Abstract:
INTRODUCTION : While there is a plethora of research that documents the numerous
barriers affecting female leaders in the modern workplace, there is a lack of literature
which focuses on strategies or motivating resources that women use to navigate
the workplace environment. Despite facing significant barriers in their leadership
journeys, there are female leaders who are able to overcome these barriers to
achieve leadership positions. These women leaders draw on personal and external
motivating factors to assist them in dealing with the challenges associated with
being a female leader as a result, research on motivating strategies for women’s
career progression is a research topic that warrants immediate attention. Female
solidarity as a motivating resource has been gaining traction in the field of leadership
studies and can be seen as a supportive resource that can be used by current and
aspiring female leaders to progress in underrepresented environments. Although
female solidarity is but only one of the many strategies that can be implemented
to motivate women in leadership positions, the increase of female solidarity in the
workplace is expected to alleviate the conditions that reinforce essentialist notions
of the “queen bee syndrome” in which women are seen as unsupportive of each
other.
METHOD : A qualitative research approach was used for this study, following an
interpretive descriptive design. A total of 13 semi-structured interviews were
conducted with female leaders in male-dominated professions within South Africa.
Data was analysed using thematic content analysis.
RESULTS : Results of the study were analyzed in line with three primary content areas,
i.e., barriers to female solidarity in the workplace, benefits of female solidarity in the
workplace and workplace interventions to increase solidarity.
DISCUSSION : In the context of the study the predominant barriers to female solidarity
within male-dominated workplaces were identified as unfair workplace behaviours,
generational beliefs, societal expectations, organisational cultures, stereotypes and
stigmas. The benefits of female solidarity within male-dominated workplaces were
identified as career shaping mentorship, female recognition, female representation
and female support. Lastly, the interventions that can be implemented to increase
female solidarity within male-dominated workplaces were conceptualised as
networking, transforming the company culture, socialisation and mentorship.