Impact of female role models and mentors in career development: evidence from the Korean Central Government

Abstract

ABSTRACT Considerable research has been conducted on women’s career development within the Korean government. However, there is little to no research that targets female civil servants at specific grades – in this case Grade 5 – to examine organizational factors that may influence their decision to remain in public service or strive for higher-ranked positions. Utilizing survey data from 81 female civil servants from the Korean Central Government, this study employed ordered logistic regression and qualitative analysis to investigate the perceived influence of same-gender role models and mentors, including their impact on promotion aspirations and turnover intentions. Findings reveal that these influential figures have a nuanced impact on women’s turnover intentions; however, they did not lead to a significant impact on promotion aspirations. Still, the women in this study reported other positive influences from same-gender role models and mentors, such as workplace guidance, emotional and cognitive support, assistance with problem-solving, and career planning.