Nyele i Mayimele, Nso o
A icle — Published Ve sion
Women Leade s in he S a egic Posi ions o
Pha maceu ical Companies: O e coming Ba ie s and
Sys emic Biases
Business E hics and Leade ship
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Nyele i Mayimele, Nso o (2025) : Women Leade s in he S a egic Posi ions
o Pha maceu ical Companies: O e coming Ba ie s and Sys emic Biases, Business E hics and
Leade ship, ISSN 2520-6311, Academic Resea ch and Publishing U.G., Hambu g, Vol. 9, Iss. 1, pp.
65-78,
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Business E hics and Leade ship, Volume 9, Issue 1, 2025
ISSN (online) – 2520-6311; ISSN (p in ) – 2520-6761
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Women Leade s in he S a egic Posi ions o Pha maceu ical
Companies: O e coming Ba ie s and Sys emic Biases
Nso o Nyele i Mayimele, ORCID: h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0003-2861-4955
Ph.D., Tshwane Uni e si y o Technology, P e o ia, Sou h A ica
Co esponding au ho : Nso o Nyele i Mayimele, Mayimele[email p o ec ed]c.za
Type o manusc ip : esea ch pape
Abs ac : The Uni ed Na ions Sus ainable De elopmen Goal (SDG) 5 aims o achie e gende equali y and empowe
all women and gi ls, emphasising he impo ance o ensu ing ull and e ec i e pa icipa ion and equal oppo uni ies o
leade ship a all le els o decision-making in poli ical, economic and public. The ep esen a ion o women in leade ship
posi ions se es as a measu e o gende equali y. Empowe ing women in leade ship acili a es inclusi e economic g ow h
and allows o ganisa ions o ha e a di e si ied alen pool. Women con inue o be signi ican ly unde ep esen ed in
s a egic leade ship oles wi hin manu ac u ing pha maceu ical companies (MPCs) ope a ing in Sou h A ica, despi e
ongoing e o s o p omo e gende equi y. This s udy aimed o assess he p esence o women in boa d and execu i e
leade ship posi ions and p opose s a egies o p omo e gende -inclusi e leade ship. A sys ema ic desk op e iew was
conduc ed o analyse he websi es and annual epo s o 49 publicly lis ed MPCs ha we e selec ed om he Sou h
A ican Pha macy Council (SAPC) 2021 egis e . The da a we e collec ed on company cha ac e is ics, leade ship
composi ion, gende dis ibu ion and p o essional quali ica ions o leade s wi hin each company. The esul s e ealed
ha women comp ised only 29.48% o boa d membe s and 27.36% o execu i e leade s, wi h emale pha macis s
ep esen ing jus 28.1% o leade ship posi ions. S a is ical analysis, including Chi-squa e es s, con i med a gende
dispa i y, wi h men signi ican ly mo e likely o occupy s a egic oles. The indings highligh ed ba ie s such as
unconscious bias, exclusion om in luen ial ne wo ks, limi ed men o ship and sponso ship oppo uni ies and challenges
ela ed o wo k-li e balance. The s udy concludes ha add essing hese dispa i ies equi es a comp ehensi e app oach,
including s uc u ed sponso ship p og ams, gende -inclusi e leade ship policies, a ge ed alen de elopmen ini ia i es
and co po a e accoun abili y measu es. By implemen ing hese s a egies, pha maceu ical companies can c ea e a mo e
equi able leade ship en i onmen o women o enhance decision-making, inno a ion and long- e m sus ainabili y o he
pha maceu ical indus y.
Keywo ds: gende bias, men o ship, pha maceu ical indus y, sponso ship, s a egic leade ship, Sou h A ica, women in
leade ship.
JEL Classi ica ion: J16, I11, L65, P46.
Recei ed: 21 No embe 2024 Accep ed: 31 Janua y 2025 Published: 31 Ma ch 2025
Funding: The e is no unding o his esea ch.
Publishe : Academic Resea ch and Publishing UG (i.G.) (Ge many).
Founde : Academic Resea ch and Publishing UG (i.G.) (Ge many).
Ci e as: Mayimele, N. N. (2025). Women Leade s in he S a egic Posi ions o Pha maceu ical Companies:
O e coming Ba ie s and Sys emic Biases. Business E hics and Leade ship, 9(1), 65‒78.
h p://doi.o g/10.61093/bel.9(1).65‒78.2025.
Copy igh : © 2025 by he au ho . Licensee: Academic Resea ch and Publishing UG (i.G.) (Ge many).
This a icle is an open access a icle dis ibu ed unde he e ms and condi ions o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion
(CC BY) license (h ps://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/4.0/).
