stakeholder levels and helps businesses unlock creativity and innovation through embracing diverse identities.Social implicationsThe findings challenge prevailing norms of workplace gender inclusion, promote social justice for marginalized identities and highlight the transformative potential of queer perspectives in achieving equity and collective empowerment.Originality/valueThis study contributes a mid-range, empirically derived framework that interrogates the organizational limits of dominant feminist and QDM paradigms through queer analysis. The QDM framework introduces an alternative, inclusive lens for understanding and managing diversity in the workplace, grounded in empirical data and lived experience.
Purpose This paper aims to examine how intersectional leadership is practised and constrained within UK higher education through the lived experience and critical autoethnographic reflection of a racialised woman equity leader. Drawing on critical race theory (CRT), Black feminist thought, decolonial pedagogy and the concept of the racial regime, it interrogates how whiteness, patriarchy, capitalism and social class co-produce the conditions under which racialised women lead, belong and labour in the academy. Conceptually, the article advances a Relational, Intersectional Leadership Model that integrates equity practice, reflexivity and systemic change, anchored in relational accountability and belonging as structural rather than merely affective. Design/methodology/approach Methodologically, the paper employs critical autoethnographic reflection, treating poetry, leadership narratives and institutional encounters as data to theorise intersectional leadership from the margins. In contrast to compliance-driven Equity, Diversity and Inclusion approaches and contradiction-closing interventions, the paper argues that intersectional leadership offers both a diagnostic lens on structural inequality and a transformative praxis for reimagining leadership as collective, justice-oriented and rooted in care, solidarity and epistemic justice. Findings It further introduces the notions of Misogynislam, the racialised and gendered targeting of Muslim and “Muslim-appearing” women and the Racial Navigator, the racialised leader who must continually plot routes through hostile institutional architectures. It concludes by outlining implications for leadership development, governance and future research that seek to move beyond representational diversity toward relational, race-literate and intersectional leadership in UK higher education. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper offers original conceptual and methodological contributions by advancing a Relational, Intersectional Leadership Model grounded in CRT, Black feminist thought and decolonial praxis and by introducing two new concepts – Misogynislam and the racial navigator. Through critical autoethnography, it provides rare, insider insight into the racialised labour of equity leadership and exposes how whiteness, patriarchy and capitalism shape belonging in the academy. The inclusion of a poem deepens the epistemic and affective dimensions of the work, demonstrating the value of creative scholarship for illuminating structural violence, honouring lived experience and expanding how leadership knowledge can be produced and understood.
Purpose This study aims to investigate the organisational factors that contribute to Australia’s persistent gender pay gap (GPG), which remains a challenge despite existing legislation. By analysing structural workplace factors like industry division and employer size, the authors use machine learning to build predictive models, moving beyond simply describing the problem to proactively identifying and addressing the specific drivers of pay disparity. Design/methodology/approach Using 2022–2023 data from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), the study analysed 7,800 Australian organisations. It used multiple machine learning models – including linear regression, random forest and neural networks – to predict the GPG based on employer and industry characteristics. Model performance was compared using R² and classification accuracy metrics. Findings Neural networks achieved the highest accuracy (91.9%), showing that employer size, sector and leadership composition are key predictors of the GPG. Sectors such as financial services, construction and mining exhibited the largest pay disparities. Surprisingly, the presence of flexible work policies correlated with higher GPGs, suggesting these policies may be reactive measures rather than indicators of equitable workplace culture. Originality/value This research is among the first to apply AI-driven algorithmic modelling techniques to the WGEA data set for GPG prediction. The paper offers a twofold contribution by providing novel insights into how specific organisational attributes influence pay equity: academically, it advances methodological lens within gender studies by applying machine learning to a field traditionally dominated by econometric or qualitative methods. Practically, it provides a powerful new tool for regulators and organisations to identify the specific drivers of the GPG, allowing them to target interventions precisely where they are most needed.
