Religious Expectations Research Articles

Communication dynamics and media interactions of young adults who have attempted suicide: a qualitative thematic analysis

ObjectiveThe study examines the potential effects of communication processes and media consumption habits on suicide ideation among male and female young adults aged 18–29 who have attempted suicide at least once.MethodsIn-depth interviews were analyzed using MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2024, and thematic analysis was applied according to Braun and Clarke’s model.ResultsFour themes emerged: (1) Family-related factors, (2) sociopsychological factors, (3) sociocultural factors, and (4) media-related factors. Regarding family-related factors, most participants come from broken family structures and commonly report issues with family communication and experiences of violence. Regarding sociopsychological factors, anger issues, despair, and addictions among participants were observed to increase suicide tendencies. Regarding sociocultural factors, most participants expressed difficulties in conforming to society and feeling pressures from cultural or religious expectations. Regarding media-related factors, it was noted that a vast majority of participants spend long hours consuming media daily and frequently interact with content that leads them into adverse emotional states, primarily for time passing on social media platforms.DiscussionThis research not only reinforces information in the literature but also presents unique findings compared to similar studies, particularly in cultural and geographical contexts. The results uniquely highlight the diversity in perceptions of the relationship between religion and suicide. While literature generally notes religion as a deterrent to suicide, this study reveals that intense religious pressure could increase suicidal tendencies through effects like rejection and hatred of religious values. Media also plays a reinforcing role in this context.ConclusionIn conclusion, this study elucidates the complex interactions underlying suicide attempts among young adults and provides a solid foundation for policies and interventions aimed at better managing media interactions, which play a critical role in suicide prevention efforts.

Sartorial Strategies of Female Punks in Malaysia’s Socio-Religious Landscape

This study explores the sartorial strategies employed by female punks in Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country, to navigate the complex interplay of subcultural identity, local socio-cultural norms, and religious expectations. Utilizing an ethnographic approach, the research reveals how these women selectively adapt their appearance across various social settings, balancing their allegiance to the punk subculture with the pressures of local societal norms. By using clothing as a symbolic tool, they maintain a coherent sense of self while negotiating different social landscapes. Drawing on symbolic interactionism, this study portrays punk identity as a dynamic and interpretive process, challenging the notion that subcultural styles are purely about resistance. Instead, it suggests that these practices can facilitate integration and acceptance, enabling individuals to bridge multiple social worlds. By advancing the conceptual framework of localization of subculture the research not only examines the formation and expression of subcultural identities through style but also how these identities are continuously adapted to personal and social changes. This study underscores the importance of local context in shaping subcultural practices and highlights the adaptive responses of these women, thereby repoliticizing punk subculture styles in a Malaysian setting.

Analysis of Consumer Perceptions of Financial Transparency in Insurance Product Marketing Practices in Indonesia

This study examines how Indonesian consumers perceive financial transparency in insurance product marketing and how it impacts trust and loyalty. It explores the role of cultural, religious, and financial literacy factors in shaping these perceptions, offering insights into the broader dynamics of consumer behavior. Using a systematic literature review approach, the research analyzes secondary data from previous studies on transparency, trust, and insurance marketing. The findings indicate that clear and accessible communication about policy terms, costs, and benefits positively influences trust. When transparency aligns with cultural and religious expectations, it significantly enhances loyalty. The study also highlights that consumers with higher financial literacy are more critical in assessing transparency, while those with lower literacy tend to rely more on trust. The results support the hypothesis that transparency fosters trust and long-term loyalty within the insurance industry. Practical implications suggest that insurance companies, particularly in emerging markets like Indonesia, should prioritize transparent communication strategies that align with consumers’ cultural and religious values to build competitive advantages. Future research should explore transparency across different regions and the role of digital tools in enhancing transparency.

Exploring barriers to physical activity participation among female nursing students adhering to specific social-cultural norms in Indonesia: A qualitative study.

