Challenges Facing Working Women In Career Advancement

Scope of the Study

Discuss about the Evaluation of Challenges Facing Working.

The fundamental perception is that career women are discriminated right at the recruitment stage. Men are not ready to admit that women are as capable as they are to be their colleagues at any level of management apart from the few limited one referred to as the five ‘C’s. That is, “cashiering, catering, cleaning, caring and clerical work” (Pletzer et al., 2015).

Women engaged in such portfolios are perceived to work for “pin money.” That is, earn an extra income that does not necessarily contribute to the major budget of a household. Therefore, their income is considered as secondary income. As a result, women’s potential is basically underestimated which leads women to have a propensity to settle for less demanding careers despite their qualifications. Research done on women and management has established in their bid to advance their careers they are influenced by issues of culture and religion. This is normally misinterpreted and therefore contributes a significant role on the advancement of women developing their careers (Metcalfe, 2006).

This paper will evaluate the various challenges faced the women in their bid to advance their career. It will cover factors relating to culture, organizational factors, religion, and family related factors such as balancing family life and career. The researcher will evaluate these specific factors since previous research has determined them as the major deterrents that cause women fail to advance their careers.

The aim of this study therefore will be an evaluation of the challenges faced by working women in career advancement. It will be guided by the following specific objectives: 1) to establish whether organizational factors is a challenge to career advancement of working women in an organization; 2) to establish whether individual factors are a challenge to career advancement of women in an organization; 3) to determine whether cultural factors is a challenge to career advancement of women in an organization and; 4) To determine whether balancing work and family life is a challenge to working women in career advancement of women in an organization.

The major disparity between men and women is based on age, job experience and work attributes. Currently, women are entering the job market and a big number are becoming entrepreneurs as the community gradually recognizes women as a vital economic resource. Unlike in the past, women are presently competitive in managerial portfolios but are limited in developing their career (Ghimire, 2006). There is a shortage of female leaders. This partly due to stereotyping and discriminating women in the offices. In their bid to advance their careers, women are faced with intangible barriers. These barriers have been termed as the “glass ceiling. ‘This is a term that refers to invisible or intangible artificial barriers that avert people from progressing with a company and achieving their potential (Weyer, 2007). 

Objectives of the Study

The question therefore is, does the slow rate of women advancement in their career caused only by gender discrimination or stereotyping or are there other underlying reasons? Studies have shown that this is not necessarily the reason. In some studies the slow progression of women in career is caused by among other things their career choice. Research suggests that women choose careers that guarantee mobility, control over work sequences and also careers that give them a sense of accomplishment. In addition, women are known to put family first than men do over their work.

Evidence of sexual stereotype is still experienced in the workplace. The phenomenon of overrating men and underrating women job seekers is widespread. Women are discriminated in terms of remuneration, promotion and their bid to raise the ranks in management in regardless of the job. The gap in gender is evident in the working lives of women even before they assume maternal responsibilities. Managers are hesitant to recruit younger married women for fear that they may soon start a family. They prefer older married women whose child-bearing duties are finished (Cole and Kelly, 2011). Several studies have described the unending discriminatory perception that female managers are collective; apply womanly management approach compared to men who apply a more competitive and business oriented approach.

Montana et al. (2008) notes that women usually feel unfairly discriminated when it comes to promotions. Research reveals that in an environment of male dominated work place, women managers lack the multiplicity of experience in comparison to men. Women are prevented from promotions in their path towards corporate excellence through gender inequality, cultural and dissatisfactory promotion procedures. This negatively influences women’s general work satisfaction. Very few companies make an efficient endeavor in helping women by providing information concerning training and career advancement programs.

In Arab countries, culture directs that the fundamental role of a woman is in private domain. According to research, conservative perception of a woman’s role is still evident although there is a gradual shift towards a more liberal approach (Mostafa, 2005). Gradually, and particularly through the continued advocacy of equal education, the traditional or conservative perception of women is shifting towards accepting women as capable managers

The literature reviewed above has highlighted the various challenges faced by women in their bid to advance their careers. Factors related to structural organization in the workplace in terms of gender, stereotyping and discrimination of women have been reviewed. This study therefore aims to expound on the gaps identified in previous research by replicating the study in Australia.

Gender Imbalance in the Workplace

Based on the review of the related literature and the objectives of the study, the research questions will be as follows;

Primary Question

• What are the challenges facing working women in career advancement in an organization?
• What are the effects of organizational structure towards career advancement of working women in an organization?
• What are the effects of individual factors towards career advancement of women in an organization?
• How do gender cultural practices affect career advancement of women in an organization?
• How is balancing work and family life a challenge to working women in career advancement in an organization?