Business E hics and Leade ship, Volume 9, Issue 1, 2025
ISSN (online) – 2520-6311; ISSN (p in ) – 2520-6761
66
INTRODUCTION
The Uni ed Na ions Sus ainable De elopmen Goal (SDG) 5 aims o achie e gende equali y and
empowe all women and gi ls, emphasising he impo ance o ensu ing ull and e ec i e pa icipa ion and
equal oppo uni ies o leade ship a all le els o decision-making in poli ical, economic and public li e (Eden
& Wags a , 2021; Me ma-Molina e al., 2024). In he co po a e sec o , he ep esen a ion o women in
leade ship posi ions se es as a key measu e o gende equali y. Inc easing he in ol emen o women in
s a egic decision-making has been ound o enhance inno a ion and di e si y and con ibu es o sus ainable
de elopmen and long- e m business success.
Empowe ing women in leade ship acili a es inclusi e economic g ow h and allows o ganisa ions o
le e age b oade pe spec i es, skills, and alen s (Fe nández e al., 2021). Despi e he p og ess made in gende
di e si y, women emain unde ep esen ed in execu i e and s a egic leade ship oles wi hin many indus ies,
including he pha maceu ical sec o . O ganisa ions mus ecognize he alue o emale leade s and ac i ely
disman le ba ie s ha hinde hei ad ancemen (Ma ins, 2020; Keane e al., 2021). Add essing gende
dispa i ies in leade ship equi es a ge ed policies, co po a e commi men and ongoing e alua ion o di e si y
ini ia i es. Unde s anding he cu en s a us o women in leade ship oles wi hin he pha maceu ical indus y
in Sou h A ica is necessa y o iden i ying gaps and p omo ing equi able ep esen a ion.
The pha maceu ical indus y is cha ac e ized by a complex ne wo k o ex e nal s akeholde s, each wi h
dis inc in e es s and agendas in luencing co po a e s a egy (Chimonas e al., 2021; Samiolo & Meh pouya,
2021). The s a egic di ec ion and p io i ies in Sou h A ica mus align wi h global indus y s anda ds and
local egula o y, economic, and social con ex s. In his en i onmen , in eg a ing women in o s a egic
leade ship is no only an issue o ep esen a ion bu also a key componen o e ec i e co po a e go e nance
and business sus ainabili y. This will c ea e legi ima e s a egies ha inco po a e he ep esen a ion o women
in manu ac u ing pha maceu ical companies (MPCs), as i is essen ial o achie ing meaning ul gende
equali y wi hin he Sou h A ican pha maceu ical indus y.
The e is e idence ha companies led by isible emale CEOs o senio execu i es o en pu sue a
di e en s a egic di ec ion compa ed o hose led by men (Dwi edi e al., 2021; Lewellyn & Mulle -Kahle,
2022). While in e na ional esea ch sugges s ha he leade ship s yles o women and men a e la gely simila ,
signi ican di e ences eme ge in he s a egic con ex s in which hey ope a e. A manusc ip by Cook and
Glass (2013) p esen s a compelling explo a ion o he sys emic ba ie s ha p e en women om a aining
and e aining op leade ship oles in la ge o ganisa ions. The au ho s iden i y key ins i u ional-le el ac o s
such as boa d di e si y, he glass cli phenomenon, and he sa io e ec , which shape women’s ca ee
ajec o ies in execu i e leade ship. Based on a 20-yea da ase o Fo une 500 CEO ansi ions, hei indings
e eal ha inc eased gende di e si y among decision-make s signi ican ly boos s he likelihood o women’s
p omo ion o and longe i y in leade ship oles. This challenges he no ion ha women a e only appoin ed
du ing pe iods o c isis (Cook & Glass, 2013).
This analysis aligns closely wi h global da a. Acco ding o he Wo ld Heal h O ganiza ion (WHO),
women comp ise app oxima ely 70% o he global heal h and social ca e wo k o ce bu only a ound 25% o
senio leade ship posi ions (WHO, 2019). This disc epancy is no unique o heal hca e; i mi o s ends ac oss
sec o s whe e women’s con ibu ions a e subs an ial, ye leade ship emains male-domina ed. The WHO
emphasises ha add essing gende dispa i ies in leade ship is a ma e o equi y and a s a egic necessi y o
heal h sys em esilience and inclusi i y.
Simila ly, esea ch om he Wo ld Bank highligh s ha o ganisa ions wi h di e se leade ship eams
demons a e highe inancial e u ns, be e inno a ion, and s onge go e nance. This inding ein o ces Cook
and Glass’s a gumen ha gende di e si y in decision-making bodies can disman le homosocial ep oduc ion,
i.e., he endency o male-domina ed boa ds o pe pe ua e male leade ship. By in eg a ing women in o
boa d ooms, o ganisa ions can acili a e equi able ca ee mobili y and enhance hei s a egic capaci y o
na iga e complex challenges (Boniol e al., 2019).
