Women's Career Research Articles

The gendered effects of parenthood on career outcomes: Do family gaps explain gender differences along the science pipeline?

This study, based on data from 2225 faculty members at a Portuguese research-intensive university, investigates the combined impact of gender and parental status on academic rank and salary. Parenthood significantly influences women's concentration at lower tenure-track ranks, leading to wage gaps that disadvantage mothers. However, the impact of family status on women's career progression shows that while having young children initially hinders their transition to the tenure track, it does not significantly reduce their chances of earning tenure or reaching higher academic ranks. Lower wages for mothers result from slower academic grade advancement, not within-rank disparities, which poses barriers to progression. The study illuminates the interplay of gender and parenthood, shifting the focus from individual factors to gendered institutional processes shaping career trajectories, providing valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the persistent gender gap in academia.

Unsafe abortion and its complications: A silent and unprecedented catastrophe happening in our society

The term abortion often connotes criminal induced abortion in the context of our local setting. The socio-cultural and religious perceptions associated with having an abortion make the practice almost a taboo such that the procedure is often performed clandestinely with unimaginable and sometimes fatal consequences. The restrictive abortion laws in Nigeria, unmet needs for contraceptives, widening poverty and illiteracy, paved the way for unskilled personnel and quacks to dominate abortion services making the practice quite unsafe. In this editorial, we x-ray some reported abortion cases and how these challenges impact the health and reproductive careers of young women in Nigeria.

Stress Dynamics: A Comparative Study of Housewives and Career Women

Purpose: Stress is a prevalent psychological phenomenon occurs within individuals form various demographics, with women often facing stressors related to their roles as housewives or career women. This study explores the stress dynamics experienced by the two groups of women. Method: This study employs quantitative methodology and qualitative methodology. Quota sampling technique used, with characteristic of women age between 20-40 years old, those career women and housewives, with samples of 110 of each groups, located in sub-district of Pasuruan Regency. Stress Scale used to measures stress levels and Questionaires used to collect the source of stressors and the coping mechanism. Result: The inter-group t-test analysis showed that in average, Housewives experienced more stress than Career Women. 78% of Housewives and 58% of Career Women experiencing external stressors. The coping mechanism used by Housewives are 61% emotional-focused, and 52% of Career Women used problem-focused. Concusion: In conclusion, while in average Housewives shows more stress than Career Women, both groups experiencing higher external stressors such as expectations from family and society, than internal stressors. The topic of stress and how women cope, requires more personal and casuistically approach.

The construction of esports careers in France: Are there gender-based inequalities right from the start?

This article examines the construction of esports careers for French esports players, emphasizing gender-based socialization. We used an online questionnaire administered to both men and women recreational and amateur esports players ( n = 343) to understand and identify potential barriers or levers to participation by men and women, especially for the stage of “Commitment” which is embodied in participation in esports competitions. The theoretical approach centred around the concept of career is mobilized to sequence the careers of men and women esports players and identify the differences between men and women within the different stages of an “esports career.” Key findings reveal that male figures often introduce players to video games, with men generally experiencing more “autonomous” and diversified” initiations than women. They also lag behind men players in terms of years of experience, and they face negative criticism from their peers, impeding their “commitment.” These insights underline the barriers women face at the onset of their esports careers and call for further research into social mechanisms to enhance women's inclusion in esports.

Cultural Barriers to Women's Progression in Academic Careers: A France-Brazil Comparison Through the Lens of the Queen Bee Phenomena.

Despite significant improvements, women are still underrepresented at high levels in academia. Most research on these inequalities is conducted within a specific national academic system, without taking into account its cultural roots. The aim of the present study was to analyze the extent to which the cultural context acts as a barrier on women's career progression. Specifically, we focused on psychological processes described under the metaphor of Queen Bee Phenomenon that may reflect the ways in which female academics conform to male-gender roles encoded in androcentric social and academic culture. Two samples of women academic, one French (N = 73), the other Brazilian (N = 88), were compared through the lens of two dimension of the Queen Bee Phenomena: self-group distancing and gender hierarchy legitimation. Brazilian women identify more with their female peer group than their French counterparts. French women are more hostile to quotas and more inclined to adhere to meritocratic discourses than their Brazilian counterparts. Both academic contexts tend to perpetuate gender inequalities, but in different ways: by maintaining gender-stereotypical expectations in Brazil and meritocratic ideology in France. The implications for policies to promote a more egalitarian university context are discussed herein.