PurposeThis paper aims to investigate how intersectionality shapes the leadership practice of Black women across K-20 education in the United States. Using a phenomenological design guided by COREQ standards, the authors analyze interviews to illuminate four themes: pathways to leadership, intersectional sensemaking, social-justice praxis and institutional conditions. The purpose is to move beyond description by linking lived experience to theory and actionable policy. The authors articulate implications for leadership preparation, organizational practice and equity policy - advancing SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Findings offer transferable guidance for cultivating inclusive cultures, mentoring pipelines and bias-aware, accountability-oriented evaluation in education and broader management contexts.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a qualitative, phenomenological design to capture the lived experiences of four Black women educational leaders across K-20 contexts in the United States. Guided by the COREQ framework, semistructured interviews were conducted and transcribed, with informed consent and safeguards to minimize risk. Data were coded inductively, and thematic analysis identified four core themes reflecting participants' leadership pathways, intersectional sensemaking, social-justice praxis and institutional conditions. Thematic saturation was determined when no new insights emerged across transcripts. Reflexivity and triangulation enhanced rigor, ensuring findings reflect authentic narratives while contributing to leadership and management scholarship on intersectionality and equity.FindingsFindings reveal four interrelated themes. Pathways to leadership were nonlinear, reflecting uneven access and reliance on mentors/sponsors. Intersectional sensemaking shaped values, decision-making and visibility; race and gender jointly informed how authority was exercised and judged. Social-justice praxis was enacted through advocacy, community-/team-building, mentoring pipelines and inclusive hiring/evaluation practices. Institutional conditions included racialized-gendered bias, tokenism and opaque evaluation systems; leaders navigated these through coalitions, boundary-spanning and strategic use of formal authority. Across cases, participants coupled strong equity orientations with concrete, accountability-focused actions, yielding transferable lessons for leadership preparation, EDI systems and outcomes-based evaluation beyond K-20 educationResearch limitations/implicationsThe study's phenomenological focus and small, purposefully selected US K-20 sample (n = 4) limit generalizability; findings are transferable to similar contexts. Self-selection and retrospective recall may bias accounts; anonymization constrained contextual detail. Cross-sectional data preclude causal inference or change over time. Despite COREQ-guided rigor and thematic saturation, variation by sector, geography and intersectional identities (e.g. class, sexuality, disability) remain underexplored. Implications: pursue multisite, longitudinal and mixed-methods designs; develop comparative cross-sector and international studies; integrate administrative/HR data on hiring and evaluation; assess EDI and positive-action initiatives using outcomes (not intent); and test scalable mentorship/sponsorship pipeline models.Practical implicationsPractical implications center on actionable strategies to advance equity in leadership. Institutions should formalize mentorship and sponsorship pipelines, create transparent hiring and evaluation rubrics, and embed bias-mitigation protocols in recruitment, promotion and performance review processes. Leaders and organizations can strengthen EDI initiatives by moving beyond symbolic intent to measurable outcomes, ensuring accountability. Training and professional development should emphasize intersectional awareness, allyship and inclusive decision-making. Findings encourage policymakers and practitioners to design systems that recognize the additional labor and contributions of Black women leaders, while cultivating organizational cultures that value equity, collaboration and long-term leadership sustainability.Social implicationsSocial implications highlight how intersectional leadership advances equity beyond organizational boundaries. By addressing racialized-gendered bias, Black women leaders foster inclusive educational and community cultures, strengthening social cohesion and opportunity structures. Their praxis - mentoring, advocacy and coalition-building - creates pipelines for underrepresented groups, broadening access to leadership. Findings underscore the societal value of allyship, antiracist policy and accountability frameworks in dismantling systemic barriers. Advancing Black women's leadership contributes directly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 5 and SDG 10) by promoting gender equality and reducing inequalities, ultimately enhancing democratic participation, civic trust and community well-being across diverse sectors.Originality/valueThis study contributes original value by situating Black women's leadership within the broader leadership and management literature, extending intersectionality theory beyond education. It foregrounds the lived experiences of leaders rarely centered in empirical research, highlighting how identity, praxis and institutional context converge to shape leadership. Unlike many descriptive accounts, this analysis offers theoretical integration (ethics of care, transformative leadership, praxis) and policy-relevant insights tied to SDG 5 and SDG 10. By documenting strategies that both resist bias and build inclusive pipelines, the study provides transferable lessons for scholars, practitioners and policymakers across sectors seeking equity-driven leadership models.
PurposeThis paper aims to focus on how gendered racial microaggressions (GRM) affect leadership withdrawal intentions (LWI) of racially minoritized women in leadership positions. It attempts to ascertain whether this relationship is mediated by inclusion frustration (IF) and moderated by patriarchal organizational culture (POC).Design/methodology/approachUsing intersectionality theory and basic psychological needs theory as a foundation, a cross-sectional survey involving 984 women leaders from a variety of countries and fields was conducted. Regression-based path analysis, as well as moderated mediation and instrumental variable regression techniques, was used to evaluate the hypothesized mediation and moderation relationships, controlling for industry, country and organization.Findings GRM is positively correlated with LWI, and this relationship is partially mediated by IF, according to the results. Both direct and indirect impacts are considerably stronger in organizational settings with a patriarchal culture. The psychological harm of GRM exposure is more severe in settings that uphold the dominant leadership norms of whiteness and masculinity.Originality/valueTo the best of the author's knowledge, the current research expands the scope of intersectional leadership by presenting the first comprehensive empirical model that demonstrates how systemic bias undercuts the sustainability of leadership for women of color. The research introduces the concept of IF as a phenomenon that should be considered and measured as part of leadership disengagement and emphasizes POC as a particularly aggravating contextual factor that exacerbates the harms of exclusion. These findings can be used to inform leadership development and design of inclusive organizations as well as antibias response implementations.
