Title: Re-framing culture, power and women's career advancement in Nigerian organisation: a postmodernist approach

Authors: Uzoechi Nwagbara

Addresses: University of Wales, 118 Maran Way, Erith, Kent, DA18 4BS, UK

Abstract: Traditionally, organisations conceive of women as 'the second sex', to allude Beauvoir's verbiage. This mode of women conceptualisation regarding leadership and career advancement in relation to male-dominated business world is sustained by chauvinistic modus operandi called patriarchy that owes its existence and pathogenesis to stereotyped, universalised notion called patriarchy prima facie hegemonic. This system has generated a leadership pattern that relegates women to the background. Nigerian organisation, which is historically patriarchal in constitution, is typical of this. However, as this paper shall argue, to reframe Nigerian organisations for women career advancement and empowerment thereby changing organisational culture, a postmodernist approach will facilitate this process. Thus, a postmodernist view of Nigerian organisations will mark a change from the norm of male-female dichotomy as well as reshape male-dominated organisational leadership. This will bring a paradigm shift in Nigeria's organisational culture. Paradigm shift is a marker for systematic change in practice capable of radicalising established canon. This shift is central in reframing women empowerment and advancement in Nigerian organisations.

Keywords: female career advancement; Nigerian women; organisational culture; postmodernism; power; reframing; Nigeria; leadership patterns; empowerment.

DOI: 10.1504/AJESD.2012.046970

African Journal of Economic and Sustainable Development, 2012 Vol.1 No.2, pp.118 - 130

Published online: 31 Jul 2014 *

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