Abstract
Orientation: The study focused on examining the perceptions of dual-career couples at a stateowned company about the influence of taking maternity and paternity leave on the career progression of black African women in middle management and leadership occupations.Research purpose: The primary purpose of the study was to identify core barriers in relation to maternity and paternity leave that contribute negatively in the career progression of black African women in dual-career couples.Motivation for the study: To obtain insight into the underrepresentation and progression of black African women within dual-career couples, in middle management and leadership occupations.Research design, approach and method: This study was qualitative, comprising a sample of 10 black African women and 10 black African men, with data collected through in-depth semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis was utilised to analyse the interview dialogues.Main findings: The findings established that taking maternity leave has a negative influence on the career progression of black African women in dual-career couples at the state-owned company. The participants further confirmed that involuntary time off work and productiveness were principal influencing barriers of taking maternity leave, leading to other undesirable consequences, such as unproductiveness and reliability.Practical and managerial implications: The state-owned company should review its current talent management and recruitment and selection policies, in order to positively contribute to increasing the representation and facilitating career progression of black African women within dual-career couples, in middle management and leadership occupations.Contributions or value-add: Insights were provided on the influences of taking maternity and paternity leave in the underrepresentation and progression of black African women within dual-career couples, in middle management and leadership occupations.
Highlights
And organisational support are two primary elements that play a pivotal role in the career progression of women into leadership and top management roles, especially those who are part of a dual-career couple (DCC) (Smit, 2006)
The study was conducted in a state-owned company (SOC), as SOCs are some of the primary custodians in promoting equal employment opportunities as per the Employment Equity Act (EEA, 1998a)
The main and key finding of this study was that it was established that taking maternity leave (ML) and paternity leave (PL) had a direct and indirect influence on the career progression of black African women in DCCs at this SOC, in middle management and leadership occupations
Summary
And organisational support are two primary elements that play a pivotal role in the career progression of women into leadership and top management roles, especially those who are part of a dual-career couple (DCC) (Smit, 2006). The below extract provides an indication on how black African women are bound, to a certain extent, by culturally inherent practices that define them, and their place in society and within the family unit: The vital life goal of Black African women is to be oriented within their culture. This means to be rooted in the knowledge and practice of the culture of one’s peoples, to extract lessons from it and to use it in emancipatory, transformative and enriching ways. Women were expected to assume economic dependency and the role of motherhood, with no aspiration for career acknowledgement and fulfilment (Bosch, De Bruin, De Bruin & Kgaladi, 2012). Bosch et al (2012) indicated that, from an early age, black African girls are culturally indoctrinated to grow up into childbearing and motherhood roles, whereby they do not see themselves as equal to men in any aspects of their being
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