Purpose This study aims to explore gender dynamics in African facilities management (FM) by identifying the structural and cultural barriers that limit women’s participation in decision-making, design and implementation. The study argues that the absence of gender-responsive FM policies and routines produces unsafe, inefficient and unsustainable environments and proposes actionable reforms to African institutional realities. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a semi-systematic review, combining structured database searches (Scopus and Google Scholar) with interpretive synthesis of peer-reviewed research, policy documents and African case studies. Guided by abductive reasoning, the analysis is framed through gendered organisations theory and feminist institutionalism to bridge literature and practice. Findings Gender inequities in African FM arise from leadership under-representation, role stereotyping that channels women into “soft services”, limited access to technical training/certification and weak translation of gender policy into operational routines. Exclusion from early design and capital-works decisions undermines safety, accessibility and user well-being. Evidence points to five levers for change: explicit inclusion of FM in national gender policies; gender-responsive procurement and contractor governance; mandated participation of women in design and oversight; targeted capacity building (mentorship, scholarships, certifications); and data systems that track gendered access, authority and advancement (e.g. a women’s empowerment in FM index). Originality/value The paper contributes an Africa-grounded policy and practice framework that converts gender commitments into auditable FM tools, checklists, procurement clauses, dashboards and empowerment metrics, linking equity to core FM outcomes (reliability, safety, cost and sustainability). It offers pragmatic guidance for governments, FM associations, universities and industry, aligning with the sustainable development goal (SDG 5 – gender equality) and the Africa Agenda 2063.
PurposeThis study aims to examine why leadership legitimacy remains fragile for South African Black women leaders despite increased representation in senior and executive roles. Existing research has focused on access, advancement and representation, leaving under-examined how legitimacy is evaluated and withdrawn after appointment. This study frames leadership legitimacy as a process governed through ongoing evaluation shaped by historically sedimented power relations.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, drawing on semi-structured interviews with 25 South African Black women in senior leadership positions. Interviews explored leadership trajectories, evaluative encounters and moments of recognition and contestation. Data were analysed through an iterative interpretive process informed by Gadamerian hermeneutics, tracing how organisational memory, path dependency and evaluative regimes structure legitimacy over time.FindingsLegitimacy remains conditional and reversible, sustained through permanent evaluation; tenure and performance do not secure consolidation. Participants described heightened scrutiny, shifting thresholds and recurrent challenges to authority, particularly in high-stakes contexts. This study identifies shielding labour as a central empirical pattern: a compelled form of work through which leaders anticipate, absorb and neutralise racialised, gendered and classed deficit assumptions to sustain credibility.Originality/valueThis study frames leadership legitimacy as a temporally governed and institutionally produced process rather than an individual achievement. By foregrounding permanent evaluation as an organising principle of authority, the study extends inequality regime theory by showing how unequal distributions of legitimacy work are reproduced after formal inclusion. The authors redirect attention from individual performance to organisational conditions through which authority remains conditional, reversible and unevenly sustained.
PurposeThe global Fintech revolution has reshaped financial services, promising unprecedented innovation and financial inclusion. Yet, beneath rapid technological advancements lies a persistent gender imbalance, with women continuing to occupy fewer than 10% of leadership roles within global fintech firms and only 5% in Indian Fintech start-ups and established firms. What are the barriers preventing a greater participation of women in the Indian Fintech sector? This study aims to draw on interviews with multiple Indian women Fintech leaders to understand the barriers preventing their equal participation and growth in the sector. Design/methodology/approachDrawing on an original qualitative dataset of nine in-depth semi-structured interviews with senior women leaders in India’s fintech sector, this paper uses purposive sampling and systematic thematic analysis to investigate the biases and barriers they encounter. The analysis identifies three intersecting challenges – (1) access to capital, (2) perceptions of leadership capability and (3) exclusionary professional networks, and highlights the progressive steps taken by these women in fintech organisations to address some of these biases. By centering a small, hard-to-access group of women in fintech leadership, the study offers a distinctive empirical contribution to scholarship on gender and leadership in financial technology. FindingsThe interviews highlight the deeply embedded structural and cultural barriers facing women in the fintech sector including 1) exclusion from informal networks, 2) lack of visible role models and 3) investor bias leading to limited access to capital. Originality/valueThe paper adds to the growing body of literature on women’s entrepreneurship in India. It invites scholars to go beyond the simplistic narrative of fintech as a democratising force, and to focus more on the institutional, cultural and financial challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in the Indian fintech sector in particular, and in the Global South in general.
