The Impact of Formal and Informal Distance on Gender Equality Approaches: The Case of a British MNC in Saudi Arabia

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/tie.21828
• Author: Ronan Carbery,Hussain Alhejji,Thomas Garavan,Eddy S. Ng
• Published date: 01 March 2018
• Date: 01 March 2018

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Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com)

© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. • DOI: 10.1002/tie.21828

Correspondence to: Eddy S. Ng, Rowe School of Business, Dalhousie University, 6100 University Ave., Halifax, NS Canada B3H 4R2, (902) 494-8998,

edng@dal.ca

The Impact of Formal

and Informal Distance

on Gender Equality

Approaches: TheCase

of a British MNC

inSaudi Arabia

By

Hussain Alhejji

Eddy S. Ng *

Thomas Garavan

Ronan Carbery

This study explores the forces that promote and hinder gender equality efforts of a multinational cor-

poration ( MNC ) operating in the Middle East. Speci cally, we draw from a case study to document the

formal and informal pressures exerted on a British MNC operating in Saudi Arabia to better understand

the multiple forces that in uence gender equality approaches in the host country. Our  ndings suggest

that while formal institutions such as the legal requirements and localization policies support gender

equality, informal forces that are rooted in the cultural norms and traditions are formidable in hindering

FEATURE ARTICLE

*The author would like to acknowledge support from the F. C. Manning Chair in Economics and Business, Dalhousie University.