The prevalence of insufficient physical activity is common among nursing students and impacts their academic performance. Research on obstacles to physical activity (PA) among religious women, notably Muslims, is limited. This study aimed to explore barriers to PA among Indonesian Muslim female nursing students and gather suggestions for overcoming those barriers. This study used a qualitative descriptive design. Two focus groups were conducted with 12 Muslim female nursing students in Makassar, Indonesia. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were collected from May and July 2019. Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify core themes and sub-themes. Thematic analysis identified barriers to PA across four main themes: intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, and social-cultural related to religious context. Each theme included two to three sub-themes, totaling nine categories of PA participation barriers. Intrapersonal barriers consisted of low motivation, emotional states, and a sedentary lifestyle. Interpersonal challenges included a lack of family or friend support and family obligations. Institutional barriers involved academic workload prioritization, school environment inaccessibility, and absence of athletic curriculum policy. Socio-cultural barriers posed by religious expectations included gender-related concerns and modest dressing. Drawing from their perspectives as Muslim female nursing students, study participants proposed six strategies to address these barriers. Proposed solutions include promoting PA through Apps, forming female team-up clubs, providing designated exercise spaces, and implementing mandatory athletic courses for nursing students at the institutional level. Additionally, offering female instructors and private exercise rooms could reduce the barriers from a socio-cultural perspective caused by religious expectations. The study found that Muslim female nursing students with dual roles face increased barriers to PA participation, driven by intrapersonal and interpersonal levels, nursing learning load, and religious norms. Schools could build environments to meet the religious expectations within Indonesian society to promote PA for Muslim female nursing students. For example, the practical strategies include offering private rooms or female instructors when they physically exercise in school.

Lived religion and digital homemaking: The case of Indonesian marriage migrants

The article examines the intersection between two key fields in which international migrants respond to displacement and negotiate a sense of home: digital media and religion. The example chosen is the vlogging strategies used by Indonesian marriage migrants to navigate complex religious relationships with their followers and weave these into wider homemaking practices. The vlog analysis and in-depth interviews with the Indonesian marriage migrants in France and Belgium show that religion is an important element in constructing a sense of home in new locations. However, the immediacy of vlogs exposes them to religious expectations from followers back in Indonesia. As a result, homemaking is shaped by a complex interplay between the feelings of belonging and alienation in relation to their followers. Using vlogs, the marriage migrants seek to maintain control over their sense of home by building a mediated form of religious tolerance with their followers through adapted religious expressions in the vlogosphere.

Negotiating the Task of Translation: Modern Orthodox Students Read the Hebrew Bible

This paper speaks to translation as a powerful window into students’ developing religious literacy practices. It considers how 10- and 11-year-old North American Modern Orthodox Jewish students read and translate the Hebrew Bible refracted through their own cultural and religious expectations: in other words, how students use translation to negotiate their knowledge of biblical Hebrew with their lived experiences of family and gender in the context of modern Jewish life, ritual, and practice. In a Modern Orthodox Jewish school setting, Hassenfeld conducted interviews with 12 students. With each student, she used a task-based interview, asking the students to read and translate a single biblical verse (Genesis 16:15) into English. In completing the translation task, the students applied their technical knowledge of biblical Hebrew and their religious expectations of the ancient text. While translation is perceived in many Modern Orthodox educational contexts as primarily technical (i.e., the precursor to any interpretive activity), this case study suggests that student translation work cannot be separated from interpretive work. While the data set is small and the results only suggestive, the study raises an important theoretical question for future consideration: how can translation be better framed by religious educators who teach sacred texts in their original languages to allow students to understand the necessary interpretive demands it entails?

