Barriers to Arab female academics’ career development

Abstract

Purpose Arab female academics struggle to advance within their universities in both academic and managerial ranks. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the factors hindering Arab women’s academic career development through studying the case of Jordanian academic women. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered through document analysis (Jordan constitution, Jordanian Labour Law and its amendments, higher education and scientific research law, Jordanian universities’ law and universities’ HR policies and regulations), interviews with 20 female academics and a focus group with 13 female academics (members of the Association of Jordanian Female Academics). Findings The results indicate female academics as tokens facing many interconnected and interrelated barriers embodied in cultural, social, economic and legal factors. The findings support the general argument proposed in human resource management (HRM) literature regarding the influence of culture on HRM practices and also propose that the influence of culture extends to having an impact on HR policies’ formulation as well as the formal legal system. Originality/value The influence of culture on women’s career development and various HR practices is well established in HR literature. But the findings of this study present a further pressure of culture. HR policies and other regulations were found to be formulated in the crucible of national culture. Legalizing discriminatory issues deepens the stereotypical pictures of women, emphasizing the domestic role of women and making it harder to break the glass ceiling and old-boy network.

Impact of Gender Discrimination on Women's Skill Development in the Workplace in a Northern Region of Peru – 2023

“…Therefore, organizations that promote skill development among female employees within the workplace will contribute to their professional progression. Consequently, if organizations do not facilitate conditions for skill development in terms of isolation from leadership opportunities, limited training, or lack of confidence in assuming high-level roles, the professional progression of female employees will be limited (Ensour et al, 2017;Jáuregui & Olivos, 2018;Mayer et al, 2019). Furthermore, Cruz et al (2022) argue that the proliferation of gender discrimination practices in the workplace represents not only a violation of women's fundamental rights but also a significant loss of human capital and economic potential for organizations and countries worldwide; this calls for designing policies and strategies aimed at promoting skill development within organizations and reducing discriminatory practices.…”

Career Success, Participation and Representation of Women Academic Lecturers as Leaders in an Indonesian Tertiary Institution

“…In addition to the increase in women's education that has undergone changes, it turns out that they still do not have a place in professional work, especially in positions of leadership, and in addition to cultural factors, women themselves face additional obstacles [25]. It is increasingly challenging for women to break the glass ceiling due to cultural, social, economic, and legal factors, as well as their domestic role [26].Pertaining to female lecturers' perceptions of achievement, participation, and career representation at Bhayangkara University Jakarta Raya, it is seen that in tertiary institutions, women in structural positions may find it difficult to advance their academic career in terms of getting to a higher academic rank. Women's leadership is a barrier to women's careers in several tertiary institutions, including at the level of gender and cultural differences [27], underestimating the field of women's education [28].…”

The Role of Human Resource Management in the Context of Jordanian Higher Education: A Study of the Literature

“…From a different viewpoint, a study by Ensour et al (2017) focuses on women academic employees working in some universities in Jordan and the challenges they face in career development. They identify different factors of influence such as culture, religion, and institutional pressures.…”

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