Barriers to women’s participation and contribution in the process manufacturing industry: Managerial insights from multiple case studies in an emerging economy

Abstract This study examines multilevel barriers to women’s participation and contribution to the process manufacturing industry in an emerging economy. We employed an exploratory multiple-case study approach, and 24 semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior corporate managers. Drawing on the behavioral reasoning theory, intellectual capital-based view, and institutional theory-based view, the findings highlighted several individual, organizational, sociocultural, infrastructure, and institutional barriers at micro, meso, and macro levels that inhibited female participation in the manufacturing sector. This study is one of the early empirical investigations to examine the obstacles hindering women’s contributions to the process manufacturing industry in an emerging country, applying three theoretical lenses – behavioral reasoning theory, intellectual capital-based view, and institutional theory-based view. Furthermore, the insights gained from the study contribute to the literature on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the operations management domain by developing a multilevel integrative model of barriers to women’s participation in the manufacturing sector.