Understanding the Interplay of Formal Rules and Informal Norms in Women's Academic Career Advancement
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Understanding the Interplay of Formal Rules and Informal Norms in Women's Academic Career Advancement

Igiebor, Oluwakemi
ssrn 2026
1
oluwakemi2026understanding

Abstract

This article examines the dynamic interplay of formal and informal institutions in shaping women's advancement to academic leadership. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 17 women in senior academic leadership positions across four Nigerian federal universities, this study explores how formal promotion processes and informal norms interact to influence women's career trajectories. The study focuses on women's lived experiences of promotion, from entry-level academic cadre to academic leadership positions, to uncover where along the pipeline they encounter ease or difficulty, and why. It particularly explores the extent informal institutions subvert the intent of formal policies, potentially undermining women's advancement, and in what ways do women respond or adapt to these conditions? The Nigerian case is used as a lens to illuminate broader patterns that resonate globally, while also retaining context-specific insights. Comparisons are drawn between universities with explicit gender equality policies and those without, to assess whether a formal commitment to gender equity makes a tangible difference in practice. By integrating a Feminist Institutionalist perspective (FI) with a Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (FCDA), the study provides a nuanced account of how power and gender operate within academic institutions. The analysis highlights key informal mechanisms such as gendered bias in promotion evaluations, patronage networks, and normative expectations around gender roles, that influence promotion outcomes. It also showcases the strategies of resistance that women develop and how they navigate these resistances, illustrating a complementary interplay of formal and informal institutions. Ultimately, this article argues that meaningful progress toward gender equity in academia requires not only robust formal policies but also cultural and institutional change that dismantles adverse informal norms. The findings contribute to debates on gender and higher education by shedding light on how hidden institutional dynamics and 'rules of the game' continue to affect women's leadership prospects, and what this implies for policy and practice in both Nigerian academia and globally.

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DOI:
10.2139/ssrn.6222219
URL:
https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6222219

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ID: 284114
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