Determinants of Fertility Intentions among South Koreans: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

(1) Background/objectives: This study aims to systematically review and conduct a meta-analysis of factors influencing fertility intentions among South Koreans. This research is crucial given South Korea's lowest-in-the-world fertility rate of 0.72 in 2023, necessitating rapid and effective policies to address this demographic challenge; (2) Methods: Articles published from database inception through April 2024 were collected from five Korean databases using keywords based on the PEO (Population, Exposure, Outcome) framework. Following PRISMA guidelines, 35 articles were selected. The effect sizes and network of predictors related to fertility intention were analyzed using the R statistical package; (3) Results: A meta-analysis of the effect sizes of factors influencing fertility intentions revealed that the husband's involvement in parenting (ESr = 0.131), women's education level (ESr = 0.127), socioeconomic status (ESr = 0.116), and the expected gender of the child (ESr = 0.068) showed statistically significant positive effects. Conversely, women's age (ESr = -0.175), parental stress (ESr = -0.146), and household labor ratio (ESr = -0.117) showed statistically significant negative effects. The network analysis further elucidated the complex interrelationships among these factors; (4) Conclusions: This study suggests the need for multifaceted policy approaches to address Korea's low fertility, emphasizing promoting men's participation in parenting, supporting women's education and career development, reducing parenting stress, supporting work-family balance, and ensuring economic stability. These findings provide important insights for policymakers and researchers addressing the complex issue of low fertility in South Korea and may inform more effective interventions to boost fertility rates.

Exploring the careers of women with disabilities: a systematic review and implications for human resource management

PurposeAlthough many organisations and governments internationally acknowledge that a diverse workforce is essential for improved decision-making, employee well-being and organisational performance and competitiveness, women with disabilities and their (potential) participation and contributions within organisations continue to be overlooked and under-researched. Examining the careers of women with disabilities through the lens of human resource management (HRM) allows for the development of policies and practices that support their inclusion and progression in the workforce and helps lay the foundation for legislative, institutional and organisational changes that address the unique challenges faced by this cohort.Design/methodology/approachWe conducted a comprehensive, systematic scoping review that analyses various career-related aspects for women with disabilities across different cultural and geographical contexts internationally. A two-stage review (Stage 1 – Title and abstract screening and Stage 2 – Full-text review) of the extant literature on the careers of women with disabilities yielded 80 relevant empirical articles.FindingsOur review identified four key career-related themes pertaining to women with disabilities: (1) Educational interventions and support for positive career outcomes of women with disabilities; (2) Workplace discrimination and workplace accessibility of women with disabilities; (3) Factors influencing the career development and advancement of women with disabilities and (4) The role of gender in the career exploration and decision-making processes of women with disabilities.Originality/valueThis systematic scoping review contributes to the nascent scholarly discourse on enhancing career-related outcomes of women with disabilities and offers evidence-based insights to guide future HRM research on the intersection of gender and disability/ies in careers.

A journey into women's managerial career development through the social cognitive career lens

This article presents a computational literature review that aims to disentangle the themes that have marked the academic debate on women's career development in management positions through the lens of social cognitive career theory. Relying on the novel methodology of topic modeling, the research inductively conceptualizes 12 topic-based themes that have contributed to academic debate in the last decades. In interpreting the landscape that emerged, the topics have been aggregated into three main categories: individual characteristics and learning experiences, contextual factors, cognitive mechanisms, and regulation of behavior. The fine-grained conceptualization of the topics and the derived framework contribute to systematizing the literature and to emphasizing the different facets of women's career journeys in attaining leadership positions. Through a discussion of the contributions and limitations identified in each category, the study provides recommendations for future research.

Optimizing Career Woman's Financial Management Through Monthly Budget and Fintech

General Background: The financial management landscape for career women has evolved significantly in the digital era, particularly with the rise of financial technology (fintech). Specific Background: The integration of fintech facilitates budgeting and expense tracking, allowing career women to manage their finances more effectively. However, while fintech offers convenience, it may also contribute to impulsive spending behavior due to easy access to funds. Knowledge Gap: Existing literature lacks a comprehensive understanding of how career women utilize fintech for financial management and the implications of this technology on their budgeting practices. Aims: This study aims to explore the financial management strategies employed by career women in the digital era, focusing on budgeting, the application of accounting in household finances, and the impacts of fintech on their financial behaviors. Results: Career women effectively manage their finances through monthly budgets, reducing stress and achieving financial goals, but the convenience of fintech can increase wasteful expenditure. Novelty: This research contributes new insights into the intersection of career women's financial management, accounting practices, and fintech, addressing a critical gap in the literature. Implications: The study emphasizes the need for financial education for career women, emphasizing balanced practices to maximize fintech benefits and reduce impulsive spending, promoting financial stability and empowerment. Highlights: Budgeting aids career women in spending control and goal achievement. Fintech simplifies transactions, improving financial management efficiency. Ease of use may lead to impulsive spending behavior. Keywords: financial management, career women, fintech, budgeting, digital era

