The impact of gender, family, and work on the career advancement of Lebanese women managers

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to address the research gap on Lebanese women managers and to demonstrate how gender, work, and family factors influence the career advancement of women managers.Design/methodology/approachThe research is qualitative in nature. A total of 32 in‐depth face‐to face interviews were conducted with 32 women managers.FindingsInterview data reveal that Lebanese women managers do not perceive gender‐centered factors as obstacles to career advancement. The women in the study used different terms to describe the impact of gender, work, and family factors on their career progression to those found in existing literature. Their responsibilities towards their families were not perceived as barriers hindering their career progress. In addition, their personality traits, aspirations for management, levels of educational attainment and work experience, and family‐related factors were also not perceived as inhibiting their careers.Practical implicationsThe paper provides new practical insights into the relationships and the interconnections between Arab society, women, and their managerial careers. A strong theme is the significant role of Wasta, the reliance and dependence on social connections versus personal education and achievements to achieve career progress, in enhancing career progression and how gender is less of a criterion in the presence of Wasta.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the limited knowledge about women and management in Lebanon, as well as the Middle Eastern region in general.

Gender and Services Economy: Lebanese Women Position in Complex Arab World

“…Finally, based on a study done by Tlaiss and Kauser (2011), it would be astonishing to see some examination done on the impact of the particular social classes in Lebanon on the work advancement of females. Besides, the influence of religion, society and organization are crucial to a present's position of females in Lebanon.…”

Work-Family Conflict Influences on Female’s Career Development through Career Expectation

“…For example a student who perceives luck to be an important influence on his or her career choice might be less likely to take career exploration and planning seriously [7]. Existing research also assumes that since management requires at able to progress in management simply because they do not have the desire to hold managerial positions [10]. In line with this theory, an individual's decision to invest in human capital (in the form of education and market training) can be understood via the cost-and-benefit or return-to-investment analysis, whereby the costs comprise of forgone earnings and direct costs, while benefits is measured in higher future earnings.…”

“…Individuals' expectancies and values themselves are most directly determined by other achievement-related beliefs, including children's achievement goals and sense of competence. Individuals' interpretations of their previous performance and their perceptions of socializers' attitudes and expectations influence their achievement-related beliefs [10]. Investigating perceived influence on career expectations is important because such perceptions are likely to influence behavior.…”

“…There has been extensive research in western countries, such as the UK and the USA, demonstrating the existence of work-family conflict and its adverse effects on women, both at work and home; see, for example, the work by [5,[9][10][11][12]. However, much of this research is concerned with linking work-family conflict with life satisfaction, job satisfaction and work and home stressors of various kinds.…”

“…This constraint yields a negative direct relationship between family and work resources available for the other domain [5,13]. With fewer resources to invest at work, women's performance may suffer and in turn their ability to earn promotions and financial rewards [6,9,10]. Therefore it is not surprising that women tend to experience more workfamily conflicts [16], so family responsibilities have been considered in the context of women's career progression [1].…”