Tossing the coin on meritocracy: A qualitative study on Greek women in organizations

Abstract

The present study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of women in Greece with the concept of “merit” and “meritocracy” in an organizational context and the attributions of women on the concept of meritocracy and the inherent contradictions in their attributions, utilizing thematic analysis to uncover patterns in their perceptions and experiences. A theoretical framework was provided to support evidence in the results. Furthermore, 17 women participated in the study and the data collection tool was a semi-structured interview. Four key themes have emerged for the data collected: (1) Meritocracy, (2) Blocking Blocks of Success, (3) Success Factors – Formula and (4) Paradoxes of Meritocracy. The results were found significant and were supported by the literature and the theoretical framework analyzed. Limitations and future research was provided.