Women's Career Progression Research Articles

Gender and Career Progression in Academia: Assessing Equity and Diversity Policy Directions in Australian Universities

The university sector has been a leader in the development of equity and diversity policies in Australia, with most organisations providing strong protections against gender (and other forms of) discrimination as well as programs to support women's career advancement and comparatively generous parental leave policies. Within this context (although not necessarily causally driven by it) women's representation in higher levels of academia has increased significantly over the past 10-15 years. However the current picture varies considerably by discipline and organisational type, and overall women remain substantially under-represented in the top ranks of the academic workforce. The research reported in this paper examines ongoing influences on the careers of women and men in academia, addressing in particular some of the commonly assumed barriers to women's progression such as the gendered effects of parenthood and the distribution of teaching and administrative loads. We draw on a comprehensive national survey of academic staff conducted in 2011 (N=9,032) to investigate these issues. Our analysis indicates that women in the professoriate are significantly less likely than their male counterparts of similar age to have dependent children, thus raising questions over the capacity of the relatively generous policy context in universities to counter the career costs of parenting for women. The research also assesses the relevance of a range of other factors thought to impact on women's career progression in academia, including gendered workload patterns. Overall it provides some basis for a reconsideration of the most appropriate gender equity policies for contemporary universities.

Rockwool steps up support for women's career progression

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explain how insulation‐manufacturer Rockwool has stepped up its efforts to get more women into senior manufacturing jobs by signing up for a program to help female production workers climb the management ladder.Design/methodology/approachDetails the reasons for the program, the form it takes and the results it has achieved.FindingsReveals that ten women from Rockwool have earned accredited Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) qualifications to help them to climb the career ladder, and two have since been promoted, after taking part in Agile Nation Ascent, which is run by the women's economic‐development body, Chwarae Teg, to boost women's confidence, unlock their management talents and provide them with a recognized qualification.Practical implicationsExplains that Agile Nation also supports employers, through its Evolve program, to implement modern workforce practices such as flexible working and work‐life balance.Social implicationsExplains that the Evolve program also works with educators to challenge gender stereotyping in schools, which often leads to occupational segregation in later life.Originality/valueDetails an interesting set of initiatives designed to help women develop their careers.

Respectable Femininity and Career Agency: Exploring Paradoxical Imperatives

This paper places respectable femininity at the very centre of career enactment. In the accounts of 24 Sri Lankan women, notions of being a ‘respectable’ woman recurred as respondents described how important it was to adhere to the powerful behavioural norms for women in their organizations and society. However while such respectability was vital for women's career progression, it ultimately restricted their agency and conflicted with other requirements for advancement. Based on our empirical findings, we propose that being a respectable woman was experienced as paradox, where at times it was seen as impossible to be both a good woman and a successful careerist. We highlight the implications of our findings for women's careers in South Asia and more widely.

Female Career Progression & Maternity Leave: An Irish Exploration

The persistent existence of the 'gender pay gap' in organisations, and the lack of females at executive level position in Ireland due to motherhood is the context for this paper. In particular, this study seeks to investigate why women's careers are impacted by childbearing. The study investigates if there is a correlation between taking maternity leave, and women's career progression in the work place. The increasing length of maternity leave benefits and flexible work arrangements results in elongated absence of females from the workplace. This leads to stereotypical role emergence by both men and women. Women take on the main responsibilities of home and child rearing, while men maintain and expand their careers. As a result, a marked absence of women exists at senior executives levels in organisations both in Ireland and internationally. Many studies have drawn attention to the challenges faced by women in reaching executive level positions in organisations. There is, however, very limited empirical research conducted with females, their co-workers, and managers, on the behaviour of women returning to the work place post maternity leave. In particular, there is a lack of research on the issues faced by individuals in Irish organisations. A significant finding of this study is that women's careers are impacted by having children, but, more significantly, by their prevailing roles as primary care givers to their families and home responsibilities. Enhancing the relevance of this study, key trends that emerged suggest that women's motivation concerning their current work remains constant, and they become more productive when they return to the workplace after maternity leave. This research found however, that the majority of women, post maternity leave, consciously decide to reduce their career ambitions and progressions, as family now becomes their highest priority. The primary findings of this study will contribute to the limited research in an Irish context of female career progression, and Irish maternity leave. Significantly, the study will contribute to the body of literature on gender 'pay gap', and gender equality, in the workplace and society. This study will be of particular relevance to managers and HR policy makers.

