Women's Career Choices Research Articles

Progress in women's representation in top leadership weakens people's disturbance with gender inequality in other domains.

Conventional wisdom suggests that progress for women in the domain of top leadership representation will naturally spread to other domains of gender inequality, whether in organizations or beyond. Extending social-cognitive theories of exemplar-based information processing to the study of social progress perceptions for stigmatized groups, we theorized that perceiving substantial female representation in top leadership may instead reduce people's concern with ongoing gender inequality in other domains. Study 1 (N = 331) finds that perceiving greater female representation in top corporate echelons decreases people's disturbance with the gender pay gap, but not with wealth inequality generally. Study 2a (N = 350) and its replication Study 2b (N = 1,098) present correlational evidence of the proposed psychological mechanism: an overgeneralization of women's access to equal opportunities. Study 3 (N = 454) provides experimental evidence for this psychological process, tests attributions of the gender pay gap to women's personal career choices as an alternative mechanism, and introduces a control condition to determine the directionality of the effect. Study 4 (N = 326) replicates and extends the basic effect across various domains of gender inequality within and outside of the workplace. Taken together, these studies highlight the importance of acknowledging the fragmented nature of social progress across domains of inequality, and highlight the psychological underpinnings of a previously overlooked potential barrier for progress toward gender equality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Women's desire for the kaleidoscope of authenticity, balance and challenge: A multi‐method study of female health workers’ careers

Improved health care and increased life expectancy have extended working lives and changed the nature of work for many women. The aim of this research is to explore women's kaleidoscope career intentions of authenticity, balance and challenge, and understand the impact of life roles on their career choices. The research comprises two studies. In Study 1, interviews with 14 female hospital pharmacists demonstrate how their desire to increase non‐work life roles while caring for ageing parents has influence over their career choices. In Study 2, a survey of 178 female direct care workers confirms life roles’ impact on their kaleidoscope career intentions. Findings demonstrate that different life roles strongly influence women's career choices in a number of ways, primarily their desire to increase their leisure and engagement with activities outside work. In later life, carer responsibilities play an influential role in female career choices, particularly those related to eldercare. Finally, kaleidoscope career intentions may be influenced by life roles. These findings have considerable implications for both the expansion of careers and gender theory, and development of public and business policies aimed at attracting and retaining human resources.

Women's career choices, social norms and child care policies

Our model explains the observed gender-specific patterns of career and child-care choices through endogenous social norms. We study how these norms contribute to the emergence of a gender wage gap. We show that via the social norm a couple's child-care and career choices impose an externality on other couples, so that the laissez-faire is inefficient. We use our model to study the design and effectiveness of three commonly used policies. We find that child-care subsidies and women quotas can be effective tools to mitigate or eliminate the externality. Parental leave, however, may even intensify the externality and decrease welfare.

Women's career choices in radiology in France.

The purpose of this study was to determine the possible effects of gender on residents' and fellows' motivations in choosing radiology as a career in France, and on choosing a practice setting later on. An online survey was sent to French residents and fellows in order to access their radiology practice and career aspirations, as well as the potential influence of their gender. Influence of being a woman on initial professional expectations, professional choices, and the evolution of career paths was investigated using the chi-square test. Responses were collected from 206 French residents and fellows. The reasons for choosing radiology residency were, at first, mostly the same for men and women such as interest in the specialty (100% of women and men), work conditions (74% of women and men), technical aspects of the specialty (63% of men and 52% of women, P=0.11) or "reasonable" workload (29% women and 21% men, P=0.19); however, 74% of women stated that maternity might influence their career choices, and were less interested in unstable positions exclusively in private practice (45% men and 33% women, P=0.05). Male and female radiologists primarily considered the same factors in choosing their specialties. However, maternity is still a source of inequality in France, including fewer opportunities for fellowship positions or academic careers. Furthermore, more women were willing to work in salaried positions to acquire a secure job, even though compensation might be lower.

Factors Influencing Successful IT Women's Career Choices: A Qualitative Study

Women and minorities continue to be underrepresented in information technology (IT) career fields. In thisstudy, we examined critical self-descriptions of women who selected and excelled in information technologycareers. Analysis of six narratives revealed that family support, teachers, and hands-on learning experienceswere critical sources of women's development of self-authorship leading to selection of an IT career path.Findings from this research suggest intervention strategies for parents, teachers, and counselors that willencourage more women to pursue careers in information technology.

