Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences and Economics, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Second-level Student of Jurisprudence and Principles, Fatemeh al-Zahra Seminary for Women, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

The productivity of employed women pertains to their engagement and contributions to economic activities, the generation of goods and services, and the creation of economic value within a society, shaped by numerous factors impacting various aspects of their existence. In this analytical and descriptive study, we initially delineated the conceptual framework of factors impacting the productivity of employed women across individual, familial, institutional, organizational, and cultural-social dimensions, employing library research methodologies. Subsequently, utilizing a modified Delphi method through a structured questionnaire and drawing upon the expertise of specialists (married women possessing higher education beyond a diploma and a minimum of 10 years of professional experience), we identified ten key factors from a set of thirty-five criteria rooted in the aforementioned conceptual framework. These factors were organized into three criteria: women's economic participation, formal employment, and family stability. Subsequently, these factors were prioritized through the application of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology utilizing Expert Choice software. The results suggest that, when considering the weights of factors within the framework of the three criteria, job security, legal permits, institutional quality, and working conditions are among the most significant factors impacting the productivity of employed women. The influence of family expansion does not occupy a prominent position in the hierarchy of factors impacting the productivity of working women. This phenomenon may be ascribed to the growing tendency of women to participate in socio-economic activities and the necessity to generate income, resulting in a diminished inclination towards family expansion (marriage and childbearing).

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