International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy最新文献

{"title":"Female immigrant entrepreneurship – predicted by women’s empowerment in host country","authors":"Aleksandra Gaweł, Timo Toikko","doi":"10.1108/ijssp-12-2023-0334","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijssp-12-2023-0334","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Purpose</h3>\u0000<p>The social inclusion of immigrants has been a central public policy issue in European countries, and entrepreneurship is often promoted as a form of integration. Female immigrants face double discrimination of gender and ethnicity while becoming entrepreneurs. The aim of the paper is to investigate the female empowerment in the host country as a predictor of immigrant women engagement in entrepreneurship.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3>\u0000<p>Based on panel data for European Union countries for years 2006–2021, female immigrant entrepreneurship was modelled by the impact of variables showing the empowerment of women in host countries. Data availability was the determinant regarding the inclusion of 22 countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden were all in the research sample.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Findings</h3>\u0000<p>Although immigrant entrepreneurship is highly context-oriented and locale-specific (as in the physical setting for relationships among people), some universal patterns for a group of countries are found. A stronger political and managerial position of power for the women in host countries encourages female immigrant entrepreneurship, while the gender pay gap is statistically insignificant.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Originality/value</h3>\u0000<p>The originality of the paper is due to the multi-country level and female-focused research perspectives in immigrant entrepreneurship. The study refers to the intersectionality of gender and ethnicity, arguing that the empowerment of women in host countries affects female immigrant entrepreneurship at the macro-level.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->","PeriodicalId":47193,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139759515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Refer rather than treat: coping with uncertainty in municipal primary care clinics in India","authors":"Radhika Gore","doi":"10.1108/ijssp-04-2023-0090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijssp-04-2023-0090","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThe institutional conditions of primary care provision remain understudied in low- and middle-income countries. This study analyzes how primary care doctors cope with medical uncertainty in municipal clinics in urban India. As street-level bureaucrats, the municipal doctors occupy two roles simultaneously: medical professional and state agent. They operate under conditions that characterize health systems in low-resource contexts globally: inadequate state investment, weak regulation and low societal trust. The study investigates how, in these conditions, the doctors respond to clinical risk, specifically related to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).Design/methodology/approachThe analysis draws on year-long ethnographic fieldwork in Pune (2013–14), a city of three million, including 30 semi-structured interviews with municipal doctors.FindingsInterpreting their municipal mandate to exclude NCDs and reasoning their medical expertise as insufficient to treat NCDs, the doctors routinely referred NCD cases. They expressed concerns about violence from patients, negative media attention and unsupportive municipal authorities should anything go wrong clinically.Originality/valueThe study contextualizes street-level service-delivery in weak institutional conditions. Whereas street-level workers may commonly standardize practices to reduce workload, here the doctors routinized NCD care to avoid the sociopolitical consequences of clinical uncertainty. Modalities of the welfare state and medical care in India – manifest in weak municipal capacity and healthcare regulation – appear to compel restraint in service-delivery. The analysis highlights how norms and social relations may shape primary care provision and quality.","PeriodicalId":47193,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139858092","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Refer rather than treat: coping with uncertainty in municipal primary care clinics in India","authors":"Radhika Gore","doi":"10.1108/ijssp-04-2023-0090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijssp-04-2023-0090","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThe institutional conditions of primary care provision remain understudied in low- and middle-income countries. This study analyzes how primary care doctors cope with medical uncertainty in municipal clinics in urban India. As street-level bureaucrats, the municipal doctors occupy two roles simultaneously: medical professional and state agent. They operate under conditions that characterize health systems in low-resource contexts globally: inadequate state investment, weak regulation and low societal trust. The study investigates how, in these conditions, the doctors respond to clinical risk, specifically related to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).Design/methodology/approachThe analysis draws on year-long ethnographic fieldwork in Pune (2013–14), a city of three million, including 30 semi-structured interviews with municipal doctors.FindingsInterpreting their municipal mandate to exclude NCDs and reasoning their medical expertise as insufficient to treat NCDs, the doctors routinely referred NCD cases. They expressed concerns about violence from patients, negative media attention and unsupportive municipal authorities should anything go wrong clinically.Originality/valueThe study contextualizes street-level service-delivery in weak institutional conditions. Whereas street-level workers may commonly standardize practices to reduce workload, here the doctors routinized NCD care to avoid the sociopolitical consequences of clinical uncertainty. Modalities of the welfare state and medical care in India – manifest in weak municipal capacity and healthcare regulation – appear to compel restraint in service-delivery. The analysis highlights how norms and social relations may shape primary care provision and quality.","PeriodicalId":47193,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139798500","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bibliometric analysis on positive work–family interface","authors":"Mounika Mude, J. Reeves Wesley","doi":"10.1108/ijssp-11-2023-0300","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijssp-11-2023-0300","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Purpose</h3>\u0000<p>Research on work–family interface (WFI) is almost two decades old. It is widely believed that the archetype of work and family after COVID has changed. Post-COVID emphases and outcomes would be different. Accordingly, a bibliometric analysis of the research would help to understand the state of the research and positive WFI patterns that guide further investigations. The present study used measures such as journals, citations, etc. to determine the bibliometric patterns from 2003 to August 2023 using VOSviewer software.