Women's Career Choices, social Norms and Child Care Policies

Our model explains the observed gender-specific patterns of career and child care choices through endogenous social norms. We study how these norms interact with the gender wage gap. We show that via the social norm a couple's child care and career choices impose an externality on other couples, so that the laissez-faire is inefficient. We use our model to study the design and effectiveness of three commonly used policies. We find that child care subsidies and women quotas can be effective tools to mitigate or eliminate the externality. Parental leave, however, may even intensify the externality and decrease welfare.

Women's Career Choices, Social Norms and Child Care Policies

Our model explains the observed gender-specific patterns of career and child care choices through endogenous social norms. We study how these norms interact with the gender wage gap. We show that via the social norm a couple's child care and career choices impose an externality on other couples, so that the laissez-faire is inefficient. We use our model to study the design and effectiveness of three commonly used policies. We find that child care subsidies and women quotas can be effective tools to mitigate or eliminate the externality. Parental leave, however, may even intensify the externality and decrease welfare.

When flexibility meets familialism: Two tales of gendered labour markets in Spain and South Korea

Korea and Spain share crucial labour market and welfare state characteristics that converge to produce similar outcomes: strongly dualized labour markets, weak social protection, and features that are archetypical of familialist states. Labour market flexibility in both countries has recently increased through unusually high levels of temporary employment. Yet, when we analyse female labour force participation, we observe a significant divergence: Korean women interrupt their participation in the labour market when they are of childbearing age, while Spanish women do not. Furthermore, the level of education of women in Spain matters for their career prospects, but in Korea, it does not. In this article, we explore the causes of this divergence by analysing (1) structural characteristics of the labour market, (2) policies that facilitate the reconciliation of work and family and (3) gender equality politics. We argue that the combination of these three factors have different impacts on the career choices of women in Spain and Korea. Some aspects of working culture – long working hours in particular – the unavailability to women of good quality jobs and a high gender pay gap contribute towards labour market interruption of highly educated women in Korea when they have children. Policy developments have been important in the two countries, but high levels of childcare investment in Korea have not improved female employment prospects. Furthermore, we observe greater political commitment to gender equality in Spain than in Korea. Fundamental changes in the Spanish political culture, which were the result of a combination of domestic and supranational dynamics, played a major role in the political endorsement of gender equality and a rejection of familialistic policies and practices.

A “leaky pipeline”?: Factors affecting the career development of senior-level female administrators in NCAA Division I athletic departments

National governing bodies, international sport federations, and national Olympic committees continue to struggle to attain minimal levels of female representation. Sport organizations in the United States are no exception. Despite the fact that more women work in intercollegiate athletics than ever before, the number of female assistant and associate athletic directors is declining. As such, fewer women are in the “pipeline” to achieve the position of Athletic Director. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that may influence women's career development in intercollegiate athletic administration. Twenty assistant and associate athletic directors were interviewed about their career paths, experiences, and goals. Results suggest strong interpersonal relationships with supervisors and mentors and access to professional development activities aided in participants’ career advancement. Factors attributed to perceptions of gender and professional value incongruence affected women's career choices and opportunities for advancement. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

Teorie preferencí a kariéra žen na českém trhu práce

This paper tests the selected determinants shaping the careers of women. It uses data from an exclusive survey conducted in 2011 in the Czech Republic and confronts the results with Hakim's preference theory. The results suggest arguments both for against the preference theory. We formulated four hypotheses and verifi ed them by binary probit models. In accordance with the Hakim's theory we were able to demonstrate that the preference for work (work-centered preference)has a positive and signifi cant impact on the career choices of women on the Czech labor market. According to the results of the model is the work-centered preference associated with 52% increase in likelihood that a woman will spend most of the energy in employment. The impact of higher education has been shown to be positive and signifi cant - higher education increases the likelihood that a woman will spend most of the energy is employment by more than 14%. The impact of motherhood is according to our data negative and signifi cant. It reduces the likelihood of career choices by more than 19% and this effect is the same for one and more children which is in contrast to Hakim's theory.

