Gender Barriers in Corporate Marketing and their Impact on Building Inclusive, Sustainable Corporate Cultures

Abstract

The paper aims to examine the issue of gender inequality in corporate marketing, focusing on the challenges, barriers and opportunities for women’s career advancement in this professional field. The research methodology is based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods: a survey of marketers from Ukrainian enterprises, interviews and focus groups. The survey covered 237 respondents from different regions and industries, which allowed to identify both structural and behavioral factors that influence inequality of opportunities. The results indicate the existence of systemic gender challenges in the corporate environment, which vary depending on the type of enterprise, its organizational culture and HR management policies. The study proposes a typology of enterprises by level of inclusivity (4 clusters), each of which has specific characteristics: from conservative structures with persistent stereotypes to companies that implement gender equality policies and support female leadership.

Keywords: gender equality, career advancement, corporate marketing, inclusive culture, glass ceiling, mentoring, HR policy.