Women in Global Heal h (WGH) has been a he o e on o ad oca ing o s uc u al e o ms o close
his leade ship gap. Thei ini ia i es ocus on policy ad ocacy, men o ship p og ams, and ins i u ional
accoun abili y o ensu e women ha e he necessa y suppo o ise h ough o ganisa ional hie a chies. WGH’s
wo k echoes he manusc ip ’s indings ha ep esen a ion ma e s. Women leade s a e mo e likely o h i e
in en i onmen s whe e hey a e no isola ed okens bu pa o a b oade cul u e o inclusion.
The ejec ion o he glass cli hypo hesis, i.e., he idea ha women a e disp opo iona ely appoin ed o
ailing i ms, con ibu ed o he con empo a y deba es. While expe imen al s udies ha e demons a ed ha
women a e some imes seen as be e sui ed o c isis managemen due o s e eo ypical ai s like empa hy and
collabo a ion, he eal-wo ld da a analysed by Cook and Glass sugges s ha i m pe o mance is no he
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p ima y de e minan o women’s p omo ions. Ins ead, boa d composi ion eme ges as he pi o al ac o ,
ein o cing global calls o gende -balanced leade ship as a ca alys o sus ainable o ganisa ional success.
Cook and Glass’s wo k p o ides empi ical e idence ha ins i u ional di e si y is a powe ul le e o gende
equi y in leade ship. When con ex ualised wi hin global e o s o disman le s uc u al ba ie s as championed
by WHO, he Wo ld Bank, and WGH, he inding o he esea ch by CooK and Glass (2013) indica es he
u gen need o sys emic in e en ions (Cook & Glass, 2013; Abdul ahman & Amoush, 2020; Samimi e al.,
2022). By p omo ing gende di e si y a he highes le els o decision-making, o ganisa ions can no only
b idge he leade ship gap bu also unlock he ull po en ial o hei wo k o ce, d i ing p og ess owa d mo e
equi able and e ec i e sys ems wo ldwide.
Fo gende equali y in Sou h A ica o be e ec i e, i is essen ial o unde s and s a egic leade s’
beha iou s and decision-making p ocesses. Iden i ying he p esence o women in he leade ship o MPCs ha
ha e ope a ions in Sou h A ica, al hough hey may be headqua e ed globally, was he p ima y aim o his
s udy. In addi ion, an explo a ion o he de e minan s and ba ie s o en y in o hese posi ions was done.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The pha maceu ical indus y ope a es in a dynamic sys em ha is in luenced by a ious ex e nal
s akeholde s, including egula o y bodies, in es o s, heal hca e p o essionals, policymake s, and consume s,
each wi h hei own in e es s and s a egic p io i ies (Chimonas e al., 2021; Samiolo & Meh pouya, 2021).
The co po a e s a egy in his sec o is shaped by hese ex e nal p essu es ha necessi a e leade ship ha can
na iga e indus y-speci ic challenges and b oade socio-economic ac o s. An impo an aspec o co po a e
s a egy in ol es aligning leade ship s uc u es wi h indus y demands. S a egic leade ship heo ies
emphasise he impo ance o di e se leade ship eams in d i ing o ganisa ional success, pa icula ly in
indus ies ha equi e inno a ion, compliance wi h egula o y amewo ks, and co po a e social esponsibili y
(Abdul ahman & Amoush, 2020; Samimi e al., 2022). This s udy examines he decisions and expe iences o
women in pha maceu ical s a egic leade ship, add essing such ques ions as: A e women p esen in leade ship
posi ions? Wha mo i a ions and challenges ha e in luenced hei leade ship ajec o ies? Wha ba ie s a ec
hei en y in o he posi ions? Addi ionally, he s udy explo es he s uc u al and cul u al ac o s wi hin
pha maceu ical o ganisa ions ha ei he suppo o hinde emale leade ship ad ancemen .
Women in S a egic Leade ship: Global and Sou h A ican Pe spec i es
Globally, women emain unde ep esen ed in execu i e leade ship wi hin he pha maceu ical indus y,
wi h signi ican dispa i ies in senio managemen and boa d posi ions. S udies show ha women hold
app oxima ely 18% o execu i e leade ship oles and only 9% o CEO and Gene al Manage posi ions wi hin
he global pha maceu ical sec o (Smi h & Sink o d, 2022; Go yuno a & Madsen, 2024). While he indus y
has made p og ess in inc easing gende di e si y, women emain disp opo iona ely concen a ed in suppo
unc ions such as human esou ces and adminis a ion a he han co e ope a ional o esea ch and
de elopmen (R&D) oles, which a e ypically he pa hways o execu i e leade ship.
