Patriarchal hegemony: Investigating the Impact of Patriarchy on Women’s Work-life balance
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Date
2019
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Gender in Management: An International Journal
Abstract
Purpose – Research on the impact of patriarchy and patriarchal norms on women’s work-life balance is
scarce. A typical patriarchal society, such as Nigeria, tends to be organised based on gender, and the construct
is embedded in the culture. This paper aims to investigate the impact of patriarchy on women’s work-life
balance in a non-Western context: Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach – The authors adopt a qualitative research approach to enhance their
insight into the issue of patriarchy and women’s work-life balance. Data for the study were collected over a
four-month period, using semi-structured interviews as the primary method of data collection.
Findings – The findings of the thematic analysis reveal the impact of patriarchy on women’s work-life
balance in Sub-Saharan Africa, specifically Nigeria. Women’s aspirations to achieve work-life balance in this
part of the world are often frustrated by patriarchal norms, which are deeply ingrained in the culture. The
findings of this study reveal that male dominance of and excessive subordination of females, domestic and
gender-based division of labour and higher patriarchal proclivities among men are the ingredients of a
patriarchal society. These issues make the achievement of work-life balance difficult for women.
Research limitations/implications – The extent to which the findings of this research can be
generalised is constrained by the limited sample size and the selected research context.
Practical implications – The insights gleaned from this research suggest that there are still major
challenges for women in the global south, specifically Nigeria, in terms of achieving work-life balance due to the
prevalent patriarchy and patriarchal norms in the society. Strong patriarchal norms and proclivity negatively
affect women’s work-life balance and in turn may impact employee productivity, organisational effectiveness,
employee performance and employee punctuality at work. However, an Australian “Champion of Change”
initiative may be adopted to ease the patriarchal proclivity and help women to achieve work-life balance.
Originality/value – This paper provides valuable insights by bringing patriarchy into the discussion of
work-life balance. This issue has been hitherto rare in the literature. It therefore enriches the literature on
work-life balance from a patriarchal perspective.
Description
Keywords
Women, Flexibility, Work, Gender discrimination, Flexible working hours
Citation
34(1) 19-33