Women in executive positions : managing career transitions

Abstract

Due to many factors, the corporate world has been characterised by male ascendancy since its inception. Now in the 21st century, an era typified by greater egalitarian thinking than ever before, women remain hugely under-represented in senior positions, largely attributed to the “glass ceiling”, a term coined in 1979 to describe an unofficially acknowledged barrier to advancement in a profession, especially affecting women and minority groups. Following extensive research, it is evident that although many women will exit the workplace before or just after advancing to an executive level, there are those who move successfully to an executive level and maintain a progressive career path.In consideration of this phenomenon, the aim of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of how senior South African female executives have managed their career transitions and what lessons can be assimilated from their experiences. Although there are global barriers hindering women from advancing in the corporate landcape, there are very specific factors influencing South African women executives and their career paths. Therefore, this study focuses on the South African environment by obtaining primary qualitative research from local sources. Ten, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with senior South African female executives to explore pivotal career shifts and gather valuable feedback regarding what women should or should not do in order to advance to executive levels. Unstructured interviews were also undertaken with five South African human resource professionals and experts to obtain an overarching view of the kinds of organisational interventions required to help women manage their career transitions.Primary research indicates that organisational, individual and social factors play a critical role in how women manage their career transitions. Within these categories, the primary aspects that assist women in career transition management and executive level advancement include organisational culture, mentorship, leadership identity, networking, perceptions and work-life balance. Although research indicates that women feel they must work much harder than men to advance in similar positions, they believe it is still possible to advance to executive level, asserting that women leaders can fast track their advancement through confidence in their abilities and commitment to career goals. Women are in general agreement that barriers creating the “glass ceiling” are generally self-imposed and are merely temporary obstacles that can be overcome.