This will be a quantitative study aimed at evaluating the factors associated with challenges faced by working women in their bid to advance career. The study will utilize a case study descriptive research design and will utilize primary data to be collected using a self -administered questionnaire. This is a scientific research carried to explain an incident or event. This method is preferable since it allows collection of information from the respondents in their natural surroundings thereby increasing a probability of a higher response rate (Brown, Hesketh and Williams, 2003). The researcher will select a large corporation such as Woolworths Group, Australia. A sample is a representation of the entire population that is used to infer to that population. The sample represents the population only to the extent that it consists of the same basic attributes from which it is drawn (Hossea and Rwegoshora, 2014).

According to Mugenda and Mugenda (2003), 30% sample is considered representative of the population. The study will employ the stratified proportionate sampling technique since it ensures a high degree of representation of all the strata. This sampling method will be used because data needs to be collected from various departments and not just one department of the company. The sample size will be determined according to the total number of employees in the organization. Thirty percent of the entire population (30% of the total number of employees) will form the target population. Simple random sampling will then be used to select participants from each department based on availability. This formula will be employed;

 a/b×c=z where;

a   is the number of employees in a department

b   is the total target population

c   is the sample size

z   is the number of respondents obtained from each department

Table 1: Work Plan

ACTIVITY

WEEK 1

WEEK 2

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

WEEK 5

WEEK 6

WEEK 7

WEEK 8

WEEK 9

WEEK 10

WEEK 11

WEEK 12

Problem formulation

Literature review

Proposal Writing

Proposal submission

Data collection

Data analysis

Research  writing

Research  submission

Research defence

The questionnaire will be divided into five sections. Namely; Demographic information: age, marital status, level of education. The other four sections will include information related to the research questions.

The researcher will utilize primary data by use of semi-structured questionnaire that will have both closed and open-ended questions.

After collection of data, questionnaires coded and stored in raw form. It will thereafter be analyzed using excel or any other statistical analysis tool such as Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Data will then be presented in text, pie charts, graphs, and tables.

References and Bibliography

Brown, P., Hesketh, A. and Wlliams, S. (2003) ‘Employability in a Knowledge-driven Economy’, Journal of Education and Work, 16(2), pp. 107–126.

Chanfreau, J. E. et al. (2011). Maternity, paternity and women returns survey 2011. : Department of Work and Pensions.

Cole, G.A. and Kelly, P. (2011) Management Theory and Practice. 7th edn. South Western: Cengage Learning.

Ghimire, B. (2006). Working women in the Middle East: A look into career women in the Middle East. internal business.

Hossea M.M., Rwegoshora, (2014). A guide to social science research 2^nd Edition. Mukuki na Nyota Publishers

Macrory, I. (2012). Measuring national well-being. Households and families . Office of National Statistics,, .

Metcalfe, B.D. (2008) ‘Women, management and globalization in the middle east’, Journal of Business Ethics, 83(1), pp. 85–100. doi: 10.1007/s10551-007-9654-3.

Montana, P.J., Charnov, B.H., Chartnov, B.H. and Hyman, B.M. (2008) Management (Barron’s business review series). 4th edn. United States: Barron’s Educational Series Inc.,U.S.

Mostafa, M.M. (2005) ‘Attitudes towards women managers in theUnited Arab Emirates’, Journal of Managerial Psychology, 20(6), pp. 522–540. doi: 10.1108/02683940510615451.

Mugenda O and Mugenda A. (2003) Research Methods: quantitative and qualitative approaches. Nairobi, Kenya. African Centre for Technology Studies.

Pletzer, J.L., Nikolova, R., Kedzior, K.K. and Voelpel, S.C. (2015) ‘Does gender matter?  Females on corporate boards and firm financial performance – A Meta-Analysis’, Academy of Management Proceedings, 2015(1), pp. 12370–12370. doi: 10.5465/ambpp.2015.12370abstract.

Weyer, B. (2007) ‘Twenty years later: Explaining the persistence of the glass ceiling for women leaders’, Women in Management Review, 22(6), pp. 482–496. doi: 10.1108/09649420710778718.

Woolworths Group (2016) Woolworths Group. Available at: TEAHTTPS://WOW2016AR.QREPORTS.COM.AU/HOME/PERFORMANCE-HIGHLIGHTS/2016-AT-A-GLANCE.HTMLMTEAM (Accessed: 30 January 2017).