Reimagining home and responsibility: The case of queer Indonesian Muslims

This article investigates the lived experiences of queer Indonesian Muslims by revealing how the intertwined concepts of tanggung jawab (responsibility) and home are navigated within the boundaries of national values, religious faith, and non-normative genders and sexualities. Through ethnographic research across Java, Indonesia, the analysis illustrates how tanggung jawab is enmeshed with societal and religious expectations that redefine the notion of home for queer Muslims. Home, in this context, transcends its meaning as a physical geography to represent an emotional and spiritual haven where family, faith, and queer identities intersect. The article further explores the relevance of biological and traditional family connections, presenting a contrast to the Western focus on queer chosen families. By exploring the symbiotic relationship between responsibility and home, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of queer Muslim subjectivities, exploring their unique strategies for forging identities and spaces of belonging within Indonesia’s heteronormative societal framework.

Impact of Assurance, Reliance, and Compliance on Customer Satisfaction: Insights from Islamic Banks in Pakistan

This study examines the influence of assurance, reliance, and compliance on customer satisfaction within the Islamic banking sector in Pakistan. The study utilized a quantitative research design to distribute structured questionnaires to customers and employees of Islamic banks, aiming to capture diverse perspectives on service quality. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) via Smart PLS to validate the relationships between the constructs based on the adapted SERVQUAL model. The findings demonstrate significant positive impacts of assurance, reliance, and compliance on customer satisfaction. Assurance was shown to instill confidence in customers; reliance underscored the importance of dependable banking operations, and compliance with Shariah laws was critical in aligning services with customers' ethical and religious expectations. These insights are precious for Islamic banks seeking to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty in a competitive market. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence from the Pakistani context and suggesting practical implications for improving service delivery in Islamic banking. Limitations and directions for future research are also discussed, emphasizing the need for broader geographical coverage and longitudinal studies. Keywords: Islamic Banking, Customer Satisfaction, Assurance, Reliance, Compliance, Shariah Law, Structural Equation Modeling.

Cultural religion and infertility in South Africa with particular focus on amaXhosa

The challenge of women’s infertility in the South African context, particularly in rural communities, continues to be a plague because of cultural and religious systems that are interwoven in these communities. The amaXhosa ethnic group is no exception to this challenge given that it is profoundly rooted in its ethnological and religious belief systems. Nevertheless, the fair popularity of this conundrum does not denote that it is not a problem that compromises people’s welfare with major adversarial effects on women. Therefore, this article aims to conduct a scoping literature review to reflect on and explore the cultural and religious implications as well as intricacies of infertility among the amaXhosa ethnic group. The principal findings and discussions indicate that amaXhosa, specifically those that are deemed a couple, are compelled to bear children because of cultural and religious expectations that are further linked to societal expectations. On account of this, the principal arguments herein indicate the necessity to contest and examine how African religious systems, in the context of amaXhosa, configure the overall existence of many individuals, with special reference to issues of infertility.Contribution: The scholarly significance of this article lies in the stimulation of ethnological and religious dialogues that pursue to serve as agents of social transformation in the South African context. In addition to this, the emphasis is on the existing gap that points out that some of the injustices that exist in today’s society are profoundly rooted in African culture and its religious facets.

MUSLIM WOMEN AND AGENCY: CHANGING RELIGIOUS PATTERNS A CASE STUDY OF TURKISH AND IRANIAN WOMEN

We investigated the lives of lower-middle-class traditional-religious Muslim Women in the Middle East, with an emphasis on women in Ankara and Tehran. This article seeks to show the opposite aspects of current theories that show the concept of agency is typically useful to the upper middle classes, vice versa submission and obedience are characteristics typically used to describe the lower middle classes. In addition, Studies in the field of religion and women consider the emancipation of women from the structure of patriarchy and the challenge of the beliefs and interpretations of traditional Islam to belong to the upper class and elite of society. The study analyzed 50 women to show maybe their everyday life is silent, hidden, and slow but these women have been able to demonstrate their empowerment with low education and low economy. The results revealed that these women often did not think and act regarding social, cultural, traditional, and religious expectations as passive, and submissive personality but they looked for redistribution of their facilities and opportunities and also gain internal independence while they were conscious of what is going on in their current situation. Furthermore, they have not used religion as a tool to expand their empowerment opportunities, but they have challenged traditional Islam and the interpretations that have tried to suppress them with the help of patriarchy for long years. They have inadvertently opened the space for the entry of religious intellectualism thoughts into their practical everyday life. Indirect opposition to the laws that have a jurisprudential basis has caused women to go beyond the stage of resistance, and this opposition as an intangible struggles has been able to change aspects of their lives, and eventually, it shows a more concrete view of Islam's equality towards women.