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3>\u0000<p>Data were obtained from Scopus. 1,601 works were found in the first search. This figure was narrowed down to 525 based on a few conditions. The most commonly referenced journals, sources, authors, etc. were used for the analysis.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Findings</h3>\u0000<p>Research on positive WFI has increased in recent years. The total number of articles in positive WFI was 525 between 2003 and August 2023. Greenhaus, Powell and Carlson were the most cited authors in this field. Carlson had produced the highest number of documents in WFI. Most WFI authors focused on antecedents, treating positive WFI as the outcome variable.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Research limitations/implications</h3>\u0000<p>This is the first bibliometric analysis conducted on a positive WFI, although there have been a few on work–family conflict. However, other sources such as the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) and Web of Science may throw different results on journals, citations, etc. Hence, future researchers might emphasize if the same results originate from data in other databases. Other analytical tools may be used in the place of VOSviewer.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Originality/value</h3>\u0000<p>This is the first article on bibliometric analysis of positive WFI. This paper’s primary objective is to understand the patterns of literature available on positive WFI and its significance comprehensively.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->","PeriodicalId":47193,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139677522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of trust as an informal social mechanism for contract enforcement among young women microenterprises in financial markets in sub-Saharan Africa","authors":"George Okello Candiya Bongomin, Charles Akol Malinga, Alain Manzi Amani, Rebecca Balinda","doi":"10.1108/ijssp-06-2023-0146","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijssp-06-2023-0146","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThe main purpose of this paper is to establish whether trust plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between access to microcredit and survival of young women microenterprises in under-developed financial markets in sub-Saharan Africa. The main focus of this paper is to specifically test whether relational social capital built by young women from homogeneous and heterogeneous groups can be more effective in promoting economic exchange in under-developed financial markets since interpersonal trust has recently been found to harbor group collusion, especially among kins. Overall, the paper distinguishes trust among individuals based on their age, gender and ethnic diversity.Design/methodology/approachThis study used structural equation model to test whether trust significantly mediates the relationship between access to microcredit and survival of young women microenterprises using Analysis of Moments Structures (AMOS) based on recommendations by Hair et al. (2022) and Baron and Kenny (1986).FindingsThe findings from this study revealed that trust significantly and positively mediate the relationship between access to microcredit and survival of young women microenterprises in under-developed financial markets in sub-Saharan Africa. Trust developed from relational social capital among young women from homogeneous and heterogeneous groups create a stronger basis for economic exchange in under-developed financial markets.Research limitations/implicationsWhile this study generates a positive evidence on the impact of access to microcredit on survival of young women microenterprises, the results cannot be over emphasized and generalized because the data were collected from only a single developing country. Future research may extend the current study to include other developing countries to make a more justified comprehensive analysis.Practical implicationsThe findings from this study highlights the importance of using a blend of social policy guided by norms combined with formal regulations as an informal contract enforcement mechanism to achieve efficient economic exchange in under-developed financial markets. Relational social capital formed on the basis of informal norms among groups from diverse population can supplement formal laws to enforce contractual obligations in microcredit access, especially among youthful microentrepreneurs, who seems to have stronger relational behaviors than adults. Financial institutions such as banks should use informal contract enforcement system to increase the scope of financial inclusion of young microentrepreneurs, especially in unbanked rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda inclusive where formal laws are weak and sometimes not functional. The findings also show that younger people have a stronger relationship behavior than adults. Therefore, policy should create structures that can promote social activities among youth. Governments in sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda inclusive through","PeriodicalId":47193,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139868447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of trust as an informal social mechanism for contract enforcement among young women microenterprises in financial markets in sub-Saharan Africa","authors":"George Okello Candiya Bongomin, Charles Akol Malinga, Alain Manzi Amani, Rebecca Balinda","doi":"10.1108/ijssp-06-2023-0146","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijssp-06-2023-0146","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThe main purpose of this paper is to establish whether trust plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between access to microcredit and survival of young women microenterprises in under-developed financial markets in sub-Saharan Africa. The main focus of this paper is to specifically test whether relational social capital built by young women from homogeneous and