Abstract
This paper examines the interplay between patriarchy, work, and the ideal worker construct through the experiences of women managers. It investigates how gendered organisational norms shape managerial identities and influence career progression. By framing patriarchy as a situated phenomenon, the study highlights the dynamic ways in which women engage with and contest patriarchal narratives, both reinforcing and disrupting existing structures. The analysis extends discussions on the ideal worker by demonstrating how its articulation is shaped by institutional constraints, societal expectations, and individual agency. The paper makes two key theoretical contributions. First, it theorises patriarchy as a multilayered structure that is continuously reproduced and contested by professional women, offering insights into how social, cultural, and institutional influences shape workplace dynamics. Second, it advances understandings of the ideal worker by illustrating how women’s agentic efforts interact with structural conditions, creating a complex negotiation of professional roles within patriarchal organisational frameworks.