Breaking the 'Law of the Father': Linda Rademan's transgressive engagements with Afrikaner patriarchy in the home

Artist, Linda Rademan, was born in the mid-1950s in an Afrikaans home where 'the law of the father' pertained in all matters. She has professed ambivalence about her upbringing, which was circumscribed by an Afrikaner Nationalist ideology, underpinned by patriarchal dominance, and strictly conformed to the narrow Calvinistic precepts of the Dutch Reformed Church. In her work, memories of childhood and family dynamics are employed to expose the stranglehold of religious expectations, the permeation of male privilege, and the suppression of women's voices in Afrikaner culture. In this paper, I analyse selected works in which Rademan has intervened in photographic memorabilia by embroidering and sewing or 'suturing' areas of her work. The use of sewing and embroidery has been employed as a feminist strategy since the early 1970s, and I argue that its use here not only aims to overturn the patriarchal hierarchy of artmaking but is an attempt to visually mend (suture) the psychologically damaging aspects of Rademan's childhood upbringing. In this way, her approach becomes a therapeutic means to engage with the painful process of self-integration, as well as a vehicle to redress the exclusion of women's voices in her family and culture by presenting an alternative image of Afrikaans womanhood.

Why do the devout remain devoted? Exploring religious expectations and relational compensators.

Why do the devout remain devoted? Exploring religious expectations and relational compensators.

Existence of Fatwa of the National Sharia Council of the Indonesian Ulema Council (DSN-MUI) No. 108/DSN-MUI/X/2016 Concerning Guidelines for Organizing Tourism Based on Sharia Principles: Between Spiritual and Regulatory

The halal tourism industry, a significant sector in Indonesia, hinges on a harmonious blend of sharia principles and national legislation. This dual regulatory framework plays a pivotal role in ensuring the industry's robust growth while adhering to cultural values and legal safeguards. Sharia law, represented by fatwas (Islamic rulings), is a foundational element in halal tourism. These principles encompass various aspects, such as halal food, modest dress codes, and ethical behavior, aligning with the cultural and religious expectations of Muslim travelers. To fortify this alignment with the legal structure, it's crucial to integrate these fatwas into positive law, the national legal framework. This integration achieves several vital objectives. First, it establishes a legal foundation for the halal tourism industry, giving it a solid footing within the broader legal context of the country. Second, it enhances transparency, ensuring that halal tourism operators and tourists alike understand the rules and expectations, thereby fostering trust and credibility. Third, it ensures that the industry remains compliant with both Sharia values and national regulations, leading to a more sustainable and inclusive sector. The ultimate goal is to create a halal tourism industry that not only caters to the needs of Muslim travelers but also upholds legal standards, protects consumer rights and contributes positively to the nation's economy and cultural heritage. By synergizing Sharia principles with national legislation, Indonesia can pave the way for a dynamic and legally secure halal tourism industry that benefits both its people and its image on the global stage.