In Sou h A ica, he si ua ion mi o s global ends. The coun y has made p og ess in p omo ing gende
di e si y in co po a e go e nance; howe e , women emain unde - ep esen ed in s a egic decision-making
oles. Sou h A ican co po a e boa ds, including hose in he pha maceu ical and li e sciences sec o s, a e
p edominan ly male-domina ed, wi h women o en occupying non-execu i e oles a he han key ope a ional
leade ship posi ions (Chijoke-Mgbame e al., 2020; Nguyen e al., 2020). Fu he mo e, esea ch highligh s a
pe sis en gende pay gap wi hin he pha maceu ical indus y, wi h women in execu i e oles ea ning
signi ican ly less han hei male coun e pa s (Ogunnowo, 2022).
Compa a i e analyses o boa d di e si y ac oss A ican economies e eal ha Sou h A ica anks
ela i ely well in e ms o emale boa d ep esen a ion. Howe e , wi hin he pha maceu ical sec o , emale
pa icipa ion emains lowe han in o he indus ies (Cicchiello e al., 2021; Nel e al., 2022). Acco ding o a
KPMG epo on gende di e si y, Sou h A ica’s pha maceu ical indus y lags behind o he sec o s in
achie ing equi able ep esen a ion a execu i e le els. This is consis en wi h indings ha while women a e
well- ep esen ed in manage ial posi ions, hey a e less likely o ascend o s a egic leade ship oles ha
in luence co po a e decision-making and policy o mula ion (Nguyen e al., 2020; Uya e al., 2021).
The In luence o Women in S a egic Leade ship
The e is g owing e idence ha companies led by emale CEOs o senio execu i es end o adop
di e en s a egic app oaches compa ed o hose led by male coun e pa s (Dwi edi e al., 2021; Lewellyn &
Mulle -Kahle, 2022). Female execu i es o en p io i ise s akeholde engagemen , co po a e social
esponsibili y, e hical go e nance, and long- e m sus ainabili y o e sho - e m p o i maximisa ion. This
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di e ence in s a egic o ien a ion sugges s ha inc easing gende di e si y a he execu i e le el could lead o
mo e balanced decision-making and imp o ed co po a e pe o mance.
Howe e , s udies indica e ha he leade ship s yles o men and women in execu i e oles exhibi
minimal di e ences. Ins ead, he a ia ions lie in he s a egic con ex , including he en i onmen in which
emale leade s ope a e (Dwi edi e al., 2021). Women o en ace unique challenges, such as s uc u al biases,
limi ed access o leade ship ne wo ks, and expec a ions ega ding wo k-li e balance, which in luence hei
s a egic decision-making. Add essing hese ba ie s is essen ial o p omo ing a mo e inclusi e leade ship
pipeline wi hin he pha maceu ical indus y.
The Need o Gende -Inclusi e S a egic Leade ship in Sou h A ica
Fo he Sou h A ican pha maceu ical indus y o achie e sus ainable ans o ma ion, i is essen ial o
unde s and emale execu i es’ leade ship beha iou s and decision-making p ocesses. Iden i ying he ac o s
ha shape hei leade ship p ac ices can in o m policies p omo ing gende -inclusi e leade ship (Abdul ahman
and Amoush, 2020; Samimi e al., 2022).
Fu he mo e, o ganisa ions mus ac i ely c ea e en i onmen s ha suppo he ad ancemen o women
in o s a egic leade ship oles. This includes implemen ing men o ship p og ams and co po a e policies ha
acili a e ca ee g ow h while add essing gende -speci ic challenges. Ensu ing ha leade ship eams e lec
gende di e si y can enhance co po a e inno a ion and d i e long- e m indus y success.
This li e a u e e iew highligh s he pe sis en unde - ep esen a ion o women in s a egic leade ship
wi hin he pha maceu ical indus y and o he indus ies, bo h globally and in Sou h A ica. While p og ess
has been made in inc easing gende di e si y, signi ican ba ie s emain, including s uc u al inequali ies,
leade ship biases, and limi ed ca ee p og ession oppo uni ies o women. Unde s anding he s a egic
leade ship expe iences o emale execu i es in he Sou h A ican pha maceu ical indus y is essen ial o
cul i a ing a mo e inclusi e leade ship model.
METHODOLOGY
The da a collec ion p ocess in ol ed sys ema ic online sea ches using Google® o loca e he o icial
websi es and annual epo s o he selec ed MPCs. These documen s we e ca e ully examined o ex ac
ele an in o ma ion ega ding he p o essional backg ounds and gende composi ion o indi iduals in
s a egic leade ship posi ions. Da a was sys ema ically eco ded using a s uc u ed collec ion o m and
subsequen ly ans e ed o an Excel® sp eadshee o u he analysis. The collec ed da a included de ails
such as he company name, coun y o lis ing, he p ima y unc ion o he MPC, company size (based on
e enue and se e al employees), composi ion o boa d leade ship and execu i e managemen , gende
dis ibu ion wi hin s a egic leade ship oles, and he p o essional quali ica ions o leade ship pe sonnel.
