Attitudes towards women managers in theUnited Arab Emirates

Purpose This study aims to investigate the United Arab Emirates (UAE) society's attitudes towards women managers held by a sample of 186 participants. Design/methodology/approach The subjects completed the newly developed multidimensional aversion to women who work scale (MAWWWS). The study validates the scale in an Arab non‐Western context. Findings The results reveal that UAE students have significantly different attitudes towards women managers from those of the older generations. There are significant differences between males' and females' perceptions of women's roles and participation in society. The study predicts that modernity may diminish patriarchal attitudes towards women managers in the Arab world. Originality/value This study has provided some insights into the factors associated with attitudes towards women managers in the UAE. This research contributes to the literature on cross‐cultural studies by systematically assessing the attitudes towards women managers in the UAE.