Abstract
The aim of this prospective study was to explore predictors of objective career success among Swedish women and men, focussing on gender differences. Data were drawn from the 2008 and 2010 waves of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) with a total of 3670 female and 2773 male participants. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for job promotion and an above-average salary increase between 2008 and 2010 were obtained through binary logistic regression analyses. Individual and organisational factors measured in 2008 were used as predictors in analyses stratified by sex. Mutual adjustment was performed for these variables, as well as for labour market sector and staff category at baseline. In both sexes, younger age predicted both job promotion and an above-average salary increase. Job promotion was also in both sexes predicted by being part of decision-making processes, having conflicts with superiors, and being eager to advance. Furthermore, promotion was predicted by, among men, being educated to post-graduate level and having an open coping strategy and, among women, working >60 hours/week. An above-average salary increase was predicted in both sexes by having a university education. Postgraduate education, having children living at home, and being very motivated to advance predicted an above-average salary increase among women, as did working 51–60 hours/week and being part of decision-making processes in men. Gender differences were seen in several predictors. In conclusion, the results support previous findings of gender differences in predictors of career success. A high level of education, motivation to advance, and procedural justice appear to be more important predictors of career success among women, while open coping was a more important predictor among men.
Highlights
It is well known that a higher status in society is associated with better health, and the uneven distribution of financial resources between sexes has been shown to explain poorer wellbeing and health among women compared to men [1,2,3,4,5]
In a review of the international literature on predictors of objective career success Ng, Eby, Sorensen et al found that the association between human capital variables, and salary were stronger for women than men, whereas they found no gender differences in predictors of promotion [13]
Men and women were promoted to the same extent over the study period, but men more often received above-average salary increases
Summary
It is well known that a higher status in society is associated with better health, and the uneven distribution of financial resources between sexes has been shown to (partly) explain poorer wellbeing and health among women compared to men [1,2,3,4,5]. Better knowledge regarding the predictors of career success, possibly leading to higher status and better health among (Swedish) women is essential. In a review of the international literature on predictors of objective career success (promotion and salary) Ng, Eby, Sorensen et al found that the association between human capital variables (i.e. education and hours worked), and salary were stronger for women than men, whereas they found no gender differences in predictors of promotion [13]. No prospective study of gender differences in predictors of objective career success has been conducted using a contemporary representative sample of the Swedish working population
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