Obstacles of Saudi Woman Work in the Mixed Environment: A Field Study

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the obstacles facing Saudi woman while working in a mixed work environment. The main study sample consisted of (223) from the health sector female affiliates and were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of (129) participants from the health sector and workers in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) hospitals. The second group involved (94) participants from the health sector and workers in Najran, KSA hospitals. The study adopted the descriptive and analytical approach and the study instrument consisted of a questionnaire to identify the obstacles that the Saudi women encounter in the mixed environment. Results indicated that the most serious obstacles that Saudi woman encounters in the mixed work environment were social, professional, ethical, and psychological obstacles. There were statistically significant differences between the mean scores of women working in Riyadh and those women who working Najran regarding to the social obstacles in favor of women working in Najran and the ethical obstacles in favor of women working in Riyadh. There were no statistically significant differences between both groups in accordance to psychological and professional obstacles and the overall questionnaire degree. Furthermore, there were significant differences due to the nature of the work, whether a physician, nurse, or administrative employee regarding the social obstacles in favor of the woman working the administration field. There were significant differences with regard to both ethical and psychological obstacles in favor of women working in the administration field.