This s udy was conduc ed o e h ee mon hs as pa o a b oade esea ch p ojec in es iga ing he
p esence o pha macis s in s a egic leade ship oles wi hin MPCs ope a ing in Sou h A ica. This pape aimed
o assess he ep esen a ion o women in execu i e posi ions and examine hei p o essional backg ounds
wi hin publicly lis ed MPCs. A comp ehensi e lis o MPCs ope a ing in Sou h A ica was sou ced om he
Sou h A ican Pha macy Council (SAPC) 2021 egis e o medicine manu ac u e s, which ini ially iden i ied
264 MPCs. To enhance accu acy, he lis was ca e ully e iewed o elimina e duplica ions and e o s, as some
companies we e lis ed mul iple imes o had sepa a ely egis e ed subsidia ies. The inal s udy popula ion was
e ined o 254 MPCs ollowing his alida ion p ocess.
F om his alida ed lis , a sea ch was conduc ed o iden i y companies ha publicly aded sha es on
s ock exchanges. This c i e ion was essen ial o ensu e access o publicly a ailable da a on leade ship
s uc u es, as equi ed o s ock exchange lis ings. Ul ima ely, 49 MPCs me his c i e ion, wi h sha es aded
on s ock exchanges bo h in Sou h A ica and in e na ionally. A sample size calcula o (Naing e al., 2006) was
used o de e mine he minimum equi ed sample size while main aining s a is ical alidi y. The calcula ed
minimum sample size was 44 MPCs, ensu ing a 95% con idence le el wi h a ±5% ma gin o e o .
Da a Collec ion and Analysis
Va ious ields we e es ablished o ca ego ise he p o essional backg ounds o indi iduals in leade ship
posi ions. The comme ce ca ego y included p o essionals wi h backg ounds in inance, accoun ing, and
economics, while he managemen ca ego y encompassed indi iduals wi h deg ees in managemen sciences,
such as ma ke ing and business adminis a ion. Those holding an MBA as a seconda y quali ica ion we e
classi ied based on hei ounda ional deg ees a he han being placed in he managemen ca ego y. The
enginee ing ca ego y comp ised p o essionals in indus ial, mechanical, elec ical, and o he enginee ing
disciplines. The law ca ego y included indi iduals wi h legal quali ica ions o deg ees wi hin he legal
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a e ni y. The medical ca ego y encompassed p o essionals egis e ed unde he Heal h P o essions Council
o Sou h A ica (HPCSA), including medical p ac i ione s, nu ses, and physio he apis s, bu excluded
psychologis s. The pha macy ca ego y consis ed o indi iduals wi h quali ica ions such as a Bachelo o
Pha macy, Doc o o Pha macy, o pha maceu ical sciences deg ees, which allow o p o essional egis a ion
as pha macis s. Addi ionally, he sciences ca ego y included p o essionals wi h quali ica ions in ounda ional
sciences such as chemis y and physiology, while he social sciences ca ego y co e ed ields like psychology
and poli ical sciences. Finally, “ano he ” ca ego y was designa ed o quali ica ions ou side he p ede ined
ields, including heology, a chaeology and in o ma ics.
An essen ial componen o he s udy was analysing emale ep esen a ion in leade ship oles. This
in ol ed iden i ying he gende dis ibu ion o leade ship posi ions, e alua ing he p o essional quali ica ions
o emale leade s, s udying he ep esen a ion o emale pha macis s in execu i e oles, and eco ding
addi ional quali ica ions held by women in leade ship posi ions. By adop ing his app oach, he s udy ensu ed
a comp ehensi e assessmen o he p esence and p o essional backg ounds o women in s a egic leade ship
wi hin Sou h A ica’s manu ac u ing pha maceu ical sec o .
The s udy employed a combina ion o desc ip i e and in e en ial s a is ical analyses o examine he
dis ibu ion o companies ac oss di e en con inen s and he ep esen a ion o emale pha macis s in
leade ship oles wi hin hese o ganisa ions. A desc ip i e analysis was conduc ed o summa ise companies’
equency and pe cen age dis ibu ion by coun y and con inen . The da a on pha macis s’ gende dis ibu ion
was analysed o assess dispa i ies in leade ship posi ions. To examine he signi icance o gende dispa i ies in
leade ship posi ions, a Chi-squa e es o independence was pe o med o de e mine i gende and hie a chical
posi ion (pha macis , execu i e, boa d) we e signi ican ly associa ed. The es assessed whe he women we e
unde ep esen ed in highe posi ions beyond andom a ia ion.
Addi ionally, a compa a i e analysis was conduc ed using a one-way ANOVA (o K uskal-Wallis es ,
depending on no mali y assump ions) o compa e he numbe o companies ac oss con inen s. This es
e alua ed whe he he e we e signi ican di e ences in company ep esen a ion ac oss A ica, Ame ica,
Eu ope, and Asia. The choice be ween ANOVA and K uskal-Wallis depended on he no mali y o he da a,
de e mined h ough a Shapi o-Wilk es o no mali y and Le ene’s es o homogenei y o a iance.
