Abstract:
It is necessary to address the barriers experienced by female middle managers in the coal mining industry in order to ensure their retention and personal growth. Mining in South Africa is still a male dominated industry. Prior to 1996, women were not allowed underground until the promulgation of the Mine Health and Safety Act of 1996. It is almost 12 years since women were allowed underground, but very few women are visible in management positions in the coal production environment. A minimum of 35 middle managers in the coal mining industry participated in both the quantitative and qualitative part of the research. The research reveals that human resources department is more masculine characteristic than production, financial and technical departments. The latter three are androgynous. Both male and female managers perceive a “successful manager” as androgynous, a transition from “think manager, think male”. This also contradicts a similar study carried out in European Banks, finding female managers to be masculine. There was no significant difference found in this research between male and female managers regarding their perceptions of what constitutes a “successful manager”. Findings from the research will assist organisations in the coal mining industry to understand barriers affecting the advancement of women in management. The research will also provide recommendations to organisations on how to change their cultures and work environments in order to develop suitable environments for women managers to flourish and achieve their potential. Copyright