Data inspiring action – getting to the heart of women's career progression

PurposeThis article aims to introduce a three‐level, 11‐factor framework for women's career progression. The framework summarizes the factors that genuinely do make a difference when it comes to women's career progression.Design/methodology/approachThe article combines the introduction of a theoretical framework based on a review of academic literature with a real life client case study to illustrate the power for using a structured, research based and data driven approach to identifying career barriers for women's career progression.FindingsThe article shares high‐level findings from the organizational audit and highlights the main lessons learnt during this process.Practical implicationsThe article sets out the key areas for consideration when trying to boost the number of senior women in an organization and outlines the reasons for failure of many programs. Furthermore, it points to best practice in designing interventions to increase the number of women in senior roles.Originality/valueThe article introduces a new, research‐driven framework for women's career advancement and provides a client case study that illustrates how a rigorous, research and data‐driven approach to identifying career barriers for women helps to provide and defend recommendations for increasing the number of women in senior roles.

What Are the "Glass Ceiling" Barriers Effects on Women Career Progress in Jordan?

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of the glass ceiling barriers represented by the organizationalpractices and the existence of male culture, and the impact of family, social commitments on women careerprogress in Jordan.A sample of – working mid-level women managers in Jordan are selected to answer a questionnaire on glassceiling barriers and family and social commitments. The results showed that the impact of the glass ceiling ismore significant than the impact of family and social commitments on women career progress in Jordan.Glass ceiling term is a new concept for the Jordanian audience, because there is no real interests to explore thiskind of issues, for that reason we can not find previous researches that explore the glass ceiling as a phenomenonthat affects the women career progress in Jordan.

Women in Healthcare: Barriers and Enablers from a Developing Country Perspective

As the under-representation of women in management positions continues to persist globally, little is known about the experiences of women in the healthcare sector in the context of the developing Middle Eastern nations. In an attempt to address this knowledge gap, the current study explores some of the barriers that hinder and the enablers that foster women's career advancement in the healthcare sector. To meet its objectives, the current study uses a relational approach that integrates the macro socio-cultural, meso-organisational, and micro-individual levels of analysis. Guided by institutional theory as a theoretical framework and social constructionism as a philosophical stance, the current study adopts a qualitative research methodology. It capitalizes on in-depth, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with women managers in different occupational fields, across the managerial hierarchy in the healthcare sector in Lebanon. Snowballing and purposeful sampling procedures were used, and the interviews were analysed using thematic analysis, focusing on identifying new, emerging themes. The results of the study confirm the salience of discriminatory cultural values, gendered social roles and expectations in Middle Eastern societies, and illustrate their role as barriers hindering women's career advancement. The results also portray the spillover effect of societal expectations and cultural gender stereotypes into the organisational realm, resulting in widely experienced attitudinal and structural organisational barriers. This study also illustrates how the enablers that facilitate and promote women's career progression unfold amidst the interplay between the macro and meso factors, lending credence to the role of women's agency at the individual micro level. Amongst the toll of barriers, Middle Eastern women navigate the patriarchy of their cultures and the discrimination inherent in their organisations by using their agency and persistence as they construct and negotiate their careers in management. This study provides new knowledge on the status of Middle Eastern women in the healthcare sector, a sub-category of female employees that to date, is under-researched. It primarily highlights the role of agency in building women's careers. It also stresses the notion that the complexity of women's careers in the healthcare sector can be best understood using a relational approach that highlights the intersectionality between gender, agency, socio-cultural realities and organisational boundaries.

The Role of Networks, Mentors, and the Law in Overcoming Barriers to Organizational Leadership for Women with Children

The 2012 election brought headlines such as "Another 'Year of Women' in Congress." Although the number of women in the highest legislative offices increased, their numbers are still significantly lower than those of men. Fewer than 100 women hold office in both houses of Congress. Corporate America similarly reflects significantly low female leadership numbers. For example, "fewer than 20% of finance industry directors and executives are women, and [there are] no women leading the 20 biggest U.S. banks and securities firms." Women make up nearly half the workforce and hold 60% of bachelor degrees, yet they hold only 14% of senior executive positions at Fortune 500 companies and 40% of managerial positions overall. These figures have persisted unchanged since 2005. Subtle yet entrenched forms of gender discrimination have clearly stalled women's career progress, and more must be done to rectify these disparities. The differences in gender outcome may be a function of demand-side (work-related) and supply-side (worker-related) characteristics. These include personal characteristics, human and social capital, and developmental, interpersonal, and situational factors. Gender overlaps with multiple group memberships based on family status, race, religion, national origin, and disability. These group memberships also influence women's status and power dynamics in the family, the workplace, and in other communities. The interplay of these factors makes gender-based discrimination an interesting phenomenon to explore. Having dependents is an important family status variable in the larger scheme of social differentiators that account for sex differences in career-related outcomes. In this study, we are interested in whether men or women benefit more from having access to networks when they have dependents. Prior studies have shown that mentoring and networking are major components of professional development that lead to career advancement. We are also interested in whether the outcome differs for those men and women who report having mentors.

