Employee attitudes toward national women managers in diverse public and private sector organizations in the UAE

Purpose The study aims to explore the attitudes of employees toward national women managers in the UAE, where expatriates dominate the workforce. It seeks to understand the impact of demographic diversity on perceptions of women’s leadership in public and private sectors. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey design was utilized, with data collected from 412 employees through a self-administered questionnaire. The survey assessed attitudes toward national women managers and recorded demographic variables. Gender and leadership theories informed the literature review. Findings Attitudes toward national women managers showed significant variation based on age, education, nationality and experience, with medium to large effect sizes and p-values below 0.05. Gender did not significantly influence attitudes, challenging prevalent gender-based assumptions. Hence, male and female employees hold positive attitudes toward women managers. Research limitations/implications The study’s limitation lies in its cross-sectional design, which captures attitudes at a single point in time, potentially overlooking longitudinal changes in perceptions. Practical implications Positive attitudes toward national women managers indicate progress in gender equality. Organizations can leverage these findings to promote inclusive leadership practices. Social implications The study suggests a societal shift in attitudes toward women in leadership, with implications for gender roles and equality in the workplace. Originality/value This research contributes new insights into the gender dynamics of leadership in the UAE, highlighting the nonsignificant impact of gender on attituds toward women managers, contrary to existing literature. Consequently, the perception has shifted toward a more positive direction in the Arab Gulf.