Social identity theory and sel-efficacy theory : exploring narratives of female executives in corporate South Africa

Abstract

High achieving women are in the minority, especially in the corporate world, and as such, have not received much attention from researchers (Wolontis & Hoff, 2018). For the sake of equity and organisational success, corporates have started to encourage the employment of women in senior management positions. However, women do not generally occupy a representative sample of such positions, both in South Africa and elsewhere in the world. There are a number of studies that explore the barriers that women face in terms of gender equity, however, little is known about the barriers that women face on a personal level and what encourages them to reach executive or board level positions (Sadler & Linenberger, 2017). The objective of this research was to uncover and understand what influences a females’ career progression. Social identity theory and self-efficacy theory provide a theoretical foundation for this research. Twelve semi structured interviews were conducted to understand the lived experience of the participants. The participants were senior female executives from various industries in the Gauteng province. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using inductive methods. The participants noted that the experiences they had throughout their life did impact them on a personal and professional level. During childhood, the participants mentioned that their mother had the most influence on them, and both parents in general, did influence their career aspirations. Societal influence has many consequences for a woman’s career progression and success. Barriers that women face such as stereotypes in the form of the gender wage gap, the glass ceiling phenomenon, and inequality in terms of opportunities and promotions, are based on legacy thought patterns of communities, people and businesses. Changing the patriarchal, legacy thought patterns of communities, people and businesses could have a positive ripple effect on the female experience in the corporate world. The importance of self-efficacy was also highlighted. Women with higher self-efficacy were able to succeed, regardless of their situation or circumstances. As such, the social identity and self-efficacy of a female does impact her career, future development and success.