Gender and Women's leadership aspirations within Zimbabwe's formal employment sector: A multi-sectorial approach

This study seeks to contribute to the knowledge gap on the impact of gender on women’s leadership aspirations in formal employment across Zimbabwe’s financial, educational, agricultural, mining and State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs). It identifies the barriers to women’s leadership aspirations; comprehends their coping strategies; identifies the critical success factors and determines the strategies to address the leadership-related challenges faced by formally employed female executives. The pragmatic research philosophy guided this exploratory research which utilised a mixed-method research approach based on questionnaires, interviews and secondary data in the form of company and national gender policies. The researcher targeted a sample of 90 lower, middle and higher-level female employees selected on the basis of non-probability sampling. Data analysis was based on mixed methods of Excel spread sheet and thematic coding while informed consent, confidentiality and anonymity were key ethical considerations. The research established that female executives are subject to societal level barriers, recruitment level barriers, career pipeline barriers and government level barriers in their quest for top leadership. Societal-level barriers encompassed lack of spousal support, triple burden and gender insensitive language while recruitment-level barriers included the gender insensitivity of recruitment committees. Career-pipeline barriers included competition from male jobs seekers, absence of mentorship opportunities, lack of respect and failure to get positive attribution from performance management experts at work. Aspiring females struggled for promotion and were often locked out of informal networks which form the bases of career mobility. The existing gender policies were considered inadequate to cater for the leadership aspirations of women given their generic nature. In coping with these barriers, female executives employed extra help to meet the requirements of the triple burden, formed workplace alliances and adopted masculine traits when the power of persuasion could not win them the loyalty needed to do their work. The female executives also required a range of critical success factors including the ability to communicate and listen effectively, the availability of mentorship opportunities by means of role models, team development, socio-emotional competency, empathy, job competencies. The female executives could also adopt a set of strategies such as lobbying for the repeal of current laws, advocating for affirmative action at work, demanding the appointment of capable female executives, leadership development, education and the setting of own independent standards that should guide female employment trends. The research recommended the government to craft more gender appropriate legislation to promote inclusivity at work while organisations were urged to be more tolerant towards sex differences in their recruitment, selection and promotion at work.