Women in Management in the New Economic Environment: The Case of India

Budhwar, Pawan; Saini, Debi S.; Bhatnagar, Jyotsna

doi:10.1080/1360238042000291199

Cited by 122 publications

(101 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…It is therefore not difficult to see why numbers of female loan officers have been declining, given their office and fieldwork demands as well as the cultural and social pressures placed on them. Rather than women adopting a masculine approach, Budhwar et al (2005) suggest that organisations should instead value the 'unique style and attitude' that female managers (in this case, female loan officers) bring to the workplace, encouraging their interpersonal skills to benefit client popularisation of microfinance at the grassroots.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microfinance and Loan Officers’ Work Experiences: Perspectives from Zambia

Siwale

2016

The Journal of Development Studies

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The article studies the challenges faced by microfinance institutions in Zambia, whose remit it is to provide financial services to the poor. It focuses on loan officers -the agents of delivery on the ground. With reference to loan officers' experiences and words, the paper examines how gender and class shape and structure their day to day encounters. The study finds that different social spaces -'the office' and 'the field' -and wider context explains the gendered, culturally complex and multidimensional nature of developmental work at grassroots level. Social expectations emerge as major pressure points more for female loan officers than their male counterparts, making them less suitable for microfinance work, which has traditionally targeted poor women. However, in the process of delivering financial services, managers and clients not only come to depend on loan officers to maintain the quality of services provided, but also place varied and often conflicting expectations on them. Notwithstanding loan officers' critical role in the functioning of microfinance, less scholarship has focused on their work realities and how their everyday encounters at the grassroots with borrowers can leave them disillusioned with the seemingly 'noble' work of microfinance. Little is known, for example, about how social factors such as education, gender and location influence and complicate the work of loan officers in extending credit and other financial services to the poor. In addition, less is known about whether male and female loan officers consequently perform or are judged differently.As the analysis of two Zambian MFIs will show, these social factors do structure loan officer-client encounters and are capable of adding complexities to an already difficult jobespecially for female loan officers. Examining how education, gender and location intersect 1 Other titles such as field staff, credit officers and fieldworkers have also been used to refer to such MFI employees. This study adopts the title of loan officers. 2 Microfinance generally includes a range of financial services, including loans, savings deposits, insurance and money transfers provided to low income clients who lack formal financial access (Tomaselli et al., 2013). In this study we focus on provision of microcredit in a group-based lending methodology.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microfinance and Loan Officers’ Work Experiences: Perspectives from Zambia

Siwale

2016

The Journal of Development Studies

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“…Research further suggests that globalization and sociocultural influences have caused the family system in India to change, and the concept of joint families is slowly waning (Gupta 2005;Chadda and Deb 2013). In addition, women are increasingly coming out of their traditional housekeeping roles to be represented in the labour force and are pursuing professional careers alongside men (Budhwar, Saini and Bhatnagar 2005).…”

Section: Mixed Embeddedness Theory Explaining the Entrepreneurship Ofmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Indian society, the concept of joint families -living with three or more generations -is seen as an 'ideal type' and is common among the élite and the higher caste (nimkoff 2005, 73). As hierarchy is a salient feature of Indian society explained by high power distance (Singh, zhao, and Hu 2005), it plays an important part in family structure and functionality in which seniors, particularly male figures, are given paramount authority (Budhwar, Saini, and Bhatnagar 2005). Women in such patriarchal societies are nurtured in childhood and adolescence to serve the male (Basham 2005;Essers, Doorewaard, and Benschop 2013).…”

Section: Mixed Embeddedness Theory Explaining the Entrepreneurship Ofmentioning

confidence: 99%

Family embeddedness and entrepreneurship experience: a study of Indian migrant women entrepreneurs in Australia

Azmat

Fujimoto

2016

Entrepreneurship & Regional Development

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“…Historically, women in India despite their disempowerment have played a complementary role to men in fields such as agriculture, religion, politics and family (Budhwar et al, 2005). As a result, a paradoxical and hybrid approach to gender equality and leadership is evident which is far from static in the current era characterised of rapid urbanisation, globalisation, and increased awareness of issues of gender equality.…”

Section: Indian Context Of Gender and Leadershipmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paradox of gender and leadership in India: a critical review of Mardaani

Syed

Tariq

2017

SAJBS

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This paper sheds light on the paradoxical and dynamic nature of gender and leadership in India through a critical review of Indian film 'Mardaani' (meaning: mannish). The review shows that masculine stereotypes of leadership are simultaneously reinforced and shattered in the Indian context, and that despite all the odds, women's role in organisations is characterised of dynamism and change. The paper situates this review in the broader context of gender, employment and leadership in India and offers a critical analysis. The analysis has two implications. Firstly, it indicates that women are equally capable of demonstrating worthy leadership. Secondly, it highlights that being a leader, or 'mannish', in the workplace does not mean that women are not responsible for the domestic and caring duties at home. In fact, female leaders in India continue to do the double-shift by struggling to balance their roles in the workplace and their personal lives.

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Women in Management in the New Economic Environment: The Case of India

Cited by 122 publications

References 6 publications

Microfinance and Loan Officers’ Work Experiences: Perspectives from Zambia

Microfinance and Loan Officers’ Work Experiences: Perspectives from Zambia

Family embeddedness and entrepreneurship experience: a study of Indian migrant women entrepreneurs in Australia

Paradox of gender and leadership in India: a critical review of Mardaani

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