Career Blockades to Women’s Advancement to Positions of Authority: The role of Power Distance, Emotional Labour and Social Dominance Orientation

Abstract

Despite several efforts to address gender inequality in the workplace, women’s participation in managerial positions is still low, globally and gender-related power imbalances in the workplace continues to persist. This study explores the influence of emotional labour, power distance and social dominance orientation (SDO) on attitudes towards women in high ranking jobs. The study adopted a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design. A total of 315 employees across a wide range of the industrial sector in Southern part of Nigeria participated in the study. Data was gathered using a structured questionnaire and analysed using a three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent samples t-test and hierarchical regression analysis. Findings revealed that emotional labour, power distance and social dominance orientation independently and jointly influenced attitudes towards women in high ranking jobs. (f [1, 315] =17.611; p<.05). Employees with perceived low power distance (x ̅=89.66, SD=18.68) and low social dominance orientation (x ̅=94.73, SD=20.45) significantly reported more favourable attitudes towards women in high status jobs than employees with perceived high power distance (x ̅=72.16, SD=17.04) and high social dominance orientation (x ̅=70.85, SD=12.91). Power distance, social dominance orientation and emotional labour are important in the examination of attitude towards women in positions of authority. It is therefore suggested that trainings and media campaigns to change perceptions be intensified.