TITLE:
Woman and Management: A Conceptual Review, with a Focus on Muslim Women in Management Roles in Western and in Muslim-Majority Countries
AUTHORS:
Christopher Adam Bagley, Mahmoud Abubaker, Afroze Shanaz
KEYWORDS:
Female Managers, Muslim Women, Muslim Cultures, Discrimination, Patriarchy, Intersectionality, Islamophobia, Patriarchy
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Business and Management,
Vol.6 No.2,
April
30,
2018
ABSTRACT: We consider the roles of Muslim women managers, executives and professionals
in three ways: as women qua women; as women of the Muslim diaspora
in Western countries; and as women in Muslim Majority Cultures
(MMCs). In reviewing the literature on the “glass ceiling” which prevents
women achieving parity with men in middle and senior management roles, we
are impressed by the work of Helgeson and Johnson on the special qualities of
women in management roles, and compare their social psychological model
with accounts of “strong” Muslim women who, drawing on Islamic traditions
have performed many leadership roles outside of the traditional family. Nevertheless,
it is Muslim women’s strength as strong family managers, with men
being supporters rather than leaders of such family roles, which we generalise
in describing an ideal model of a Muslim women manager. We draw too on
traditional Islamic models in describing the kind of capitalist enterprise which
may thrive in MMCs, and in which women will play leading roles. Nevertheless,
we observe that in many MMCs non-Muslim (but strong) traditions of
patriarchy often prevail, and subvert women’s search for higher education and
leadership roles. This review advocates reforms in MMCs which will allow
women to enter the world of employment, and to rise to higher managerial
positions. At the same time, we observe the strong prejudices against Muslim
women entering managerial positions in Western cultures, based on multiple,
intersecting prejudice and discrimination against women; against visible ethnic
minorities; and against those who are visibly Muslim. Further qualitative
work in this field is advocated.