What the study found
Patriarchal dominance was significantly related to employment anxiety among Nigerian career widows, but it was not significantly related to subjective career success.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that the findings have implications for African governments, organizations, and practitioners, who may be motivated to take actions that help emancipate career widows from patriarchal dominance. The study also suggests that family economic conditions matter in how patriarchal dominance relates to employment anxiety.
What the researchers tested
The researchers collected primary quantitative data from 491 career widows employed in Nigerian organizations using a structured questionnaire. They used descriptive analysis for demographic information and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the study hypotheses about patriarchal dominance, employment anxiety, subjective career success, family economic condition, and social support.
What worked and what didn't
Patriarchal dominance significantly related to employment anxiety. The moderation analysis suggested that family economic conditions changed the strength and direction of this relationship: among widows from low economic backgrounds, employment anxiety decreased as patriarchal dominance increased; among those from medium economic backgrounds, employment anxiety increased as patriarchal dominance increased; and the positive relationship was strongest among widows from high economic backgrounds. No moderating role was found for social support in the link between patriarchal dominance and employment anxiety.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe limitations beyond the study's focus on career widows in Nigerian work settings. It also states that the study is the first to examine these links in this group using PLS-SEM, but no further caveats are provided in the available summary.
Key points
- Patriarchal dominance was significantly related to employment anxiety among Nigerian career widows.
- Patriarchal dominance was not significantly related to subjective career success.
- Family economic conditions moderated the patriarchal dominance–employment anxiety relationship.
- The pattern of the moderated relationship differed across low, medium, and high economic backgrounds.
- Social support did not moderate the relationship between patriarchal dominance and employment anxiety.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Patriarchal dominance is linked to employment anxiety among Nigerian career widows
- Authors:
- Happiness Ozioma Obi-Anike, Julius Ovuefeyen Edore, Ogohi Cross Daniel, Benedict Ogbemudia Imhanrenialena, Joy Ifeoma Enemuo, Divine Chikosolu Nnam, Chidinma Adanso Onyemachi
- Institutions:
- University of Nigeria, Delta State Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Nile University of Nigeria
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-30
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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