The ‘expat factor’: the influence of working time on women's decisions to undertake international assignments in the oil and gas industry

This article examines the effect of working time on women's willingness to go on expatriate assignments in the oil and gas exploration and production sector. The research draws upon an analysis of two case study firms' international assignment and working time policies, semi-structured interviews with 14 human resource staff responsible for policy design and implementation, and a survey of the views of 71 women expatriates, supported by in-depth interviews with 26 of the survey respondents. The research identifies an ‘expat factor’: assignees state that long hours are inherent in expatriation and necessary to further their careers. However, in practice, working time is not excessive and flexible working practices are utilised. Hours of work have little effect on women's decisions to undertake long-term assignments but alternatives such as short-term and commuter assignments are unpopular as their working patterns are disruptive to family life. This article contributes to theory development by linking two discrete frameworks that explain women's career choices when they strive to balance their career goals with their families and by identifying a career compromise threshold when expatriation is rejected in favour of family considerations. A model is proposed to link working time/patterns to women's international assignment participation.

Opting out of corporate careers: portraits from a women's magazine

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to critically explore media representations of opting-out and how these present particular professional identities as appropriate career choices for women. Through an examination of a UK women's magazine the paper looks at how opting-out in favour of work based on traditionally female housewifery skills and attributes is communicated and justified in the texts.Design/methodology/approach– The paper adopts a social identity approach to a qualitative content analysis of 17 consecutive monthly magazine features.Findings– While the magazine frames women's career choices as unlimited, identity is presented as gendered, biologically fixed and therefore inescapable. The magazine presents opting out as an appropriate route for women based on a “female identity” grounded in traditional female attributes of caring, hosting, baking, etc. However, this leaves women's work open to potentially negative interpretations of these traditional female attributes. The texts appeal to a post-feminist discourse and imply that problems experienced by women in public sphere careers are partly the outcome of the feminism of the 1960s and 1970s.Research limitations/implications– Future research should study how readers interpret the texts.Originality/value– The paper demonstrates the explanatory potential of using of a social identity approach in the analysis of media texts.

Sex ratio and women's career choice: Does a scarcity of men lead women to choose briefcase over baby?

Although the ratio of males to females in a population is known to influence behavior in nonhuman animals, little is known about how sex ratio influences human behavior. We propose that sex ratio affects women's family planning and career choices. Using both historical data and experiments, we examined how sex ratio influences women's career aspirations. Findings showed that a scarcity of men led women to seek high-paying careers and to delay starting a family. This effect was driven by how sex ratio altered the mating market, not just the job market. Sex ratios involving a scarcity of men led women to seek lucrative careers because of the difficulty women have in finding an investing, long-term mate under such circumstances. Accordingly, this low-male sex ratio produced the strongest desire for lucrative careers in women who are least able to secure a mate. These findings demonstrate that sex ratio has far-reaching effects in humans, including whether women choose briefcase over baby.

Do Subtle Cues About Belongingness Constrain Women's Career Choices?

Nilanjana Dasgupta's (this issue) stereotype inoculation model (SIM) helps explain why what feels like a free choice to pursue one life path over another "is often constrained by subtle cues in achievement environments that signal who naturally belongs there and is most likely to succeed and who else is a dubious fit" (p. 231). She posits that seeing others like themselves in successful roles inoculates women against negative stereotypes that impede their success and persistence in specific achievement contexts.As is true of classic theoretical positions (see Nagel, 1961), Dasgupta presents postulates from which she deduces a specific set of hypotheses, and she reviews the relevant empirical/observational data in support of them. It is precisely what this area of research has long needed-moving beyond demonstrations of identity threats to a theory about their underlying causes, conditions, and interventions. This proposal leads her to four broad predictions, the first of which is the primary focus of our comment.

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.

The Nordic Welfare Model: barrier or facilitator of women's entrepreneurship in Denmark?