Veiling within the Corinthian Context: An Examination of Cynthia Long Westfall’s Reading of 1 Corinthians 11:2–16

Abstract Paul’s exhortation in 1 Cor 11:2–16, discussing (among other topics) the reason and purpose for a woman to cover her head, has proven to be a perennially difficult passage for exegetes. Cynthia Long Westfall has recently offered an intriguing interpretation, asserting that some modern, Western readings of the passage, which view Paul’s directives as reinforcing oppressive restrictions on women, fail to account for the way the veil acted to protect certain vulnerable women from potential exploitation. Westfall asserts that many women of the Greco-Roman world, especially of the lower strata, would have seen veiling as a desirable symbol of dignity, though socially and legally unavailable to them as members of repressed social groups. In this study, the authors test Westfall’s dual assertion that (1) veiling practices varied significantly depending on one’s social strata and that (2) authorities legally enforced veiling restrictions on certain groups. Ultimately, although the article supports aspects of Westfall’s argument, the authors find no evidence to uphold the assertion that veiling was off-limits for any female group in the Greco-Roman world. Rather, an array of sociocultural factors—including religious expectations, societal norms, and practical realities—appears primarily to have influenced a woman’s choice to veil.

A comparative study on the perceptions of Dutch and British Muslim leadership regarding social-political challenges

PurposeThis paper aims to analyze and compare attitudes and perceptions of Muslim leadership toward society and politics based on their personal experiences in England and the Netherlands.Design/methodology/approachThis study provides valuable insights into how Muslim leadership experiences socio-political realities from own perspectives. The comparative analysis of Muslim leadership in England and the Netherlands highlights the unique qualities of each community, while also demonstrating shared communal awareness regarding political participation and concerns regarding the rise of Islamophobia and populism.FindingsThe study reveals significant differences between Dutch and British Muslim leadership regarding attitudes toward politics. While the Dutch political system enables minorities to have political parties, British leaders prefer peaceful resistance, internal cooperation and voting power for influence. Muslim communities in both countries face similar challenges, such as access to politics, rising Islamophobia and populism. However, there are variations in leadership maturity and attitudes toward communal unification and political participation.Research limitations/implicationsEspecially Dutch Muslims were much more open toward cooperation once approached. The biggest challenge was to get into the Muslim communities in England. Even though British Muslims showed a much greater aptitude toward their civic duties, British Muslims were much more careful and wished that interviews were written down instead of being recorded. But once the author was part of the community, community leaders were more accepting and tolerant towards the author's presence. From that point on, to be recommended (snowballing) became easier.Practical implicationsThis research shows clearly how different ethnic Muslim communities differ across two different countries. Even though both countries have their own advantages and disadvantages, understanding how civic responsibilities and the progressive development of minority attitudes can be best approached is important to policymakers.Social implicationsOne major social implication is the way minorities perceive social and political equality and how these minority expectations can be met. Research shows that there is much fear and anxiety to growing sentiments of populism and right-wing appraisals. For a better integration and inclusion, a sound assessment of social and religious expectations is crucial.Originality/valueAs far as the author knows, there are no qualitative research studies that compare Muslim minority conditions in the Netherlands and England. This research makes this even more interesting for how to create policy that contributes to a European understanding of Muslim existence in Europe and a common European identity. This is crucial for a more stable and stronger European future.

Mükemmeliyetçi Dindarlık Ölçeğinin Geliştirilmesi ve Geçerliği-Türkçe Versiyon (MDÖ-T)

