SHEGER COLLEGE

MASTERS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Academic Year: 2021/22

Course Title: ADVANCED BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS (MBA 662)

Individual Assignment-Article Review

Reviewed by: Nahom Nega

ID: -0069/14

Section: Regular Section -A

Submitted to:Abdella Kosa(Asst. Prof)

Date: May, 2022

 Reviewed Article

 Bibliographic Reference

Author:1Ms. Manisha Singh, 2Dr.Ch. SDurgaPrasad

Title: The Leadership challenges amongst women managers: An Investigation

Journal Name: IOSR Journal of Business and Management (IOSR-JBM)

Page Number:50-55
1. Purpose of Article/Problem of statement

Although women symbolize over half of the worldwide talent pool, over the centuries,
femininity has been stereotyped as dependent, submissive, and conforming, and hence
women have been seen as lacking in leadership qualities. The male bias is reflected in the
false conception of leadership as mere command or control. As leadership comes properly
to be seen as a process of leaders engaging and mobilizing the human needs of followers,
women will be more readily recognized as leaders and men will change their leadership
styles. In addition, achieving equality for women in corporations, at all levels, is a long and
demanding journey, which requires the implication of the whole company and the strong
commitment of the top management.

Accordingly, this paper aimed to provide an insight to understand the leadership challenges
of women Managers in the continued absence of women from leadership roles. Further, the
study also attempts to suggest how women's talent can be used as a competitive edge to
address the global challenges that corporations will face in the near future.

2. Objective

The intent of this paper is to ascertain impediments hindering women managers’

advancement to leadership positions plus to examine the extent to which the challenges
impinge on female managers’ performances and their progress to leadership positions and
then finally to suggest possible strategies that can be used to enhance women’s’
participation in a leadership position

3. Data used

The study has employed primary data sources through a convenience sampling technique,
and these data were collected using a structured questionnaire. A total of 120
questionnaires were distributed to the respondents, and 96 completed questionnaires were
returned representing a response rate of 80 %.

4. Method of data analysis

To analyze data intended for the purpose, a quantitative approach in the form of a
correlational study was adopted. The independent variables considered are family-related
variables, workplace barriers, lack of networking, and lack of confidence whereas; the
dependent variable is women managers ‘career progression, to the leadership position.
5. Findings, Conclusions, and policy recommendations.

According to the outcome of the analysis and investigation of the study, there is a direct
negative relationship between work-family barriers, organizational culture barriers, and
underinvestment in social capital with women managers' progression to leadership positions.
Men are selected over women for specific positions, given more challenging assignments
that enable them to show their ability and give them high visibility, and given high-value
training and development opportunities that enable the men to obtain skills and
competencies which make them eligible for top management/leadership positions. And these
gender-biased talent management activities have a disadvantageous effect on women
managers' progression to leadership positions.

6. Evaluation points

Theories discussed:

Factors that hindered women from pursuing their progress and expansion of their
careers Burton (1991) and Bierema and Opengart (2002) mentioned as the theoretical
foundation of the paper are: lack of a supportive environment for combining family and
work may the biggest barrier to women‘s advancement to a leadership position( Work-
family barrier); organizational cultural preferences that make women are typical to be
placed in non-strategic sectors rather than in professional and management jobs, lead
them to slow and restrained career progression than men (Organizational culture);
women excluding social functions and events that made them to remain vulnerable and
liable to being rendered invisible and never remembered when promotions were being
discussed (Underinvestment in social capital).

Author argument:

The crucial argument points forwarded by the author are that if more women are
employed in the corporate world, especially in management roles will empower
organizations to leverage the softer skill that women have, which in turn helps them
with the employee as well as customer retention. And Women’s managers ‘progression
to a leadership position is highly impacted and determined by the barriers that restrain
them from pursuing their progress and expansion of their careers.

Alignment of Conclusions with findings:

Based on the purpose or the objective of the research, the articles’ result somehow fits
its objective. But it is not satisfactory. This is because of the researcher source of data
collection. Target populations to collect primary data of the study were only women
managers working in private organizations. Hence, it makes the study limited scope and
 not fully address the viewpoints of all the stakeholder that contribute to the factors that
are hindering women from leadership roles.

7. Contributions

The outcome of this study has several contributions in creating awareness of organization
about the challenges women experiences in their careers. It would also strengthen the fact
that diversity and advancement of women represent an opportunity which organization
cannot afford to ignore.

In addition, the findings from this study can provide inputs for further research providing the
potential factors restrain women from pursuing their progress and possible strategies that can
be used to enhance women ‘s participation in a leadership position.

8. General Critique (Weakness and Strength)

 Strength

A quantitative approach in the form of a correlational study was adopted to achieve the
intent of the research which in turn enabled the researcher to logically hypothesize the
hindering factors that become a barrier to women’s carrier advancement and also
enabled to advent the association among these barriers with women managers’ career
progression to leadership positions.

On top of that, the forwarded recommendations, and frameworks by the author could be
utilized to display the possible strategies that can be used to enhance women‘s
participation in a leadership position.

 Weakness

Although the research implicit the obstacles hindering women managers’ advancement
to leadership positions and the degree to which these challenges impact female
managers’ performances and their progress to leadership positions using the data
collected only from women managers working in private organizations, it fails to
effusively discourse the perspective of all the stakeholder that contribute to the factors
that are hindering women from leadership roles.