Lebanon: Technica International: SDG#5 gender equality and women's empowerment.

Bastian, Bettina Lynda; Ng, Poh Yen; Wood, Bronwyn P.

Abstract

Gender equality and women's empowerment are key priorities to achieve sustainability in the world, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region where women are often an under-represented group across politics, economic and social spheres. According to a recent publication by the World Economic Forum, it would take 115 years for the region to reach gender parity. The region has one of the lowest participation rates for women in the workforce, and the number has been in decline since 2020. The family business is the most common form of enterprise in this region, and research perceives that female family members are more likely to participate, either directly or indirectly, in the running of these companies, though they are less likely to become the heir. Family businesses play an important role in promoting gender equality and women's advancement in their organisations, and they can serve as valuable examples for other companies and institutions to emulate. The present case is set in Lebanon and illustrates how a long-standing multinational Lebanese family business, TI, seeks to improve gender equality and women's empowerment within its business. The case first highlights the active involvement of the daughter of the founder, Cynthia Abou Khater, who joined the business in 2007 and who is currently Vice President overseeing Strategy, Information Technology and Human Resource departments. Cynthia was actively instrumental in attracting more female talent to the company and in developing an organisational environment that is conducive for women. The present case focuses on the efforts of TI to promote gender equality in the organisation, and it examines the initiatives and practices adopted by the company to achieve this goal.

Citation

BASTIAN, B.L., NG, P.Y. and WOOD, B.P. 2024. Lebanon: Technica International: SDG#5 gender equality and women's empowerment. In Birdthistle, N. and Hales, R. (eds.) Attaining the 2023 sustainable development goal of gender equality. Leeds: Emerald [online], chapter 7, pages 95-104. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80455-832-420231007

• Online Publication Date: Dec 14, 2023
• Publication Date: Dec 31, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jan 18, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 18, 2024
• Publisher: Emerald
• Pages: 95-104
• Series Title: Family businesses on a mission
• Book Title: Attaining the 2023 sustainable development goal of gender equality
• Chapter Number: Chapter 7
• ISBN: 9781804558355
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80455-832-420231007
• Keywords: Family businesses; Lebanon; Automation equipment; Women's empowerment; Gender equality
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2212835