The fact that the absolute is only God, and therefore, God is the first to come to mind when perfection is mentioned, is a common occurrence among believers. Perfectionism was also associated with God by the early personality theorists, moved away from its religious meaning over time, and its relationship with piety was little taken into account until recently. The fact that perfectionism, which has a religious motif in its essence, came to life in the field of religious sciences in general and psychology of religion in particular, in other words, bringing the concept of religious perfectionism into the literature became possible by a limited number of measurement attempts made after 2010. In this study, religious perfectionism, which is based on setting high standards for religious life, was discussed as a whole with order, discipline, inadequacy of one's self, perfect religious expectations and generalizations about others. Our study aims to fill the gap in the relevant literature by making the operational definition of religious perfectionism and measuring it. After determining the need for scale development and literature review, multidimensional perfectionism scales were reviewed and an item pool was created. Some features of perfectionism, such as discipline, generalization, and performance control, which are not dimensioned in multidimensional scales, were also adapted to piety. Previously developed religious perfectionism scales were also examined and, unlike them, we attempted to emphasize both the individual's religious life and the perfect God perception. The opinions of five experts in the field of Psychology of Religion were consulted about the adequacy of the items, so the first form of the scale was prepared for the pilot scheme. The study group consists of 610 Muslim participants who live in Turkey, believe in Allah (God), and regularly perform at least one worship. A total of 254 people, 192 (75.6%) of whom were female and 62 (24.4%) were male, participated in the pilot scheme. A total of 356 participants, 242 (68%) of whom were women and 114 (32%) were men, participated in the main study. The participants' educational background was undergraduate or postgraduate, and most were between the ages of 18-30. In order to determine the validity of the scale, construct validity and criterion-related validity were examined. Explanatory Factor Analysis (n=254) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (n=356) were used for construct validity and correlation analysis was performed for criterion-related validity. In addition, the differences between the item mean scores of the lower 27% and upper 27% groups were tested with the unrelated T-test for item discrimination. The reliability of the scale was determined by Cronbach's Alpha (a) and test-retest methods. As a result of Explanatory Factor Analysis, the scale was divided into two factors as Positive Religious perfectionism and Negative Religious perfectionism, as designed. The positive dimension of the scale included items that included the very high standards that the person set about God and his religious life, the order and discipline shown in worship. In the negative dimension of the scale, items such as finding the worship inadequate, doubting the actions, and worrying about making mistakes, as well as the general acceptances that the individual has about himself, God, or others, were included. The total score of the dimensions showed the general religious perfectionism level, and as the score gets higher, so does the religious perfectionism level. The scale can be used to measure the general religious perfectionism level based on the total score in the studies to be carried out. It can also be used by dividing it into its positive and negative factors. The internal consistency coefficient of Positive Religious perfectionism was 0.913; it was 0.876 for Negative Religious perfectionism, and the overall reliability for the 22-item structure of the scale was 0.904. As a result of the test-retest performed with a new study group of 95 people with an interval of 14 days, a significant positive correlation was found between the pretest and retest levels (r=0.960 p<0.01). In addition, it was determined that the participants' lower 27% and upper 27% values were significant for all items (p<0.01). As a result of the correlation analysis for criterion-related validity, significant positive relationships were found between religious perfectionism and perfectionism, and intrinsic religious motivation. Finally, the values obtained as a result of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis performed to confirm the factor structure were found to be in the range of acceptable (X2/df=3,306; RMSEA=0,079; GFI=0,92; AGFI=0,90; RMR=0,068; SRMR=0,052) and perfect fit criteria (CFI=0,96; NNFI=0,96; NFI=0,96). All these findings revealed that the scale was a valid and reliable measurement tool that measures religious perfectionism.

Adolescent pregnancy outcomes in Jos, North Central Nigeria: The roles of disclosure and social support systems

ABSTRACT Adolescent pregnancy is mostly unintended and an indicator of unmet sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs. In most African cultures, sociocultural and religious expectations of chastity make unintended adolescent pregnancy a traumatic experience. This study examined the roles of disclosure and social support networks in determining adolescent pregnancy outcomes in Jos, Nigeria. Using a qualitative design, we conducted in-depth interviews with 17 young persons aged 16–24 years, recruited through purposive and snowballing sampling methods. Data were analysed using an inductive approach. Informal social support networks, mainly mothers and close friends, played prominent roles in pregnancy disclosure. The fear of unsafe abortion complications and lack of other options forced most participants into early motherhood. Parenting issues also contributed to unintended adolescent pregnancies. Participants noted that adolescent males had better access to contraceptive devices like condoms. Additionally, the absence of formal opportunities for institutional support through education and youth-friendly SRH services constituted barriers to preventing unintended adolescent pregnancies. Considering the important role family plays, preventing unintended adolescent pregnancies requires empowering parents on SRH communication. A gender-based approach to adolescent-friendly SRH services is recommended. The Nigerian government needs to reconsider how to provide contextually-acceptable comprehensive sexuality education to young people.

