en pl
en pl

Central European Management Journal

Show issue
Year 9/2022 
Volume 30 
Issue 3

Gender Stereotypes and Family Decision-Making: Comparative Study of Central Europe and Central Asia

Olga Yanovskaya
Independent Agency for Accreditation and Rating, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

Anastassiya Lipovka
Almaty Management University, Almaty, Kazakhstan

9/2022 30 (3) Central European Management Journal

DOI 10.7206/cemj.2658-0845.82

Article contents

Abstract

Purpose: The article aims to examine the impact of women’s decision-making power in families on their gender stereotypes about business executives in the promising but insufficiently explored regions of Central Europe (CE) and Central Asia (CA).

Methodology: The study utilized multiple linear regression and Spearman’s correlation coefficients to analyze survey data (No=6,869) from Central European (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) and Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan).
Findings: Central Asian women demonstrated stronger gender stereotypes about business executives compared to the Central European sample. Equally shared power in decision-making with a part-ner has a positive impact on weakening women’s gender stereotypes about top managers. Men’s unilateral decision-making correlates with their spouses’ higher gender bias, whereas independent women’s decisions do not reveal a relationship with their gender stereotypes.

Research limitations: The study does not control respondents’ marital and mother’s status and excludes one of the Central Asian states, namely Turkmenistan.

Research implications: Policymakers can use the present findings to forecast how familialist pol-icies reproduce gender stereotypes and inhibit gender equality. The research complements the specificity of the vicious cycle linking gender roles and stereotypes in the context of CE and CA and expands the “family cage” phenomenon.

Originality/value: First massive research on gender stereotypes about business executives embrac-ing the Visegrad Group and four Central Asian states. The study discovers the internal aspect of family impact on women’s views of top managers that has been neglected before.

