When obstacles are complex and systemic: exploring the effectiveness of gender equality plans in Balkan academia

Purpose This article explores the effectiveness of university gender equality policies, focusing on gender equality plans (GEPs) in Balkan academia. Design/methodology/approach The study conceptualizes GEPs as complex interventions within gendered organizations, viewed as complex and adaptive systems. A systems-based process evaluation of GEPs' implementation is conducted through 42 interviews with university employees and the secondary analysis of archival documents from seven Balkan universities. Findings Our results highlight complex and systemic barriers to change, situated in broader socio-political norms and local organizational culture, evoking GEPs' ambivalent effectiveness. Nonlinear interdependencies and feedback loops among these barriers enable the development of a causal loop model on GEP effectiveness and an updated GEP program theory. Research limitations/implications This research proposes a novel, integrative framework for operationalizing the complexity of GEPs and their systems to evaluate their effectiveness, with its applicability extending to university gender equality interventions overall. Transcending linear causation approaches, it suggests how the self-organization and contextual, emergent causality of university systems shape gender policies. Finally, it advocates for a more nuanced view on gender dynamics in noncolonial settings, beyond North-South dichotomies, to accommodate the epistemological value of diverse contexts. Practical implications To advance their effectiveness, GEPs should address contextual factors influencing their implementation and account for universities' complex dynamics. Originality/value The study provides valuable insights into GEPs, whose increasing adoption necessitates additional reflections. It also enhances the understanding of GEPs' unfolding in practice in the underexplored Balkan academia.