Published works on Saudi women in organizational contexts are overwhelmingly reductionist, producing a singular story and a monolithic "Saudi woman." This book aims to counter the master narrative on Saudi women in leadership by offering an intimate reading of the women’s stories and experiences. The author interviews 14 Saudi women leaders focusing on the women’s stories of leadership identity, workplace "resistance," and alternative forms of knowledge.
From a methodological standpoint, the reader is given the opportunity to encounter the women at three different levels of analysis: Master narrative, counter narratives, and my narrative. There is also a theoretical discussion surrounding a variety of feminisms: Postcolonial feminism, Islamic feminism, and Decolonial Feminism. This theoretical engagement will enable readers to understand the difficulty of the theoretical terrain, while also acknowledging the possibility for future theory development.
Expanding on previous studies on Saudi women in leadership by taking the discussion away from challenges to the ways in which the women navigate those challenges, this book serves as an emancipatory and inclusive tool in research with practical implications in business. This book will be of value to researchers, academics, and professionals in the fields of leadership, management, gender, and diversity.
Author(s): Liela A. Jamjoom
Series: Routledge Studies in Leadership Research
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 226
City: New York
Cover
Endorsements
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
Part I: Introduction, Theory, and Methodology
1. Introduction
"The Personal is Political"
Why Saudi Women in Leadership?
Context: Saudi Arabia and Gender
Saudi Women in Leadership: (Un)knowns
Research Questions
Postcolonial Feminism: An Unveiling Process
Methodology
Analysis: Narratives, Discourses, and Carrying Capacity
Theoretical and Practical Contributions
Structure of Book
Notes
References
2. Postcolonial Feminism: An Exploration/Struggle
Postcolonialism: A Disclaimer
History of the "Making of Saudi Arabia"
Postcolonialism: An Overview
Globalization, Modernization, and Colonialism
Postcolonial Feminism: Threading Pieces
Islamic Feminism
Structural Domination and Suppression of the Heterogeneity of Saudi Women
Resistance
The Production of a Singular and Monolithic Saudi Woman
The Codification of "Knowledge" about Saudi Women
The Power of Representation: A Final Note
Summary of Chapter 2
Notes
References
3. Research Design: A Closer Look
Master Narrative
Counter Narratives
My Narrative: Being Reflexive
A Note on Language
Data Analysis
Narrative Analysis
Critical Discourse Analysis
Examples of "power of discourse"
Examples of "power over discourse"
Summary of Chapter 3
Note
References
Part II: Master Narrative
4. Master Narrative
Master Narrative: Gender and Saudi Arabia
Earlier Works on Women in Saudi Arabia
Saudization
Segregation
Gender and Leadership in Saudi Arabia
Gender and Leadership in Western Scholarship: Connecting Literature from the Saudi Context
Vision 2030 and Women
Colonizing Saudi Women: Missing Pieces
Structural Domination and Suppression of the Heterogeneity of Saudi Women
The Production of a Singular and Monolithic Saudi Woman
The Codification of "Knowledge" about Saudi Women
Summary of Chapter 4
Notes
References
Part III: Counter Narratives
5. Leadership Identity
Once Upon a Time: The 80s' Part I
Once Upon a Time: The 80s' Part II
A Note on Context
Asserting Identity and Balancing People's Perceptions
"Lady, Lady. I am Real Woman"
Ms. Green
The Sweet Spot
The Western Woman
The Mother Role
The Intersections of Gender and Leadership in the Saudi Context
Hijazy Woman in Riyadh
Bedouin: The Question of Origin and "Saudi" Identity
The Liberal Woman
Discussion and the Power of Multiplicity
Summary of Chapter 5
Notes
References
6. Workplace Resistance
The Body as a Site of Resistance
My Balls
Body Presentation
Dress
Structural Power and Resistance
Resisting Masculine Structures
Negotiating for Women
Barriers to Presentation
Diwaniya and Resistance
Bending Organizational Rules and Playing the Game
Persistence as Resistance
Strategic Silence
Self-Reflection as Resistance
Discussion
Summary of Chapter 6
Notes
References
7. Alternative Forms of Knowledge
Alternative Forms of Knowledge: The Heterogeneity of Feminism
Humanism and not Feminism
Equal but Different Thesis
The Theft of History
Islam and the Feminist Debate
Yes I Am, But ...
A Last Quote: Context Matters
Discussion of Findings: Structure and Agency
The Macro: Power of a Discourse
Discourse of National Reform
Commodification of Gender
The Micro: Power over a Discourse
How do Saudi women leaders construct their leadership identities?
How do Saudi women leaders resist power in the workplace?
What are the alternatives forms of knowledge that can be surfaced from Saudi women leaders' narratives?
Theoretical Contribution
Practical Contribution
Summary of Chapter 7
Notes
References
Part IV: Beyond the Narratives
8. Reflexivity: Past, Processes, and Future Direction
Upbringing
Organizational Opportunities and Memories
The Daughter
Absent Women
Just a Pretty Face
Convincing Man
Flipping the Master Narrative
Limitations and Future Direction
Concluding Remarks
Notes
References
Appendix A. Data Collection
Research Paradigm
Women of the Study: Recruitment and Characteristics of the Women
Interviews
References
Index
