Gender and leadership in public higher education in South Asia

Examining the Individual, Socio-Cultural and Organizational Barriers to Female Inclusion

Dados Bibliográficos

ID5019607
AutoresMd Asadul Islam (0000-0002-2420-3705, BRAC Business School, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh), Dieu Hack-Polay (0000-0002-1038-5018, University of Lincoln (UK), Lincoln, UK, autor correspondente), Mahfuzur Rahman (0000-0002-3386-9613, Lincoln International Business School, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK), Amer Hamzah Jantan (0000-0003-1519-4584, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Malaysia), Francesca Dal Mas (0000-0001-6477-4177, Ca' Foscari University of Venice), Maria Kordowicz (0000-0002-1405-9607, Lincoln International Business School, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK)
Ano2023
Volume48
Fascículo8
Páginas1197-1215
Data de publicação2023-08-03
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoStudies in Higher Education (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0307-5079 • E-ISSN: 1470-174X
EditoraInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/03075079.2023.2187771
OpenAlexW4327587972
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas18
Referências citadas73

The study examines the personal, social, and organizational barriers facing women in university leadership positions in South Asia, building on the cases of Malaysia and Bangladesh. We discussed the topic through the lens of interactionist feminist theory. Semi-structured interviews with 20 female deans from 12 public universities in Malaysia and Bangladesh were conducted, followed by two focus group discussions with eight female deans. The results reveal that personal barriers such as family duties, lack of technological knowledge, interest in taking leadership positions, spousal support and poor time management, and lack of spousal support represented the major barriers for female deans in Bangladesh. Lack of interest in deanship was found to compound the underrepresentation of women in dean roles. The participants identified fewer socio-cultural barriers faced by Malaysian female deans, while Bangladeshi participants met major issues. The organizational barriers for female deans in public universities were reported. The findings hold significant organizational and policy implications

Focus group · Higher education · Organizational culture · Political science · Public relations · Sociology · Gender Diversity and Inequality · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · Psychology · Work-Family Balance Challenges