Motherhood and its impact on career progression

PurposeAfter many years of equal opportunities legislation, motherhood still limits womens' career progress even in a feminized occupation such as nursing. While the effect of motherhood, working hours, career breaks and school aged children upon career progression has been discussed widely, its actual scale and magnitude has received less research attention. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of these factors individually and cumulatively.Design/methodology/approachThis paper considers the impact of the above through a longitudinal analysis of a demographically unique national database, comprising the 46,565 registered nursing workforces in NHS Scotland from 2000‐2008. The variables examined include gender, employment grades, number and length of career breaks, lengths of service, age, working patterns, the number and age of dependent children.FindingsThe results indicate: motherhood has a regressively detrimental effect on women's career progression. However, this is a simplistic term which covers a more complex process related to the age of dependent children, working hours and career breaks. The degree of women's restricted career progression is directly related to the school age of the dependent children: the younger the child the greater the detrimental impact. Women who take a career break of greater than two years see their careers depressed and restricted. The results confirm that whilst gender has a relatively positive effect on male career progression; a women's career progression is reduced incrementally as she has more children, and part‐time workers have reduced career progression regardless of maternal or paternal circumstances.Originality/valueThis paper is the only example internationally, of a national workforce being examined on this scale and therefore its findings are significant. For the first time the impact of motherhood upon a women's career progression and the related factors – dependent children, career breaks and part‐time working are quantified. These findings are relevant across many areas of employment and they are significant in relation to broadening the debate around equal opportunities for women.

Gendered organizations and women's career progression in the UK financial services sector

This article discusses the main findings of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's 2009 inquiry into unequal pay and sex discrimination in the financial services sector and the Treasury Select Committee's 2010 report ‘Women in the City’, which examined the under-representation of women directors, with reference to literature on organizational culture and women's career progression. The article considers whether a masculine workplace culture exists in the financial sector (and more generally) and what effect it can have on women's career choices and opportunities for promotion. Under-representation occurs because many women are either choosing not to apply for directorships of FTSE 100 companies or being overlooked. The article considers the current legal framework in relation to sex discrimination and flexible working and whether the changes made by the Equality Act 2010 go far enough. Policy options to improve the current situation are considered, with particular focus on the possibility of quotas for women directors and other measures to address under-representation.

Patterns and motivations of successful women pursuing their careers in New Zealand call centres

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on the experience of women working in New Zealand call centres after finding contrary evidence in the international research which suggests call centre work does not offer career opportunities for its mainly female workforce. The research seeks to explore the career progress of women in a selection of call centres to determine whether the New Zealand employment relations context contributed to outcomes different to those reported in the international research.Design/methodology/approachCase study methodology and six different call centre types were used to find 32 women who had experienced career progress. Semi‐structured in‐depth interviews were held with the women and senior management representatives at each organisation. Analysis of interview transcripts identified common themes and patterns across the case studies. Insights were gained from survey responses from 60 entry‐level workers, many of whom were return‐to‐work mothers, new immigrants or students.FindingsThe findings demonstrated that women were achieving considerable career success in the call centres investigated. Management practices accommodated their different labour market needs and respondents spoke about their passion and enjoyment of call centre work. The entry‐level workers reported that being part of the call centre workplace, allowed them to meet people, develop new skills and confidence while enhancing their career prospects. At many levels, call centre processes seemed to have enabled respondents to become competent, connected and confident workers.Originality/valueContrary to the international portrayal of call centre work and the career prospects for female workers the paper highlights the need for researchers to link employment outcomes to particular employment contexts.