References

  1. Adamus, M., Čavojová, V., & Šrol, J. (2021). The impact of stereotyped perceptions of entrepreneurship and gender-role orientation on Slovak women’s entrepreneurial intentions. Gender in Management, 36(6), 745–761. https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-06-2020-0179 [Google Scholar]
  2. Baig, I.A., Batool, Z., Ali, A., Baig, S.A., Hashim, M., & Zia-ur-Rehman, M. (2018). Impact of women empowerment on rural development in Southern Punjab, Pakistan. Quality and Quantity, 52(4), 1861–1872. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-017-0572-x [Google Scholar]
  3. Bego, I. (2015). Gender equality policy in the European Union: A fast track to parity for the new member states. Palgrave Macmillan. [Google Scholar]
  4. Čeněk, J. (2013). Gender stereotypes in organizations. Journal of Education Culture and Society, 1, 30–37. https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs20131-30-37 [Google Scholar]
  5. Childress, S. (2017). Plates and dishes smash; married couples clash: cultural and social barriers to help-seeking among women domestic violence survivors in Kyrgyzstan. Violence against Women, 24(7), 775–797, https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801217722239 [Google Scholar]
  6. Cleuziou, J., & Direnberger, L. (2016). Gender and nation in post-Soviet Central Asia: From national narratives to women’s practices. Nationalities Papers, 44, 195–206. https://doi.org/10.1080/00905992.2015.1082997 [Google Scholar]
  7. Dobija, D., Hryckiewicz, A., Zaman, M., & Puławska, K. (2021). Critical mass and voice: Board gender diversity and financial reporting quality. European Management Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2021.02.005 [Google Scholar]
  8. Dobrovič, J., Mihalčová, B., Pružinský, M., Hvastová, J., Pártlová, P., & Sroka, M. (2019). Opinions on offering managerial positions for women: The case from Eastern Slovakia. Polish Journal of Management Studies, 20, 2, 210–224, https://doi.org/pjms.2019.20.2.18 [Google Scholar]
  9. Eagly, A.H. (2018). The shaping of science by ideology: How feminism inspired, led, and constrained scientific understanding of sex and gender. Journal of Social Issues, 74, 871–888. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12291 [Google Scholar]
  10. Eagly, A.H., & Koenig, A.M. (2021). The vicious cycle linking stereotypes and social roles. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 30(4), 343–350, https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214211013775 [Google Scholar]
  11. Eagly, A.H., Nater, Ch., Miller, D.I., Kaufmann, M., & Sczesny, S. (2019). Gender stereotypes have changed: A cross-temporal meta-analysis of U.S. public opinion polls from 1946. American Psychologist, 75(3), 301–315. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/amp0000494 [Google Scholar]
  12. Eagly, A.H., & Wood, W. (2012). Social role theory. In P. van Lange, A. Kruglanski, & E.T. Higgins (Eds.), Handbook of theories in social psychology (pp. 458–476). Sage Publications. http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781446249222.n49 [Google Scholar]
  13. European Institute for Gender Equality (2017). Gender segregation in education, training and the labour market: Review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action in the EU Member States. Brussels: EIGE, 23 November 2017, No. 14624/17. [Google Scholar]
  14. Evertsson, M. (2014). Gender ideology and the sharing of housework and childcare in Sweden. Journal of Family Issues, 35(7), 927–949. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0192513X14522239 [Google Scholar]
  15. Fiske, T. (2017). Prejudices in cultural contexts: Shared stereotypes (gender, age) versus variable stereotypes (race, ethnicity, religion). Perspective Psychology Science, 12(5), 791–799. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617708204 [Google Scholar]
  16. Gallo, P., Balogová, B., Čabinová, V., & Dobrovič, J. (2021). The perception of gender stereotypes in managerial positions of industrial companies. Polish Journal of Management Studies, 23(2), 149–164. https://doi.org/10.17512/pjms.2021.23.2.09 [Google Scholar]
  17. Gayatri, M. (2020). Women's decision-making power in the households: A demographic study of married women in Indonesia. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Public Health 2020, Teuku Umar University. [Google Scholar]
  18. Górska, A. (2017). Perception of women in top managerial positions in Poland. Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, 25(1), 16–32, https://doi.org/10.7206/jmba.ce.2450-7814.187 [Google Scholar]
  19. Górska, A.M., Dobija, D., Staniszewska, Z., & Prystupa-Rządca, K. (2021). Women’s journey to the top: the role of bonding and bridging social capital. Gender in Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-01-2021-0004 [Google Scholar]
  20. Greig, A., & Kudaibergenova, D. (2019). Kazakhstan. In J. Edström, R. Aly, A. Greig, C. Walker, S. Babenko, M. Çağlar, D.T. Kudaibergenova, and C. Müller (Eds.), Masculinities and Transition: Enduring Privilege? IDS, https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.28888.03847 [Google Scholar]
  21. Grogan, L.A. (2007). Patrilocality and human capital accumulation: Evidence from Central Asia. Economics of Transition, 15, 685–705. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0351.2007.00305.x [Google Scholar]
  22. Grzebalska, W., & Pető, A. (2018). The gendered modus operandi of the illiberal transformation in Hungary and Poland. Women’s Studies International Forum, 68, 164–172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2017.12.001. [Google Scholar]