heterogeneous groups can be more effective in promoting economic exchange in under-developed financial markets since interpersonal trust has recently been found to harbor group collusion, especially among kins. Overall, the paper distinguishes trust among individuals based on their age, gender and ethnic diversity.Design/methodology/approachThis study used structural equation model to test whether trust significantly mediates the relationship between access to microcredit and survival of young women microenterprises using Analysis of Moments Structures (AMOS) based on recommendations by Hair et al. (2022) and Baron and Kenny (1986).FindingsThe findings from this study revealed that trust significantly and positively mediate the relationship between access to microcredit and survival of young women microenterprises in under-developed financial markets in sub-Saharan Africa. Trust developed from relational social capital among young women from homogeneous and heterogeneous groups create a stronger basis for economic exchange in under-developed financial markets.Research limitations/implicationsWhile this study generates a positive evidence on the impact of access to microcredit on survival of young women microenterprises, the results cannot be over emphasized and generalized because the data were collected from only a single developing country. Future research may extend the current study to include other developing countries to make a more justified comprehensive analysis.Practical implicationsThe findings from this study highlights the importance of using a blend of social policy guided by norms combined with formal regulations as an informal contract enforcement mechanism to achieve efficient economic exchange in under-developed financial markets. Relational social capital formed on the basis of informal norms among groups from diverse population can supplement formal laws to enforce contractual obligations in microcredit access, especially among youthful microentrepreneurs, who seems to have stronger relational behaviors than adults. Financial institutions such as banks should use informal contract enforcement system to increase the scope of financial inclusion of young microentrepreneurs, especially in unbanked rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda inclusive where formal laws are weak and sometimes not functional. The findings also show that younger people have a stronger relationship behavior than adults. Therefore, policy should create structures that can promote social activities among youth. Governments in sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda inclusive through","PeriodicalId":47193,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139808817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrosion beneath the surface? The emotional navigation of managerialist regulation in German welfare organizations","authors":"Sigrid Betzelt, Ingo Bode, Sarina Parschick","doi":"10.1108/ijssp-10-2023-0259","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijssp-10-2023-0259","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Purpose</h3>\u0000<p>Regarding how the public regulation of human services is perceived within welfare organizations and how the latter cope with it, the role of emotions (as mediators between structure and agency) proves highly relevant while often being hidden beneath the surface. This article shows how a specific approach to such regulation – here: managerialism – may impact on “emotional regimes” at the organizational and individual level, affecting the attainment of organizational goals and workers' health.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3>\u0000<p>The article primarily draws on multiple qualitative case studies across two welfare sectors (four organizations) in Germany (continuing education/active inclusion; long-term care). The study research was conducted between 2020 and 2022 and based on 36 interviews with caseworkers and managers, focus group interviews and expert dialogues at industry level.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Findings</h3>\u0000<p>The results suggest that the managerialist regulation of welfare services breeds complex and ambiguous emotional regimes. Business-like management techniques elicit various emotions, affecting the motivational basis of human service work. While the experience of hard challenges may raise positive feelings, coping patterns often put strain on organizations and staff alike. In the short run, related emotional regimes tend to make service delivery proceed smoothly, yet in the long run they may have corrosive effects and problematic repercussions on macro-level developments.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Originality/value</h3>\u0000<p>The study highlights the role of emotions in publicly regulated human service settings by intermingling macro- and micro-level processes and thereby broadens the perspective of welfare state research as it reveals the impact of (managerialist) regulation on the dynamic organizational chemistry of such settings.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->","PeriodicalId":47193,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139581758","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tanzanian social policy in the new millennium – a cross-sectoral analysis from a gender perspective","authors":"Roosa Amanda Lambin, Milla Nyyssölä","doi":"10.1108/ijssp-01-2023-0007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijssp-01-2023-0007","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Purpose</h3>\u0000<p>Mainland Tanzania has seen two decades of significant social policy reforms and transformations in its social and economic structures, whilst the country continues to grapple with persisting gender inequalities. This article examines Tanzania's social policy developments from a gender perspective. The authors analyse the level, reach and quality of social policy delivery to working-age women across the areas of health policy, social protection and employment policy during 2000–2021.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3>\u0000<p>The article draws on qualitative research deploying the scoping review method. The data consist of diverse secondary materials, including academic publications, government policy documents, relevant statistics and other types of “grey” literature.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Findings</h3>\u0000<p>Tanzania has made significant advancements in the legal frameworks around welfare provision and has instituted increasingly gender-responsive government policy plans. The health and social protection sectors, in particular, have witnessed the introduction of large-scale measures expanding social policy implementation. However, social policy delivery remains two-tiered, with differences in provisions for women in the formal and informal sectors.