Grappling with LDS Identity Formation: A Review of Recent Young Adult Novels

Grappling with LDS Identity Formation: A Review of Recent Young Adult Novels

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AUDITS IN THE FOOD SECTOR AND ENCOUNTERED PROBLEMS

Güvenli gıdaya ulaşmada en temel öğe denetimdir. Gıda fabrikaları ve tedarikçileri düzenli olarak kalite yönetimi ve gıda güvenliği kapsamlarında denetimlerden geçmektedir. Bu denetimler mevcut yasal düzenlemelerin ortaya koyduğu gerekliliklerin yanı sıra gıda güvenliği standartlarının öngördüğü konuları da içermektedir. Bu yönüyle denetimlerin içeriği, temel olarak gıda güvenliği ve gıda kalitesi konularını kapsamakla birlikte iş sağlığı güvenliği, çevre, sosyal uygunluk, dini beklentiler, gıda savunması, tarımsal üretim metotları ve özel müşteri beklentileri olabilmektedir. Ürün kalite kriterleri ve uygulamaları, uluslararası standart komisyonları, üretici ve perakendeci birlikleri, ulusal ve uluslararası zincir marketler tarafından standartlar olarak yayınlanmaktadır. Bu amaçla çıkartılan standartların hedefi gıda güvenliği ve gıda kalitesi olmaktadır. Ayrıca tüketicilerin sağlığını ve beklentilerini garanti altına almak, işletme uygulamalarından ortaya çıkabilecek riskleri de ortadan kaldırmaktır. Sektör olarak çok geniş bir yapı oluşturan gıda işletmeleri, standart uygulanmalarından çok ciddi faydalar sağlamakla birlikte, denetim uygulamaları sırasında bazı zorluklar yaşayabilmektedir. Özellikle küçük ve orta büyüklükteki işletmelerin gelişebilmeleri için doğru bilgi kaynaklarına ve maddi desteklere ihtiyaçları olduğu açıktır. Bu çalışmada standartların oluşturulma amaçları, kapsamları, üreticilerin sağladığı faydalar, uygulamalarda yaşanan sorunlar ve olası çözüm önerileri ile geleceğe ilişkin beklentiler değerlendirilmiştir.

Invisible Barriers: Societal Norms Versus Female Workplace Progression

Cultural and societal norms constantly assign different family and religious expectations to women as compared to men. Therefore, this research paper seeks to provide insight into the effects of prevalent cultural and societal norms on the progression of lower-level female managers. It examines the impact of these norms on the fulfilment of work-related duties and the resultant implications for the success of a female within their professional role. The research integrated qualitative and quantitative approaches and was carried out within the culturally diverse province of KwaZulu-Natal, in South Africa. Primary data was gathered using a quantitative questionnaire distributed to thirty-five lower-level female managers, typically fulfilling an entry-level supervisory role, within two separate private organisations. The research was independent of race and age. The findings of the study indicate that respondents face societal and cultural norms that adversely affect progression. These include assumptions of weaker and more emotional management styles, lack of support in meeting family and work obligations, and gender biases impacting access to opportunities for progression. The findings also include women from many cultures by virtue of the diverse cultures within the KwaZulu-Natal region. This paper will therefore be of value to female managers from diverse backgrounds in developed and developing countries. Specifically, female managers encountering invisible barriers to breaking through the glass ceiling and progressing to higher levels of management due to their own cultural and societal norms will benefit from insights delivered. The findings will also be of value to mentors of aspiring female managers, male senior managers with female subordinates, and human resources departments. The research paper will commence with a literature review that examines the relevance of cultural and societal norms in the progression of female managers. The research methods and results of the study will then be described, and findings discussed. The paper will conclude with final insights and recommendations for further research.