Part-Time Paradox: The Rise of Female Part-Time Employment and Its Impacts on Germany's Labor Market

Despite an employment rate of 76.6% for women in Germany, significant issues persist with regard to the labour market situation of women in the country. These include the prevalence of part-time work, the under-representation of women in senior management positions and the existence of pay gaps. This article employs data from the German Statistical Office spanning the period from 2000 to 2022 to examine the growth in part-time employment among women and its ramifications. The paper demonstrates that part-time work is a prevalent phenomenon in female-dominated sectors such as health and education. This is driven by a combination of economic conditions, the necessity to reconcile work and family life, and legal regulations. This situation consequently results in women facing lower remuneration and constrained career prospects. The necessity to balance work and family responsibilities represents a significant challenge for women, impeding their career development and negatively impacting their job performance and workplace commitment. These dynamics serve to perpetuate gender inequalities in the labour market, thereby preventing women from realising their full potential at work. This article makes a significant contribution to the existing literature on the relationship between part-time work and gender inequalities in the German labour market by providing a detailed analysis of this complex relationship. The article offers valuable insights into the potential of legal regulations, such as the Temporary Part-Time Work Act enacted in 2019, to alleviate the adverse effects of part-time work on women. The research is distinctive in its comprehensive examination of the socio-economic dynamics of part-time work, its legal framework, and its impact on gender equality, based on an extensive data analysis conducted over an extended period. By offering a detailed and nuanced understanding of these issues, the study draws attention to the ongoing challenges women face in the labour market and suggests potential policy interventions to promote gender equality. This article emphasises the necessity for targeted measures to facilitate women's career progression and offset the adverse consequences of part-time employment, thereby contributing to a more equitable labour market.

Career women's mental wellbeing in the era of population decline: the effects of working environment and family environment on the mental wellbeing.

In recent years, it has become increasingly evident that the population in many countries has been declining. China, which was previously the world's most populous nation and is often categorized as an emerging economy, officially entered an era of population decline in 2022. The advent of this era has make China's economic development more uncertain and aging of population more pronounced. To address the population decline, the Chinese government implemented the "Three-Child Policy" to encourage childbirth, aiming to reverse the negative population growth. However, this policy has not achieved the expected goals. Instead, it has increased the pressure on women to bear children, particularly for career women, where such pressure may conflict with their existing work and family environments, subsequently affecting their mental wellbeing. A survey was conducted to investigate the mental wellbeing status of career women in Changchun City, Jilin Province, Northeast China. It analyzes the impact of working and family environments on the mental wellbeing of these women. Based on the survey, this study draws five conclusions: A. The mental wellbeing status of career women varies across different ages, industries, and childbirth statuses. B. The perceived adverse impact of childbirth on the working environment may negatively affect the mental wellbeing of career women. C. The perceived adverse impact of childbirth on the family environment may negatively affect the mental wellbeing of career women. D. Career women are not satisfied with the effectiveness of current policies in protecting women's rights. E. Compared to working environments, there is a greater demand for career women in the family environments, particularly in reducing various family burdens. The pro-natalist policies introduced in response to negative population growth can worsen the mental wellbeing of career women, while the deterioration of their mental wellbeing could further accelerate population decline. Given the current challenges, this study suggests that effectively improving the mental wellbeing of career women requires building psychological resilience among childless career women, reducing the burden of family on career women, and continuously improving policies and regulations that protect the rights of career women.

The Scientific Production of Women and their Presence in Management Position in Science and technology careers in the Ecuadorian Higher Education System

Aim. This paper analyzes the scientific production and the management positions in the universities of the Ecuadorian higher education system from a gender parity perspective, considering STEM careers as the central point of the analysis. Three perspectives was consider,: the underrepresentation of women in STEM careers, the underrepresentation of women in scientific production and in classic managerial positions, and the Norwegian paradox of equality. Methods. This article used two databases: the first one was built from Ecuadorian scientific production, within the period 2010-2018, by the indexing platform SCOPUS. The second one, evaluates the presence of women in management positions and was built from the databases that universities and polytechnic schools report to the educational Ecuadorian autority. Theoretical perspectives are discussed to explore the singularities of the Ecuadorian case, through an analytical and quantitative perspective. Results. In the case of Ecuadorian scientific production men showed a greater presence in all fields, except for pedagogy and psychology. This results replicate for the case of higher education management positions (30% women, 60% men, on average). Conclusions. The underrepresentation of women is generally confirmed, both in scientific production measured by publications, as well as in access to management positions, especially in science and technology. Also, in scientific publications, women are more likely to collaborate only with men, precisely because of the structures created around science, which not only have to do with the greater number of men involved, but probably with gender discrimination practices that are not visible in the mechanisms adopted for the analysis.