PurposeSaudi Arabia has faced widespread gender gaps, discrimination and inequality; however, with Vision 2030, government reforms and changes in the laws, there has been improvement in women's rights. Saudi women today are better educated, more informed and have greater workforce participation. Despite these advances, women have limited opportunities to hold leadership positions. The purpose of this study, therefore, is understand how women who have attained leadership positions achieve and succeed.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, the researchers describe Saudi women's leadership experiences as expressed in semi-structured interviews with eight women working in leadership positions. Analysis of transcripts aims to identify the challenges and supports these leaders experienced.FindingsSeveral themes emerged from the analysis: sociocultural factors, impact of societal change and supports for career development. Sociocultural factors such as the impact of religion, education, women's roles and modesty and gender mingling play a significant role in determining the success of women leaders. In addition, supports for career development such as competency for the job, role models, management support and continued professional development were identified as important to the success of these women leaders.Practical implicationsResults of this study have practical implications for educational institutions including teaching women to navigate change in the country and to self-advocate. Implications for organizations include corporate diversity and equity training and policies.Social implicationsTo implement the reforms within Vision 2030, government policies and society needed to change. This challenges traditional conservative religious ideologies. Being aware of this, the government initiated public awareness campaigns to create a supportive environment for change. These changes have impacted society, including women's roles.Originality/valueThis paper provides analysis of original data from women leaders during a time of government reform and societal change in Saudi Arabia. It discusses the significance of Islamic feminism and Vision 2030 in shaping the opportunities available to women leaders.
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of academic mothers in higher education institutions in the Indian subcontinent. In Indian society, while fathers and other caregivers may assist, the primary responsibility for physical and emotional caregiving typically falls on mothers. As a result, motherhood is often viewed as a uniquely gendered experience. This research explores how these women balance academic roles with caregiving responsibilities, highlighting the tension between the realities of academic motherhood and institutional productivity expectations.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopted an autoethnographic approach, integrating participant narratives alongside a year of reflective journaling. Anchored in feminist institutionalism (FI), role conflict theory and social role theory, this framework presents a rigorous interpretive approach that examines how academic mothers navigate competing demands and construct meaning within institutional contexts.FindingsThis study develops a conceptual triad encompassing everyday resistance, cognitive modularity and temporal fragmentation, which represent the strategies that academic mothers use to balance parenting and scholarship. Grounded in role conflict theory, social role theory and FI, this critique examines feminist literature on academic motherhood and labor in higher education. The analysis challenges the notion of continuous productivity linked to institutional excellence and reconceptualizes caregiving as a space for alternative academic practices.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this interpretive autoethnographic study are context-dependent and should not be generalized statistically. However, they provide significant theoretical implications for re-examining the nature of gendered academic work as well as the interplay between caregiving identities and the culture of academic institutions.Practical implicationsTo acknowledge caregiving as a significant component of academic identity, this study urges organizations within and beyond higher education institutions to critically reassess their existing policies and evaluation frameworks. This study advocates the development of more inclusive systems that consider mental health, offers temporal flexibility and equitably recognize the scholarly contributions of women.Originality/valueThis study contributes to feminist scholarship in academia by positioning caregiving as a significant and innovative avenue for knowledge production, rather than viewing it as an obstacle to knowledge production. Acknowledging the lived experiences of academic mothers within the wider context of academic achievement fosters a radical feminist framework for institutional reform.
PurposeThis paper aims to examine the asymmetric pattern in the effect of female leadership on firm decision-making, where the same leaders exhibit contrasting risk attitudes depending on the strategic core nature of business activities.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses the Economic Census data on the Egyptian firms in 2018 with a particular focus on the small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This data set is carried out by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics in Egypt. The empirical work uses an instrumental variable approach in non-linear models (IV-Probit) to achieve its objectives. Additionally, robustness checks are conducted using a recursive bivariate probit (RBP) model and further robustness was developed to incorporate other measures of women's leadership as well as different classifications of strategic (core) and non-strategic activities.FindingsThe findings report a robust asymmetric pattern: female leadership simultaneously increases outsourcing of non-strategic activities (by 3.51 percentage points) while decreasing outsourcing of strategic activities (by 1.19 percentage points). This dual approach persists across firm characteristics, suggesting female leaders systematically distinguish between strategic and peripheral business functions in their risk-taking behavior. Female leadership supports the protection of the firm's intellectual capital, know how and strategic competencies.Originality/valueThis study is the first to document that female leadership's influence on risk-taking systematically varies based on activity type. This challenges the conventional view of gender-based risk preferences as uniformly conservative, revealing instead a nuanced approach that differentiates between strategic and non-strategic business functions.