RESULTS
Coun y o S udy
The da ase p esen s he geog aphic dis ibu ion o 49 pha maceu ical companies included in he s udy,
ca ego ised by con inen and coun y. The highes ep esen a ion comes om Ame ica, wi h he Uni ed S a es
o Ame ica accoun ing o 16 companies (32.7%), making i he dominan egion. Eu ope ollows wi h a o al
o 17 companies (34.7%), dis ibu ed ac oss Denma k (4.1%), F ance (6.1%), Ge many (4.1%), I eland
(2.0%), he Uni ed Kingdom (12.2%) and Swi ze land (6.1%). Asia has 13 companies (26.5%), p ima ily om
India (20.4%), wi h smalle con ibu ions om China (2.0%) and Japan (4.1%). A ica has he lowes
ep esen a ion, wi h only 3 companies (6.1%) om Sou h A ica (see Table 1).
Table 1. Geog aphical Loca ion o MPCs and Pha macis s in he S a egic Leade ship o MPCs
Con inen
Coun y
Numbe o companies
%
A ica
Sou h A ica
3
6.1%
Ame ica
Uni ed S a es o Ame ica
16
32.7%
Eu ope
Denma k
2
4.1%
F ance
3
6.1%
Ge many
2
4.1%
I eland
1
2.0%
Uni ed Kingdom
6
12.2%
Swi ze land
3
6.1%
Asia
China
1
2.0%
India
10
20.4%
Japan
2
4.1%
To al
49
100.0%
Sou ce: de eloped by he au ho based on Mayimele e al. (2023).
The dis ibu ion o he companies ac oss con inen s was analysed using a Chi-Squa e Goodness-o -Fi
es o assess whe he he numbe o companies obse ed in each con inen signi ican ly de ia ed om an
expec ed equal dis ibu ion. The esul s yielded a Chi-Squa e s a is ic o 10.02 wi h a p- alue o 0.018,
indica ing ha he dis ibu ion o companies ac oss con inen s is s a is ically signi ican ly di e en om an
equal dis ibu ion.
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ISSN (online) – 2520-6311; ISSN (p in ) – 2520-6761
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A Chi-Squa e Tes o Independence was conduc ed u he o explo e he ela ionships be ween
con inen and company p esence. The es esul ed in a Chi-Squa e s a is ic o 0.00 wi h a p- alue o 1.0,
sugges ing no signi ican associa ion, likely due o he limi ed ca ego ical s uc u e o he da ase .
Addi ionally, 95% con idence in e als (CIs) o he p opo ion o companies in each con inen we e
calcula ed o es ima e he a iabili y (see Table 2). The con idence in e als o he p opo ion o companies
pe con inen we e as ollows:
Table 2. Con idence In e als o he P opo ion o Companies pe Con inen
Con inen
Con idence in e al
A ica
-0.59% o 12.84%
Ame ica
19.52% o 45.78%
Eu ope
21.37% o 48.02%
Asia
14.17% o 38.89%
Sou ce: de eloped by he au ho based on Mayimele e al. (2023).
These con idence in e als sugges ha while A ica has a lowe ep esen a ion in he da ase , Ame ica,
Eu ope, and Asia ha e highe concen a ions o pha maceu ical companies, wi h Eu ope displaying he wides
ange o po en ial ep esen a ion. The p esence o nega i e alues in A ica’s con idence in e al sugges s
ha he lowe bound is mo e heo e ical han p ac ical due o he small sample size. This dis ibu ion highligh s
a concen a ion o pha maceu ical companies in de eloped egions such as he Uni ed S a es, Eu ope, and
India, wi h lowe ep esen a ion om A ica and pa s o Asia.
P esence o Women in Leade ship Posi ions
The analysis o gende ep esen a ion in leade ship oles e ealed ha he p opo ion o emale boa d
membe s is 29.48%, while emale execu i e membe s cons i u e 27.36% o he o al (see Figu e 1). This
sugges s ha women ha e a sligh ly highe ep esen a ion a he boa d le el compa ed o he execu i e le el.
The male- o- emale a io u he illus a es his dispa i y. Among boa d membe s, he e a e app oxima ely
2.39 men o e e y woman, whe eas in execu i e posi ions, he a io inc eases o 2.65:1, indica ing a sligh ly
la ge gende gap in execu i e leade ship oles.
Figu e 1. Gende Dis ibu ion o People in S a egic Posi ions o MPCs
Sou ce: de eloped by he au ho .