Navigating the Glass Ceiling: Women's Career Challenges in Nepal's Banking Sector

Background: Glass ceiling factors, such as organizational, social, and psychological barriers, continue to hinder women's career advancement, particularly in managerial roles. Despite increasing efforts to promote gender equality in the workplace, these factors still limit opportunities for women’s development, especially in traditionally male-dominated industries like banking in Nepal. This study investigates how these factors influence women’s perceptions of career development and whether they significantly impact their progress. Methods: The research employed a quantitative approach using a structured questionnaire distributed to 51 respondents in the banking sector. The survey measured perceptions of organizational, social, and psychological factors impacting women’s career development. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the impact of these factors on personal factors related to career growth. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were also performed. Results: The findings indicate that social factors significantly influence personal factors (B = 0.257, p = 0.035), suggesting that social barriers are key determinants of women's career development. Organizational and psychological factors, while positively related to personal factors, did not show statistically significant effects (OFFF: B = 0.159, p = 0.164; PSFFF: B = 0.144, p = 0.275). The model explained 29.5% of the variance in personal factors, highlighting that additional unexamined factors may influence women’s career perceptions. Conclusion: Social factors have a significant impact on women's perceptions of career barriers, underscoring the need to address societal norms and biases that prevent women from advancing. Organizational and psychological factors, although relevant, were not statistically significant in this context. The study contributes to understanding the dynamics of the glass ceiling, particularly within Nepal’s banking sector, and provides insights for policy and organizational change. Novelty: This study offers a unique perspective on the glass ceiling in the Nepalese banking sector, providing empirical evidence of how social factors predominantly influence women's career progression. The findings suggest targeted interventions to address these barriers and promote more equitable career advancement opportunities for women in managerial roles.

Voices From the Periphery: Lived Experiences of Women International Students From the Global South Studying at U.K. Universities

Intersectional perspectives on International Student Mobility are burgeoning; however gendered aspects are rarely examined. This paper offers a contribution to this lacuna and provides further understanding of how gender shaped the experiences of six women international students from the Global South. The women participated in semi-structured interviews as part of a wider study analysing ISM in relation to socio-economic status (SES). The women could be seen to be aligned with the ‘post-feminist neoliberal subject’ with evidence of making choices, a desire for financial independence and strong career aspirations. However, life stage and home country cultures intersected with transnational caring for four of the women. This resulted in a re-alignment of ‘success’ upon completion of educational opportunities which reflect gendered inequalities in society. This suggests that there can be a clash of the imagined future identity of a ‘strong independent career woman’ with naturalised aspects of femininity for women international students.

Gendered pathways: The relationship between portable skills from fields of study and labor market outcomes in Japan

AbstractWhile social scientists have increasingly focused on the relationship between fields of study and labor market outcomes, our understanding of how men and women differ in the utilization of college major skills at work and how such differences are linked to labor market outcomes remains limited. To fill this gap, I use nationally representative cross‐sectional data from Japan to examine how fields that offer portable skills, which are beneficial across different employers, are related to earnings and employment likelihood. Results from ordinary least squares regression and Heckman two‐stage models indicate that fields offering portable skills, such as medicine and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), have a positive association with earnings for both genders. Moreover, results from linear probability models suggest that law/business, medicine, and STEM have a positive relationship with employment status among women. The relationship is stronger for women than men, showing no differences between mothers with young children (0–5 years) and nonmothers. These findings indicate that acquiring portable skills through education makes women's careers more compatible with their family responsibilities. Considering the increasing salience of fields of study in the world of work, these findings provide important insights into the interplay between gender, higher education, and labor market stratification in Japan.

