How do Qatari Females Make it to the Top? An Examination of the Organizational Constraints to their Advancement

Abstract

AbstractAlthough Qatari females have increased their economic participation and reached remarkable educational attainment over the last decade, this has not been paralleled with good representation at management position. Accordingly, this study was initiated with the aim to identify the main organizational constrains encountered by Qatari females throughout their careers. The study revealed that Qatari females are still very lowly representated at senior management levels although they have made good progress at medium and lower levels of management. It is also indicated that no current discrimination is made against Qatari females in terms of selection and recruiting, working hours, training, engagement in critical projects and compensation. However, the study reported that promoting Qatari females is still at low pace. Gender-specific as females’ family commitments was reported as the main constrain to their promotion from the males’ perspective and gender-difference as uncertainty of real increased responsibilities and authorities level were the main constraint to females’ promotion from the females’ perspective. The study ends by recommending, on the absence of major organizational discrimination, that greater inclusiveness of Qatari females in decision-making positions and greater accountability of organization to advance females should be considered critically in order to ensure the ease advancement of Qatari females to the top.