Structural and Cultural Barriers for Women to Leadership: Case of Albania

Abstract

This research investigates the structural and cultural barriers that hinder women’s career advancement, including mindsets, emotional intelligence gender culture, and how these differences impact leadership. This study found out that women face many difficulties during their career path due to multi-factorial reasons which have existed for many generations by making them deep-seated in society. Thus, this research focuses on the barriers of access to leadership roles that women have encountered during their path to success as well as the strategies to overcome the existing obstacles. To obtain the information is used a mixed methodology approach comprising of quantitative and qualitative data. In order to gain the required data, a purposive sample of 300 women who hold important positions in the municipalities, companies, ministries and other public entities is used. The study involved a self-completion questionnaire with closed and open questions, which included various questions in relation to the barriers that women face to advancement in leadership and the strategies that should be considered to improve their progress. This research found out that there are three main types of barriers: structural barriers, cultural barriers and mindsets that women encounter in their professional life and create difficulties for them to advance. For this reason, the study gives some recommendation for improvement of the situation and offers opportunity for further studies.