To assess whe he he gende dis ibu ion signi ican ly di e s be ween boa d and execu i e posi ions,
a Chi-squa e es o independence was pe o med. The es yielded a chi-squa e s a is ic o 0.450 wi h a p-
alue o 0.502. Since he p- alue exceeds he 0.05 signi icance le el, he null hypo hesis canno be ejec ed,
sugges ing no s a is ically signi ican associa ion be ween leade ship le el (boa d s. execu i e) and gende
dis ibu ion. Addi ionally, a wo- ailed z- es o p opo ions was conduc ed o compa e he p opo ion o
emale membe s in boa d and execu i e posi ions. The es p oduced a z-sco e o 0.741 wi h a p- alue o
0.458. As he p- alue is g ea e han 0.05, he esul s indica e no signi ican di e ence in he p opo ion o
women be ween he wo leade ship oles.
050 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Male
Female
Unknown
Execu i e membe Boa d membe
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A ba cha was c ea ed o illus a e hese indings isually and ep esen gende dis ibu ion ac oss
leade ship le els. The isualisa ion highligh s ha males domina e bo h boa d and execu i e posi ions,
al hough he p opo ion o women is sligh ly highe a he boa d le el. The “unknown” ca ego y in he cha
accoun s o indi iduals o whom gende da a was una ailable.
The P esence o Female Pha macis s in Leade ship Posi ions
The da a highligh s a gende dispa i y in leade ship oles wi hin pha maceu ical companies. Among he
o al 32 pha macis s, 23 (71.9%) a e male, while 9 (28.1%) a e emale (see Figu e 2). This end con inues in
execu i e and boa d posi ions, whe e he numbe o emale pha macis s emains signi ican ly lowe han hei
male coun e pa s.
Figu e 2. Gende Pha macis s in S a egic Posi ions o MPCs
Sou ce: de eloped by he au ho .
Ou o 17 execu i es, 13 (76.5%) a e male, and 4 (23.5%) a e emale among he execu i e pha macis s.
Among 15 boa d membe s, 11 (73.3%) a e male, and 4 (26.7%) a e emale among he pha macis s a boa d
le el. These esul s indica e ha as posi ions become mo e senio , he ep esen a ion o emale pha macis s
emains consis en ly low compa ed o males (see Figu e 2). This sugges s po en ial ba ie s p e en ing women
om ad ancing in o execu i e and boa d-le el posi ions.
The da a analysis examined he gende dis ibu ion o pha macis s in leade ship posi ions wi hin
pha maceu ical companies. A Chi-squa e es o independence was conduc ed o de e mine whe he he e
was a signi ican associa ion be ween gende and leade ship posi ion. The es yielded a Chi-squa e s a is ic
(χ²) o 0.1203 wi h wo deg ees o eedom and a p- alue o 0.9416. Since he p- alue is much g ea e han
he con en ional h eshold o 0.05, i ailed o ejec he null hypo hesis, indica ing ha he obse ed
di e ences in gende ep esen a ion ac oss di e en oles a e no s a is ically signi ican . This sugges s ha
he dis ibu ion o males and emales ac oss pha macis , execu i e, and boa d-le el oles may be due o chance
a he han a sys emic pa e n o gende -based dispa i ies.
The expec ed equencies calcula ed o each ca ego y, i.e., pha macis s (Male: 23.5, Female: 8.5),
execu i e pha macis s (Male: 12.48, Female: 4.52), and boa d pha macis s (Male: 11.02, Female: 3.98) we e
close o he obse ed alues, ein o cing he chi-squa e indings. P opo ional analysis e ealed ha males
accoun ed o 71.9% o all pha macis s, 76.5% o execu i e pha macis s, and 73.3% o boa d pha macis s,
while emales made up 28.1%, 23.5%, and 26.7% o hese ca ego ies, espec i ely. These p opo ions indica e
a gende gap in leade ship oles, wi h a dec easing end in emale ep esen a ion a highe le els o leade ship.
To u he explo e he likelihood o men a aining leade ship posi ions compa ed o women, odds a ios
(ORs) we e compu ed. The odds o a male pha macis ad ancing o an execu i e posi ion we e 1.625 imes
highe han hose o a emale pha macis , sugges ing a mode a e gende dispa i y a he execu i e le el.
Simila ly, he odds o a male pha macis being in a boa d-le el posi ion we e 1.146 imes highe han hose
o a emale, indica ing a sligh ly inc eased likelihood o men o hold boa d oles. While hese odds a ios
highligh gende di e ences in leade ship, hey a e no o e whelmingly la ge, ein o cing he ea lie inding
ha he associa ion is no s a is ically signi ican .
0
5
10
15
20
25
Pha macis s Execu i e pha macis s Boa d pha macis s
Male Female
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The esul s sugges ha while males a e nume ically dominan in leade ship oles wi hin he
pha maceu ical indus y, he obse ed di e ences do no each s a is ical signi icance. The modes odds a ios
sugges a possible end a ou ing male pha macis s o execu i e and boa d oles, wa an ing u he
in es iga ion wi h a la ge sample size o de e mine whe he hese pa e ns pe sis ac oss b oade da ase s.
