Abstract
Recent government initiatives in Saudi Arabia have increased employment opportunities
for Saudi women. Working Saudi women have the potential to add significant value to
the economic development of Saudi Arabia, yet historically, Saudi women faced legal,
cultural, and social barriers to employment and career advancement opportunities. This
transcendental phenomenological study sought to describe the perception
of promotability as it related to agency norms experienced by Saudi women with at least
two years of employment experience and working in mixed-gender environments in
Saudi Arabia. The study examined the lived experiences of Saudi women employed in
Mecca, Madinah, Jeddah, and Riyadh, and how their individual and collective agency
impacted their career advancement opportunities. The findings provide insights on
barriers to career advancement for Saudi working women. Overall, the study participants
expressed high levels of individual agency and collective agency from the government,
yet the participants’ expressed lower levels of collective agency from their places of work
due to their organizations lacking clear processes for a promotion and the participants
experiencing gender biases. Based on the findings, recommendations for Saudi working
women, organizational leaders, and policy makers are suggested.
Keywords: gender, promotions, career advancement, barriers, individual agency,
collective agency, Saudi Arabia