The traps that keep women from reaching the top and how to avoid them

PurposeFirst, this paper aims to demonstrate that there are specific obstacles to the progression of women to top positions. Second, it aims to give advice to individual women leaders and to organizations how to go about removing such obstacles.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reviews current research on gender differences in leadership, career progression of women, gender diversity in organizations, and leadership development methods such as 360° evaluations. It also refers to case studies of successful women leaders as evidence.FindingsWomen on their way up the corporate ladder get caught in two traps: the assumption that women and men have the same leadership qualities and the belief that they must imitate male leadership behavior in order to succeed. These traps not only prevent women from reaching their full potential but also prevent organizations from maximizing available talent.Practical implicationsTo avoid these traps, the business community must recognize that women and men have different leadership competencies, use those differences to their advantage, and learn how to effectively manage the variety of perceptions of women as leaders. At the same time, the paper identifies often used, yet ineffective strategies to develop women's careers.Originality/valueThe paper questions assumptions about gender diversity in leadership and methods about how to improve gender balance at the top of organizations. It identifies specific and tangible obstacles to women's career progression and offers concrete advice on how to remove those obstacles.

Women in academic psychiatry

SummaryAcross academic medicine, including psychiatry, women are underrepresented in senior positions. Various reasons have been put forward, for example the lack of high-ranking female role models or mentors and a reduced rate of career progression for women compared with men. Mentoring has been shown to be a popular and feasible intervention which can improve the success of those perceived as disadvantaged groups (in this case women) by having an important impact on personal development, career guidance and research productivity.

The career progression of women in state government agencies

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the impact of the utilization of organizational practices on the career progression of women to executive positions in state‐level government organizations in the USA.Design/methodology/approachThe design included an online survey instrument sent to a purposive sample of 600 female administrative agency executives in 50 states. A standard multilinear regression model tests the predictive power of three composite explanatory utilization variables on the dependent variable, career progression of women to upper level management. The composite predictor variables are: utilization of work/family practices; utilization of diversity practices; and utilization of promotional practices.FindingsContrary to expectations, the relationship between career progression of women and family‐friendly utilization does not appear to be statistically significant. However, the time it takes respondents who utilized family‐friendly practices in their organizations to reach upper‐level management decreased by 0.037 years. And contrary to expectations, women who utilize promotion practices are more likely to achieve executive‐level status, even though it does not necessarily take them less time to do so.Originality/valueThis research is distinct from previous studies in that it considers the relationship between the utilization of practices and women's attainment of executive‐level positions.

Improving women's representation in senior positions in universities

PurposeThe overall purpose of the paper is to understand the barriers to women's progression to senior positions in universities. It aims to explore similarities and differences between the career experiences and leadership styles of men and women in middle‐ and senior‐level positions at one university. The ultimate aim is to identify interventions to help create a more equal gender balance at senior levels.Design/methodology/approachA mixed methods approach was adopted. In‐depth interviews were conducted with a quota sample of 53 men and women in order to explore their lived career experiences. In addition, 50 questionnaires were received from the same sample in order to compare factual data about the participants' life histories and biographical circumstances.FindingsThe findings show that women's human capital and career progression to date are at least equal to those of men and that this has been achieved without women sacrificing a holistic family life. They also show that there are still some important differences between men and women in the way they plan and manage their careers and the leadership style that they adopt.Practical implicationsA five‐level framework is proposed which sets down the types of intervention that are required to create a more equal gender balance in senior positions. It is argued that this should be used to shape the gender equality schemes developed in universities under the Gender Equality Duty.Originality/valueThe paper provides new evidence about the residual differences between men's and women's career experiences, even in an employment context, which is particularly supportive of women. It also makes a significant contribution to the debate about the gendered nature of leadership.

Women's ICT career choices: four cross‐cultural case studies

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to consider the under‐representation of women in computing, information technology (IT) and information systems in most Western countries. This under‐representation can only be detrimental to society.Design/methodology/approachThe authors discuss recently published studies on the under‐representation of women in this field, and the lack of career progression for women, particularly in positions of senior responsibility. The results of a survey conducted in the UK, Greece, Malaysia and China are presented, and similarities as well as differences are identified. Malaysia and China are included as the under‐representation is much less in the Asian countries.FindingsThe authors identify the main reasons for the under‐representation and lack of career progression, and study the effect of national culture on the formation of strategy and of practice in the four countries.Research limitations/implicationsThe survey respondents are mainly female students studying computing/IT at degree level. In the next phase of the research, the survey will include both male and female students, lecturers and employees within the IT sector. The research will be extended into a longitudinal study, in order to monitor trends.Originality/valueThe UK Government is currently undertaking a number of initiatives to improve the representation of women in information and communication technologies. For those initiatives to be successful, the cultural issues identified in the paper need to be considered.

