Institutional Agents: A Significant Facilitator of the Advancement of Women Leaders

Research on women's employment in the Arab world has highlighted a scarcity of women in senior leadership positions, often suggesting cultural conservatism and embedded gender-segregation within organizational structures. While these perspectives are not unfounded, these views may not fully capture the varied lived experiences of women leaders in the Arabian Gulf, particularly in the UAE. This study examined the influence of institutional agents on the career advancement of women leaders. The authors employed a phenomenological approach to explore the professional experiences of highly educated, women Arab leaders. The focus was specifically on their perceptions of gender discrimination, networking opportunities, and access to institutional agents. A sample population was purposefully identified; as such these findings may not be generalizable to the broader population. Data were collected via open-ended interviews and analyzed through multiple stages of coding stages using Atlas.ti. The results of this study present certain contradictory evidence to the existing literature. Notably, the women in this sample reported that gender discrimination was not a significant barrier to their career advancement. Further, the institutional agents most frequently identified by this sample of women were men. These findings suggest emerging narratives of a more gender-inclusive work culture. Moreover, these results offer a unique perspective that UAE professional environments may be more inclusive than previously reported. The findings of this study suggest that a more educated and diverse workforce could be contributing to a more inclusive atmosphere, challenging traditional views of workplace dynamics in the region.