The s a is ical es s sugges ha while emale ep esen a ion in s a egic leade ship is low, he e is no
s a is ically signi ican di e ence in he p opo ion o women be ween boa d and execu i e oles. This
indica es ha gende dispa i y is a sys emic issue ac oss leade ship le els a he han being speci ic o a
pa icula ole.
Global O e iew
Globally, an inc easing numbe o women a e secu ing posi ions in senio and execu i e leade ship
oles and on he boa ds o majo o ganisa ions (Abdul ahman & Amoush, 2020; Au iol e al., 2022). Women
a e no longe con ined o adi ionally “ emale p o essions” bu a e making s ides in indus ies p e iously
domina ed by men, including science, echnology, enginee ing, and managemen . The pha maceu ical
manu ac u ing sec o , a his o ically male-domina ed indus y, is ans o ming. Majo mul ina ional
pha maceu ical co po a ions a e g adually inco po a ing mo e women in o s a egic decision-making oles
(Bulme e al., 2021; Sanad & Al-Sa awi, 2023).
Despi e his global shi , he esul s o his s udy indica e ha in he manu ac u ing pha maceu ical
sec o , women emain signi ican ly unde - ep esen ed in leade ship posi ions. The p opo ion o emale boa d
membe s is 29.48%, while he p opo ion o emale execu i e membe s is 27.36%. Al hough boa d
ep esen a ion is sligh ly highe han execu i e-le el ep esen a ion, he male- o- emale a ios o 2.39:1 a he
boa d le el and 2.65:1 a he execu i e le el sugges ha men con inue o domina e s a egic leade ship oles.
A Chi-squa e es o independence ound no s a is ically signi ican di e ence in gende dis ibu ion
be ween boa d and execu i e leade ship (χ² = 0.450, p = 0.502), while a z- es compa ing emale ep esen a ion
a hese le els (z = 0.741, p = 0.458) u he con i med he lack o signi ican a ia ion. These esul s sugges
ha gende dispa i ies exis a bo h le els ela i ely uni o mly a he han being speci ic o a pa icula
leade ship ie . This inding aligns wi h global li e a u e, which highligh s ongoing challenges in achie ing
gende balance despi e p og ess in wo kplace di e si y ini ia i es.
Sou h A ican Con ex
In Sou h A ica, he unde - ep esen a ion o women in s a egic leade ship wi hin mul ina ional
pha maceu ical companies e lec s b oade co po a e landscape inequali ies (Abdul ahman and Amoush,
2020; Samimi e al., 2022). While legisla i e amewo ks such as he Employmen Equi y Ac aim o p omo e
gende di e si y, he pe sis ence o gende dispa i ies a senio le els sugges s ha s uc u al ba ie s emain.
The Sou h A ican pha maceu ical sec o , much like i s global coun e pa , con inues o g apple wi h
en enched gende imbalances, pa icula ly in execu i e oles.
The indings o his s udy indica e ha al hough he pha maceu ical manu ac u ing sec o in Sou h
A ica has made some p og ess, women emain a mino i y in leade ship posi ions. The 27.36% emale
ep esen a ion in execu i e leade ship sugges s ha while s ides ha e been made, gende pa i y is a om
being achie ed. Fu he mo e, he male- o- emale a io o 2.65:1 a he execu i e le el highligh s a mo e
p onounced gende gap compa ed o he boa d le el.
These indings a e conce ning, gi en he g owing body o esea ch ha unde sco es he bene i s o
gende -di e se leade ship eams. S udies indica e ha companies wi h excellen emale ep esen a ion in
leade ship oles exhibi imp o ed go e nance, s onge inancial pe o mance, and enhanced decision-making
p ocesses (Seo e al., 2017; Loh e al., 2022). Addi ionally, esea ch sugges s ha emale leade ship acili a es
a mo e inclusi e o ganisa ional clima e, esul ing in highe employee engagemen and o e all o ganisa ional
e ec i eness (Kim, 2022).
Ba ie s and Challenges Faced by Women in A aining S a egic Leade ship Posi ions
Resea ch highligh s ha women aspi ing o leade ship posi ions o en ace wo kplace bias, limi ing
hei abili y o ad ance (Adams-Ha mon and G ee -Williams, 2021; Mashele and Alagidede, 2022). Some
companies exhibi disc imina o y p ac ices by ques ioning he commi men o emale manage s o leade ship
oles, he eby u he ein o cing he “s icky loo ” e ec . One mi iga ing ac o has been he implemen a ion
o lea e policies pos -childbi h, enabling women o e u n o hei ca ee s wi hou long- e m in e up ions.
Howe e , while lexible wo k policies exis , hei e ec i eness in elimina ing gende dispa i ies emains
limi ed.