Women's career progression barriers and organisational justice: a study of Iranian society

PurposeFor a long time, women have not been judged by the same standards as men when trying to enter a trade or profession reserved traditionally for men or even after becoming part of it, while progressing. This paper explores the concept of career progression of female staff in an academic institute. It seeks to answer the following research questions: What barriers are faced by women in career progression? What are the differences in perceptions among female sub‐groups regarding these barriers? What policies and improvement programs can be provided to promote women's career progression? What is the relationship between women's career progression and justice?Design/methodology/approachAccording to the research objectives, the best way to collect the required data was a questionnaire. In this research, three different questionnaires were used. Also, to rank women's career progression barriers, the TOPSIS technique was used.FindingsThe authors found that there is a significant relationship between career progression barriers with interactional and distributive justice. Our ranking results showed that lack of organisational support and job restrictions are the main barriers to women's career progression. Also, flexible working time options is the main support program for eliminating of these barriers.Research limitations/implicationsThe major research limitations of this study were the failure to collect and analyse data that would yield a quantitative assessment of organisational justice, and the distribution of questionnaires among women at work.Originality/valueThis is the first study of its nature conducted among female Iranian university staff to focus on barriers to women's career progression. The paper also offers practical guidance that can be used by management and women employees to facilitate career progression.

Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Nigeria: A Review of Women's Entrepreneurship

The relevance of the age-long conundrum known as the glass ceiling has become ever more questionable for a number of compelling reasons. First, its root in the invisible barriers (push factors) facing women's career progression prospects in the corporate world is ever-changing at a rapid pace across every region of the globe. Second, research shows some evidence of a major dramatic increase in women-owned businesses as being attributable to women's desire to gain more flexibility in their work arrangements (pull factors). By providing a catalogue of pull factors in the context of African (especially Nigerian) women entrepreneurs, this paper argues that the glass ceiling problem may have well been shattered in numerous spheres, and thus become less tenable as a gender-specific reality in the twenty-first century.

“Knife before wife”: an exploratory study of gender and the UK medical profession

The paper aims to explore the increasing feminisation of the medical profession and career progression of women in the medical profession. Furthermore, the paper explores the implications of gender segregation in the medical profession for health service provision. The paper presents an overview of studies in this area and draws upon primary, empirical research with medical practitioners and medical students. However, unlike most other studies the sample includes male and female participants. The research involved elite interviews and self-completion questionnaires in order to provide perspectives of both male and female medical practitioners and medical students. The findings are consistent with those of other studies; that gender discrimination and segregation is still prevalent in the medical profession. But there are significant differences in perceptions between the genders. Moreover, it is concluded that the gendered career structure and organisational culture of the health sector and medical profession create a role conflict between personal and professional lives. The current difficulties in reconciling this role conflict create barriers to the career progression of women in the medical profession. Further research in this area could include a longitudinal study of medical students and the impact of changes in the design of medical training and career structures to assess whether these changes enable female career progression in the medical profession. Further analysis is needed of gendered practices and career development in specific specialist areas, and the role of the medical profession, NHS and Royal Colleges should play in addressing gender and career progression in medicine. Gender segregation (vertical and horizontal) in the medical profession will have implications for the attraction, retention and increased shortages of practitioners in hospital and surgical specialities with the resultant economic and health provision inefficiencies. The paper provides a review of literature in this area, thereby providing a longitudinal perspective of gender and the medical profession. Moreover, the research sample includes both male and female medical practitioners and medical students, which provides perspectives from both genders and from those who have experience within the medical profession and from those beginning their career in the medical profession. The research will be of value to the medical profession, the NHS and Royal Colleges of Medicine.

Maximising women's potential in the UK's retail sector

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to show that a defining characteristic of the UK retail sector is the high number of women it employs but there remains an enduring under‐representation of women in its management positions. The majority of women in the industry work part‐time and this paper aims to explore the factors that impact upon the career progression.Design/methodology/approachIn the paper, 1,000 questionnaires were completed by store staff in three leading retailers, supported by interviews with store staff and SME retailers in the UK's East Midlands region.FindingsThe paper finds continuing barriers to career progression for women working part‐time in retailing. Despite family friendly employment policies becoming an increasingly important feature of modern work organisations, career progression was informed by a traditional concept of a career based on full‐time working.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper was limited to one sector. There is a need for further studies into women's career progression in other sectors reliant on female employment.Practical implicationsThe findings in the paper have implications for promotion policies, training and development provision and line management practices if retailers are to maximise the potential of the women they employ.Originality/valueThe paper suggests that retailing is an industry where a significant number of women are working below their potential despite organisational policies supportive of diversity and equality of opportunity.