The Role of Culture in How Women Perceive Their Barriers to Leadership Advancement

Abstract

The purpose of this master thesis is to examine the barriers to leadership confronting modern-day women through a cross-cultural lens and, as such, enhance the understanding of women’s most common barriers as well as provide substance to the recently established leadership labyrinth metaphor (Eagly & Carli, 2007a). The study applies a qualitative approach, collecting data through semi-structured interviews with twenty-nine female leaders working in Iceland, Norway, and Italy. The findings suggest four key barriers: (1) commitment to leadership, (2) self-promotion and negotiation behaviors, (3) the current leadership landscape, and (4) work-home conflict. The study further highlights the relevance of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions model (6D model) for understanding cultural differences and the impact of those differences on women’s perceived barriers to leadership. The study then offers practical recommendations to organizations on how they can help mitigate the main barriers confronting women by fostering a more inclusive and supportive leadership environment.