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Originality/value</h3>\u0000<p>Social policy delivery and implementation have increased and diversified in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) during the new millennium, with a growing integration of gender-specific policy objectives. However, limited social policy scholarship has focused on the gendered effects of broader social policy models in SSA. The article remedies the concomitant knowledge gaps by examining various social policies and their impacts on working-age women in Mainland Tanzania. The authors also engage with the theoretical welfare regime literature and present an analytical framework for gender-sensitive assessment of emerging social policy models in the Global South.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->","PeriodicalId":47193,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139560494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Consumer trust in Thai street food vendors: implications for the post-pandemic era","authors":"Teerapong Teangsompong, Pichaporn Yamapewan, Weerachon Sawangproh","doi":"10.1108/ijssp-09-2023-0220","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijssp-09-2023-0220","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Purpose</h3>\u0000<p>This study aims to investigate the impact of service quality (SQ), perceived value (PV) and consumer satisfaction on Thai street food, with customer satisfaction (CS) as a mediator for customer loyalty and repurchase intention (RI). It also explores how consumer trust (CT) in Thai street food safety moderates these relationships.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3>\u0000<p>Structural equation modelling (SEM) was utilised to analyse the complex interrelationships between various constructs. Multi-group analyses were conducted to investigate the moderating effects of CT on the structural model, considering two distinct groups based on trust levels: low and high.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Findings</h3>\u0000<p>The findings revealed that SQ and PV significantly influenced CS and behavioural intention, while the perceived quality of Thai street food had no significant impact on post-COVID-19 consumer satisfaction. The study highlighted the critical role of CT in moderating the relationships between SQ, PV and CS, with distinct effects observed in groups with varying trust levels.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Social implications</h3>\u0000<p>The research emphasises the importance of enhancing SQ and delivering value to customers in the context of Thai street food, which can contribute to increased CS, RI and positive word-of-mouth. Furthermore, the study underscores the critical role of building CT in fostering enduring customer relationships and promoting consumer satisfaction and loyalty.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Originality/value</h3>\u0000<p>This research offers valuable insights into consumer behaviour and decision-making processes, particularly within the realm of Thai street food. It underscores the significance of understanding and nurturing CT, especially in the post-COVID-19 landscape, emphasising the need for effective business strategies and consumer engagement.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->","PeriodicalId":47193,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139560602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring gender inequality and sociocultural factors in Fiji: unveiling the “pink unicorns”","authors":"C.A. Saliya","doi":"10.1108/ijssp-08-2023-0184","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijssp-08-2023-0184","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Purpose</h3>\u0000<p> The purpose of this study is to explore the roles that sociocultural systems such as traditions, religious practices, and rituals play in upholding gender imbalance in Fiji.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3>\u0000<p> This qualitative study relies on results from semi-structured interviews with auditors, educationalists, academics, partners from leading accounting/audit firms, company directors and high-ranked government officers. Thematic analysis was conducted both manually and using MAXQDA software, and the themes that emerged from both analyses are complementary. A few more complementary analyses were also conducted such as Word Cloud.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Findings</h3>\u0000<p> The results support the claim that the religious traditions and rituals are strongly linked to gender-inequitable beliefs and suggest sociocultural factors impose on women experiencing self-effacing emotions and passive acceptance of lower status, contributing to the persistence of gender inequality. It also emphasizes the need to challenge certain sociocultural practices to promote greater gender equality, which is the theme emerged from thematic analysis. Additionally, this paper proposes four distinct types of attitudes in this regard as self-effacing feminist, self-effacing traditional, self-effacing modesty and talented driven.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Research limitations/implications</h3>\u0000<p> Respondents' openness authenticity may be limited by factors like selection bias, small sample size and other potential constraints in this study.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Practical implications</h3>\u0000<p> The findings might influence stakeholders to advocate for policy changes to promote women's representation in leadership positions. The results give voice to various segments of society who are advocating greater gender diversity on board representation in Fiji. The themes immerged and theories developed would make a substantial contribution to the existing literature.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Social implications</h3>\u0000<p> The findings highlight the importance of addressing gender inequality in leadership positions to promote inclusive and sustainable growth.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Originality/value</h3>\u0000<p> This study sheds light on the less-explored domain of internal barriers to gender equality within Fiji. It adds a novel dimension to the understanding of how cultural norms intersect with individual perceptions to shape gender inequality.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->","PeriodicalId":47193,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139464579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}