PurposeThe welfare states of Scandinavia have been regarded as forerunners of gender equality, but structural barriers to women's participation in the labour market may discriminate against women and create opportunity costs delimiting women's career choices. Family policies are defined to include maternity/paternity leave, benefits, childcare and leave to take care of sick children. The aim of this paper is to increase awareness and elucidate the impact of welfare policies on women's entrepreneurship because it may impact on women's entrepreneurial behaviour. Hence, it seeks to investigate the reasons underlying this apparent anomaly so that future policies in Scandinavia and Europe may be tailored to suit the needs of female entrepreneurs.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses publicly available statistical data combined with unique survey data from a sample of 1,000 sole proprietors (men and women), all members of the Danish Association for the Self‐employed, to identify the problems encountered by female entrepreneurs. The survey findings are illustrated with three interviews with female entrepreneurs that have been published in the Danish newspapers discussing the problems encountered by self‐employed female entrepreneurs.FindingsEven though the various Scandinavian models provide for ample maternity leave, benefits and childcare, on the whole, the Nordic Welfare Model is too heavily grounded in the ideals of employment favouring employment over entrepreneurship. For example, in Denmark, a sole proprietor is not allowed to work whilst on maternity leave. If she does so, her maternity allowance is reduced. This may be tantamount to closing the business down if you have a child, and may account for the fact that women are generally much older than men when starting a business. The majority of women in the survey are critical of the maternity leave system and 30 percent perceive the childcare system as a significant barrier to starting a business.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research needs to compare the Danish evidence with that from other Nordic countries to establish whether the problem is restricted to Denmark. Additionally, research should focus on identifying whether child‐bearing and ‐rearing influences on the age at which women start a business.Originality/valueSo far, it has been taken for granted that the initiation of public childcare would facilitate increased entrepreneurship among women. This study shows that this is not necessarily so, and that there is a schism between welfare models that facilitate employment and those that facilitate entrepreneurship.

Finding fulfillment: women's self-efficacy beliefs and career choices in chemistry

Research has shown that self-efficacy beliefs are effective predictors of academic major and career choices in middle school, high school, and early college populations. There is little understanding, however, of how these beliefs develop and what influence they have on academic and career choices in women at the advanced undergraduate and graduate levels. This qualitative study identified key factors that contributed to women chemists' academic and career decisions. Participants completed a chemistry self-efficacy survey and participated in three in-depth interviews. The results indicated that the participants' efficacy beliefs were positively influenced primarily by mastery experiences and social support and were undermined by inaccurate social comparisons. Efficacy beliefs were found to help steer them towards different careers, but ultimately value judgments were more influential in directing their career choice. These women did not value the outcomes of chemistry research or find scientific research intrinsically fulfilling, which led them to choose careers that they felt more directly benefitted humanity. Suggestions for showing the value of chemistry research in the classroom and the laboratory are offered.

Human Resources Underutilized: The Plight Of Women On Campus!

Legal, cultural, and ethical considerations impact decisions of organizations and those of the individuals who aspire to assume their rightful role in them as students enrolled at universities or as aspiring employees in business firms. An ongoing question emerges, however, concerning the barriers and cultural attitudes toward women (and minorities) versus men. The specific area of study undertaken examined the relationship between several categories of data and the persistence of men and women students in completing their self-selected college major as preparation for employed life after graduation. Implications and challenges of career choices for women wishing to pursue careers in science & math or business management are discussed.

Growing the Face of Women in Engineering with EMBS [Student's Corner

Many women today are drawn to disciplines other than engineering. However, career choices for women in biomedical engineering and health informatics enable the application of engineering, computing, and information technology to support health care and medicine for the betterment of society. “I was delighted when the now former IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS) president, Prof. Donna Hudson, appointed me as the inaugural EMBS Liaison on the IEEE Women in Engineering (WiE) Committee,” states Dr. Carolyn McGregor, Canada research chair in health informatics at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Ontario, Canada (Figure 1), and also EMBS?WiE leader for 2008/2009.

A Content Analysis of Women's Career Choices in Film

A feminist content analysis of 81 films was conducted as a means to assist mental health practitioners in guiding the career choices of young women and to explore the possibilities for change through this medium. The review of the 117 lead female characters revealed themes including: the idea that relationships should be secondary to careers in women's lives, women are secondary to men in the workplace, women in power are depicted in isolation, women are portrayed in traditional careers more than nontraditional careers, and regardless of career choice women are often depicted in a negative light.