  23. Havran, D., Primecz, H., & Lakatos, Z. (2020). Does female presence on corporate boards impact firm performance? Evidence from listed firms in Central Eastern Europe. In I. Rybnikova, A. Soulsby and S. Blazejewski (Eds.), Women in Management in Central and Eastern European Countries. Baden-Baden: Nomos, 37–68. doi.org/10.5771/9783748907190-37 [Google Scholar]
  24. Hora, E.A. (2014). Factors that affect women participation in leadership and decision making position. Asian Journal of Humanity, Art and Literature, 1(2), 97–118. https://doi.org/10.15590/ajhal/2014/v1i2/54050 [Google Scholar]
  25. ILO, International Labour Organisation (2018). Women in business and management: Gaining momentum in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Switzerland: Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ACT/ EMP). [Google Scholar]
  26. Kaufman, G., Bernhardt, E. and Goldscheider, F. (2016). Enduring egalitarianism? Family transitions and attitudes toward gender equality in Sweden. Journal of Family Issues, 38(1), 1878–1898. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513x16632266 [Google Scholar]
  27. Khitarishvili, T. (2017). Gender inequalities in labour markets in Central Asia: Discussion paper, 30 August 2017. Almaty: UNDP, 1–49. [Google Scholar]
  28. Kiester, E. (2021). Gender discrimination in the labor market. In W.L. Filho, A.M. Azul, L. Brandli, A.L. Salvia, & T. Wall (Eds.), Gender equality: Encyclopedia of the UN sustainable development goals. Springer, 431–438. [Google Scholar]
  29. Kurek, B., & Górowski, I. (2020). Gender and age as determinants of expected rate of return on human capital. Central European Management Journal, 28(4), 30–50. https://doi.org/10.7206/cemj.2658-0845.33 [Google Scholar]
  30. Kuzhabekova, A., & Almukhambetova, A. (2019). Women’s progression through the leadership pipeline in the universities of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2019.1599820 [Google Scholar]
  31. Kuzhabekova, A., Janenova, S., & Almukhambetova, A. (2018). Analyzing the experiences of female leaders in civil service in Kazakhstan: Trapped between economic pressure to earn and traditional family role expectations. International Journal of Public Administration, 41(15), 1290–1301. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2017.1387142 [Google Scholar]
  32. Li, Z. (2021). Does family decision-making power improve women’s happiness? Journal of Family Issues. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513x211030025 [Google Scholar]
  33. Lipovka, A., & Buzady, Z. (2020). Gender stereotypes about managers: a comparative study of Central-Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In: I. Rybnikova, A. Soulsby, & S. Blazejewski (Eds.), Women in Management in Central and Eastern European Countries (pp. 15–36). Nomos. [Google Scholar]
  34. Lipovka, A., Korolyova, N., Nugmanova, M., & Salimzhanova, A. (2021). Comparative influence of gender, age, industry and management level on communication. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 2(19), 170–182. http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ppm.19(2).2021.14 [Google Scholar]
  35. LiTS III – Life in Transition Survey (2016). European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Retrieved from: https://www.ebrd.com,what-we-do,economic-research-and-data/data/lits.html [Google Scholar]
  36. Lizarraga, M.L.S. de A., Baquedano. M.T.S. de A., & Cardelle-Elawar. M. (2007). Factors that affect decision making: gender and age differences. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 7(3), 381–391. [Google Scholar]
  37. Mihalčová, B., Gallo, P., & Štofová, L. (2018). Gender stereotypes at managerial positions in selected public institution. Administratie si Management Public, 30, 96–108. https://doi.org/10.24818/amp/2018.30-07 [Google Scholar]
  38. Mihalčová, B., Pružinskýa, M. and Gontkovičová, B. (2015). The consequences of gender stereotypes in the work of managers. Procedia Economics and Finance, 23, 1260–1265. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2212-5671(15)00464-5 [Google Scholar]
  39. Nagy, B., & Primecz, H. (2014). Hard choices: Hungarian female managers abroad. In: K. Hutchings, & S. Mihalcova, Research Handbook on Women in International Management, 246–278. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781781955031 [Google Scholar]
  40. Nagy, B., & Vicsek, L. (2014). Exploring gender culture at a telecommunications company. Gender in Management, 29(6), 318–333. [Google Scholar]
  41. Orazalin, N. (2020). Board gender diversity, corporate governance, and earnings management: Evidence from an emerging market. Gender in Management, 35(1), 37–60. https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-03-2018-0027 [Google Scholar]
  42. Paternotte, D., & Kuhar, R. (2018). Disentangling and locating the “global right”: anti-gender campaigns in Europe. Politics and Governance, 6(3), 6–19, https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v6i3.1557 [Google Scholar]
  43. Pepin, J.R. (2019). Beliefs about money in families: Balancing unity, autonomy, and gender equality. Journal of Marriage and Family, 81, 2, 361–379, https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12554 [Google Scholar]
  44. Pomfret, R. (2019). The Central Asian economies in the twenty-first century: Paving a new silk road. Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515,9780691185408 [Google Scholar]
  45. Powell, G.N. (2018). Women and men in management. 5th ed. Sage. [Google Scholar]
  46. Powell, G.N., & Butterfield, D.A. (2017). Linking leader anti-prototypes and prototypes to gender stereotypes. Gender in Management, 32(2), 128–140. https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-06-2016-0130 [Google Scholar]