A critical analysis of Athena Swan as a policy‐scoring scheme

AbstractAthena Swan was established in 2005 with the goal of advancing the careers of women in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine) subjects in higher education. Since then, it has expanded its remit in various ways and has generated some controversy. This paper explains how Athena Swan operates as a policy‐scoring scheme, requiring universities to submit plans for policy improvement in order to receive a bronze, silver or gold award. We explain that the implications of rewarding plans for improvement have not been widely understood. We document Athena Swan's changing policies on sex and data collection, which for a period discouraged data collection on sex. We demonstrate the way in which activists were able to capture Athena Swan's policy development process and argue that policy‐scoring schemes can lead to groupthink and pose risks to academic freedom. The outsourcing of equalities work to such schemes does not encourage evidence‐based prioritisation and discussion of the needs of competing characteristics.

Agency Penalties From Taking Parental Leave for Women in Men-Dominated Occupations: Archival and Experimental Evidence.

Organizations have started more progressively using and offering family benefits including parental leaves to address the issues of balancing work and family life. Although such leaves are fundamental for supporting, attracting, and retaining women, we examine whether such leaves may also inadvertently affect women's careers in occupations that overly value masculine traits, unless managed carefully. Drawing on the literature on gender stereotypes (micro factors) and occupation gender type (macro factors), we argue that longer (vs. shorter) parental leaves negatively affect women's work outcomes (i.e., annual income, salary recommendation, hireability, and leadership effectiveness) in men-dominated but not in women-dominated occupations because it lowers perceptions of women's agency. We find support for our hypotheses across three studies in the Australian context with an archival data set and two experiments. Our work shows that men-dominated organizational structures reinforce traditional gender stereotypes, whereas such reinforcement does not happen in women-dominated organizational structures. Our research equips leaders and organizations with insights into the unintended negative consequences of parental leave for women. This understanding serves as a crucial first step in developing strategies and programs to mitigate these effects, thereby supporting women in men-dominated occupations and fostering more inclusive and healthy workplaces.

Others matter when mothers return: An investigation of relational movement and its role in post-maternity leave reentry transitions

Post-maternity leave reentry, the period when mothers return to work following a maternity leave, is a profound transition in a woman's life that often sets the foundation for her work and career progression. While scholars have looked at the intraindividual aspects of this transition, the experience of reentry extends beyond the returning mother. This transition occurs in a dynamic relational and organizational system that impacts a returning mother's adjustment to work. In this study, we bring relational dynamics to the forefront of this transition as we examine how and why returning mothers' work-based relationships shift during reentry and the implications this has for returning mothers' readjustment. Drawing on qualitative data from academic mothers' retrospective accounts of their reentry transitions, our findings reveal that returning mothers experience relational movement, defined as perceived shifts in one's relational experiences. Our findings provide evidence of how relational movement plays a role in facilitating returning mothers' well-being as they readjust to work. Our theorizing of how and why relational movement occurs during reentry transitions brings to focus the complex, changing nature of women's relationships with colleagues during this time, as well as implications for women's broader workplace and career experiences.

Shattering the Glass Ceiling: Insights into Women's Pathways to Leadership in Sri Lanka

Although much research has been done on the glass ceiling phenomena in recent years, the question remains unsolved because the barriers themselves receive more attention than the ways in which women break through them. This study explores the factors that affected women who tried to break through the ceiling. This research follows a qualitative exploratory research approach. Seven semi-structured interviews with women in top positions in Sri Lanka provided the data for the study. Data were analysed and interpreted using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that three main factors affecting women's career advancement: individual factors like emotional stability and self-confidence, organizational factors like supportive work environments and policies, and cultural factors like attitudes towards Sri Lankan women. The findings offer recommendations for increasing female representation in top positions and suggest future research using a quantitative approach in different Sri Lankan contexts.

Gender composition at work and women's career satisfaction: An international study of 35 societies

AbstractDrawing from status characteristics theory, we develop a multilevel model to explain the relationships between gender composition (e.g., female‐female supervisor‐subordinate dyads, a female majority at the next higher level, and a female majority at the same job level) in the workplace and women's career satisfaction. We hypothesise that working with a female supervisor and a female majority at the same level will be negatively related to women's career satisfaction, while a female majority at the next higher level will be positively related to women's career satisfaction. Moreover, we propose that formal societal (gender‐equality) institutions and informal cultural (gender‐egalitarian) values, each has a moderating effect on the impact of gender compositions on women's career satisfaction. Our results from a multilevel analysis of 2291 women across 35 societies support the three hypothesised main effects. Whereas institutions that support gender equality weaken the positive effect of working with a female majority at the next higher level, they amplify the negative effect of a female majority at the same hierarchical level. Our findings highlight the complex and paradoxical nature of gender composition effects on women's career satisfaction. We discuss the theoretical contributions of our findings and their implications for the diversity management practices of multinational enterprises.