مطالب

This article presents a theory using an interpretive approach to explore the role of counseling and psychological services in empowering women in management and leadership positions at universities. The study systematically examines this role through data collected from 22 participants, including students, staff, professors, and female university managers, from Kurdistan University in Sanandaj and Salah al-Din University in Erbil. Participants were purposefully selected, and data was gathered via semi-structured interviews. Analysis involved a novel method and continuous comparative analysis through three-stage theoretical coding. This process identified 300 open codes, 35 central codes, and seven selective codes: mental ability, economic ability, political ability, social ability, group ability, physical ability, and academic ability. The findings revealed that empowerment is a process rather than a product. For counseling and psychological service programs to be effective, all individuals involved in the empowerment process must have a clear understanding of its requirements and methods. Ultimately, the success of these efforts is likely determined by the women themselves. While empowerment is crucial within universities, creating a positive organizational atmosphere and a supportive culture that fosters spontaneous empowerment among female students, employees, and managers is equally important. Moreover, establishing empowerment initiatives strengthens the move towards university independence and reinforces the perception of higher education institutions as unique entities with distinct cultures. The study also highlights the importance of context and situational factors in implementing empowerment, emphasizing the need to avoid applying models that do not align with cultural contexts. Finally, university administrators must be personally committed to empowering women in management and leadership roles before any efforts can be successful.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to predict marital satisfaction based on health anxiety and self-efficacy with the mediation role of mindfulness in women with multiple sclerosis. Method: The present research method was descriptive-correlational using structural equation modeling (path analysis). The statistical population included 14899 married women with diplomas and higher education who were members of the Tehran MS Association in 2021. Using the Cochran formula, 342 women were selected as research samples through convenience sampling. All participants responded to four questionnaires, including Olson et al.’s Marital Satisfaction, Salkovskis et al.’s Health Anxiety, Schwarzer and Jerusalem’s Self-efficacy, and Baer et al.’s Mindfulness questionnaires. Results: The results showed the direct effect of marital satisfaction through self-efficacy and health anxiety was significant (P<0/05). Also, the indirect effect of marital satisfaction through mindfulness was significant (P<0/05). Conclusion: According to the results, mindfulness plays a mediating role in the relationship between health anxiety, self-efficacy, and marital satisfaction.