EQUITABLE PROJECT ASSIGNMENTS AND WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP: PATHWAYS TO TEAM PERFORMANCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL VALUE

Project-based organizations increasingly depend on managers who can coordinate expertise, negotiate stakeholder expectations, and translate temporary project outputs into long-term value. At the same time, opportunities to manage strategically important projects are not necessarily distributed equally. This thesis examines women's access to project leadership through the specific lens of assignment fairness: who is entrusted with complex projects, how leadership performance is evaluated, and whether access to responsibility supports advancement. Rather than treating gender as a predictor of managerial ability, the analysis considers how organizational structures can enable capable leaders to demonstrate their skills.