  47. Powell, G.N., Butterfield, D.A., & Jiang, X. (2021). The “good manager” over five decades: towards an androgynous profile? Gender in Management, 36(6), 714–730. https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-01-2021-0023 [Google Scholar]
  48. Saxonberg, S., & Sirovatka, T. (2006). Failing family policy in post-communist Central Europe. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis, 8(2), 185–202. https://doi.org/10.1080/13876980600682089 [Google Scholar]
  49. Scharle, A. (2015). Attitudes to gender roles in Hungary, Poland and Czech Republic. GRINCOH Working Paper Series, Paper No. 5.09. The Budapest Institute. [Google Scholar]
  50. Shuai, Y., Shuai, C.M., Li, W.J., & Huang, F.B. (2018). Role of women’s empowerment in improving farmer’s livelihood: Empirical evidence from China. Quality and Quantity, 53(2), 621–639. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-018-0778-6 [Google Scholar]
  51. Siemieńska, R. (2008). Gender, family, and work: The case of Poland in cross-national perspective. International Journal of Sociology, 38(4), 57–75, https://doi.org/10.2753/IJS0020-7659380403 [Google Scholar]
  52. Siemieńska, R. (2015). Women as owners and senior managers of enterprises in post-communist Poland. In: H.D. Syna and C-E. Costea (Eds.). Women voices in management: Identifying innovative and responsible solutions (pp. 143–162). Palgrave McMillan. [Google Scholar]
  53. Szelewa, D. (2017). From implicit to explicit familialism: Post-1989 Family policy reforms in Poland. In D. Auth, J. Hergenhan, & B. Holland-Cunz (Eds.), Gender and family in European economic policy. Palgrave Macmillan (pp. 129–151). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41513-0_13 [Google Scholar]
  54. Tereškinas, A. (2010). Between the egalitarian and neotraditional family: Gender attitudes and values in contemporary Lithuania. Kultūra ir Visuomenė. Socialinių tyrimų žurnalas, 1(1), 63–81. [Google Scholar]
  55. Tokbaeva, D. (2020). Female founders in post-socialist contexts: A case study of female founders and owners of media businesses in Kyrgyzstan. In I. Rybnikova, A. Soulsby and S. Blazejewski (Eds.), Women in management in Central and Eastern European countries (pp. 172–183). Nomos. https://doi.org/10.5771/9783748907190-172 [Google Scholar]
  56. Turaeva, R. (2017a). Gender and changing women's roles in Uzbekistan: from Soviet workers to post-Soviet entrepreneurs. In M. Laruelle (Ed.), Constructing the Uzbek state: narratives of post-Soviet years (pp. 303–318). Lexington Books. [Google Scholar]
  57. Turaeva, R. (2017b). Women as change agents: Gender and change in post-Soviet Central Asia. In: M. Najafizadeh and L.L. Lindsey, Women of Asia (pp. 1–13). Routledge. [Google Scholar]
  58. Turaeva, R. (2020). Kelin in Central Asia. In S. Roche (Ed.). The Family in Central Asia: New Perspectives (pp. 171–183). De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112209271-011 [Google Scholar]
  59. Urbaeva, J. (2019). Opportunity, Social Mobility, and Women’s Views on Gender Roles in Central Asia. Social Work, 64, 3, 207–215, https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swz01 [Google Scholar]
  60. Uskembayeva, M., Rezvushkina, T., & Beysenova, A. (2017). Политика в отношении мужчин и женщин в современном Казахстане: гендерное исследование. [Policy towards women and men in modern Kazakhstan: Gender research]. Астана: Институт равных прав и равных возможностей мужчин и женщин Казахстана. [Google Scholar]
  61. Vaisey, S. (2014). The “attitudinal fallacy” is a fallacy. Sociological Methods and Research, 43(2), 227–231. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049124114523395 [Google Scholar]
  62. Visegrad Group (2022). About the Visegrad Group. Retrieved February 23, 2022 from: https://www.visegradgroup.eu/about [Google Scholar]
  63. Wado, Y.D. (2013). Women’s autonomy and reproductive healthcare-seeking behavior in Ethiopia. Working paper 91, Maryland: Calverton. [Google Scholar]
  64. Wodon, Q.T., & de la Brière, B. (2018). Unrealized potential: The high cost of gender inequality in earnings. The cost of gender inequality. World Bank. [Google Scholar]
  65. Yamak, S., Ergur, A., Özbilgin, M.F., & Alakavuklar, O.N. (2015). Gender as symbolic capital and violence: The case of corporate elites in Turkey. Gender, Work and Organization, 23(2), 125– 146. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12115 [Google Scholar]
  66. Zachorowska-Mazurkiewicz, A. (2017). Gender, unpaid labour and economics. Acta Universitatis Lodziensis, Folia Oeconomica, 6(326), 121–132. https://doi.org/10.18778/0208-6018.326.08 [Google Scholar]

Full metadata record

Cite this record

APA style

Yanovskaya, Olga & Lipovka, Anastassiya (2022). Gender Stereotypes and Family Decision-Making: Comparative Study of Central Europe and Central Asia. (2022). Gender Stereotypes and Family Decision-Making: Comparative Study of Central Europe and Central Asia. Central European Management Journal, 30(3), 61–84. https://doi.org/10.7206/cemj.2658-0845.82 (Original work published 9/2022AD)

MLA style

Yanovskaya, Olga and Lipovka, Anastassiya. “Gender Stereotypes And Family Decision-Making: Comparative Study Of Central Europe And Central Asia”. 9/2022AD. Central European Management Journal, vol. 30, no. 3, 2022, pp. 61–84.

Chicago style

Yanovskaya, Olga and Lipovka, Anastassiya. “Gender Stereotypes And Family Decision-Making: Comparative Study Of Central Europe And Central Asia”. Central European Management Journal, Central European Management Journal, 30, no. 3 (2022): 61–84. doi:10.7206/cemj.2658-0845.82.

Copyright info

copyright info

CC-BY

People also read: