scholarly journals Career Progression of Women Academics in Pakistani Universities: Enablers and Barriers

sjesr ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 11-21
Author(s):  
Dr. Saeeda Shah ◽  
Ms. Samra Bashir ◽  
Dr. Muhammad Amin

There is a dramatic increase in the number of women students in higher educational institutions but this had not been matched by growth in the number of women in senior leadership positions in Pakistani Universities. The current study was designed to explore the barriers and enablers that influence the professional development of women academics in Pakistan. Furthermore, the study investigated how female academicians manage the balance in their personal and professional life. Semi-structured interviews followed by a probing strategy were conducted to seek responses to these questions. 10 female academicians were selected purposively from two public sector universities of Lahore. Thematic analysis was conducted by using an inductive approach. Member check was applied for the reliability of themes drawn from the data. Each theme was explored in-depth and themes emerged from a smaller number of women were treated separately under the category of unique theme. Women considered their professional career development as a source of pride and gratification. Women academicians at the senior level enjoyed leadership roles as compared to young academicians; who were more involved in teaching and research. Females complained that they had not the information on policies relevant to their job and merit is neglected most of the time by higher authorities. Females claimed that they faced a biased attitude of their senior male colleagues/heads of departments but were highly motivated to face these challenges at the workplace.

2021 ◽  
pp. 089202062199967
Author(s):  
Josephine Marchant

Drawing on data from 116 survey responses by School Business Managers, and 7 semi-structured interviews with education professionals carried out between October 2017 and February 2018, this article reports on findings from a research project focussing on the opportunities and constraints for career progression into leadership roles for School Business Managers (SBMs) in the state sector in England. The article considers the differing roles and responsibilities of SBMs, how leadership is perceived in schools, the visibility of the SBM role, career aspirations of the SBMs who were surveyed, and the perceived constraints to progression to leadership roles. Analysis of the data was carried out using an inductive research approach using mixed methods. Snowballing was used to obtain a meaningful sample size for survey responses. Interviewees were chosen on the basis of judgement sampling. The sampling design for the survey and the interviews was one of non-probability. Findings suggest that leadership roles for SBMs do exist but that there are considerable constraints to these being achieved, not least the lack of appetite amongst SBMs to do so.


2021 ◽  
pp. 101269022110054
Author(s):  
Nicola Hague ◽  
Graeme Law

The world of football arguably brings together and unites people in support of their teams and countries, while inspiring young children and adolescents to dream of a professional career. Existing research in the field has sought to begin to understand what professional footballers experience on their journey through the game. However, much of this UK-based research has focused on first team players and their professional experiences, including transitions from youth team to first team and to retirement. This study, therefore, aimed to examine players during their youth academy scholarship at one English Championship club. This study focused on the transitional experiences of youth players from school to the academy and their resulting embodying of a footballer’s identity. Twelve semi-structured interviews with players aged 17–19, were conducted and then analysed by thematic analysis using figurational sociology concepts. Three different types of transition were identified. Among other reasons, early specialisation in football was a prevalent factor that partly influenced the way the players experienced their transition. The transition into the academy coincided with the transition from youth to adulthood that was arguably anything but linear as players managed the dominant sub-cultures present in the club.


JRSM Open ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 205427041666930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Curtis ◽  
Lizzie Eley ◽  
Selena Gray ◽  
Bill Irish

Objectives This qualitative study sought to elicit the views, experiences, career journeys and aspirations of women in senior post-graduate medical education roles to identify steps needed to help support career progression. Design In-depth semi-structured telephone interviews. Setting UK. Participants Purposive sample of 12 women in a variety of senior leadership roles in post-graduate medical education in the UK. Main outcome measures Self reported motivating influences, factors that helped and hindered progress, key branch points, and key educational factors and social support impacting on participants' career in postgraduate medicine. Results Respondents often reported that career journeys were serendipitous, rather than planned, formal or well structured. Senior women leaders reported having a high internal locus of control, with very high levels of commitment to the NHS. All reported significant levels of drive, although the majority indicated that they were not ambitious in the sense of a strong drive for money, prestige, recognition or power. They perceived that there was an under-representation of women in senior leadership positions and that high-quality female mentorship was particularly important in redressing this imbalance. Social support, such a spouse or other significant family member, was particularly valued as reaffirming and supporting women’s chosen career ambition. Factors that were considered to have hindered career progression included low self-confidence and self-efficacy, the so-called glass ceiling and perceived self-limiting cultural influences. Factors indirectly linked to gender such as part-time versus working full time were reportedly influential in being overlooked for senior leadership roles. Implications of these findings are discussed in the paper. Conclusion Social support, mentorship and role modelling are all perceived as highly important in redressing perceived gender imbalances in careers in post-graduate medical education.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Cosentino ◽  
W. James Weese ◽  
Janelle E. Wells

Women remain minimally represented in senior leadership roles in sport, despite increased female participation in both sport, sport management education programs, and in entry levels positions in the industry. Many women prematurely exit mid-level leadership positions in sport, or are often overlooked for senior leadership positions. To uncover the experiences and strategies of women who made it through the process, we interviewed all the women (N = 7) who now hold senior leadership positions with professional sport properties in Canada. Participants revealed they overcame real and perceived barriers, and they suggested women seeking senior leadership roles in the industry: (a) find, and later become role models, mentors, and sponsors; (b) create access to networks and opportunities; (c) strategically self-promote, and; (d) purposefully build a varied career portfolio. Recommendations for the industry and all those who work in the industry are presented with a goal to break the cycle and help ensure more equitable and inclusive leaders in the senior leadership ranks.


Author(s):  
Fiona Denney

In today's universities, women are still underrepresented in senior leadership positions. The research-focused systems and structures that support the progression of men often work against women who are drawn to alternative career paths within the academy for a variety of reasons. UK universities have seen an increase in teaching-focused career paths as well as ‘Third Space’ roles, which navigate an increasing space between purely professional and purely academic jobs. Since 2018, four research-intensive universities in the UK have appointed women to the position of PVC Education who have come from Third Space, academic development backgrounds. This paper explores their career paths and experiences and identifies that they have had to constantly navigate between professional and academic contracts in order to negotiate their own progression, thus creating their own space in which they are able to advance. The paper considers whether women in the Third Space end up trapped in a ‘glass classroom’ or whether a more fundamental political and transformational act in gender and Third Space career progression is emerging.


2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (65) ◽  
pp. 343-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrique Javier Diez Gutierrez

Abstract Spanish schools are characterised by having a high proportion of female staff. However, statistics show that a proportionately higher number of men hold leadership positions. The aim of this study was to analyse the reasons why this is so, and to determine the motivations and barriers that women encounter in attaining and exercising these positions of greater responsibility and power. Questionnaires were administered to 2,022 female teachers, 430 female principals and 322 male principals. In addition, semi-structured interviews were held with 60 female principals, 14 focus group discussions were held with female principals and 16 autobiographical narratives were compiled with female principals and school inspectors. The reasons identified were related to structural aspects linked to the patriarchal worldview that is still dominant in our society and culture. Nevertheless, we also found motivations among women for attaining and exercising leadership roles.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 331-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Page-Shipp ◽  
Dawn Joseph ◽  
Caroline van Niekerk

Purpose Coordination of group activity is rarely more important than in a singing group that has no designated conductor. This paper aims to explore the group dynamics in an 11-man singing group whose members, all over 60, have without exception occupied senior leadership positions in their working careers. The study arose because responses to a wider research study revealed interesting perceptions of leadership issues in the group. Design/methodology/approach All the members participated in semi-structured interviews and interpretative phenomenological analysis of the responses was used to process the responses. This enabled the identification of practices that support the group’s success and illustrated how this group of practiced “leaders” respond to a (relatively) conductorless situation. Findings It was confirmed that the group exhibits several characteristics of self-managed teams and string quartets. All members felt empowered to take a lead, although their backgrounds might have predisposed them to take such initiatives anyway. But the long-serving female accompanist is, by virtue inter alia of her superior musicianship, which appears to overcome any gender bias, in many respects the de facto leader. In performance, the singers synchronize their singing in response to cues from each other, but this could work better if given more specific attention. Originality/value Whereas conducted choirs have been extensively studied, such a self-managed group of amateur singers, all of whom are accustomed to leading in their working careers, has apparently not been studied. This study sheds some light on techniques for overcoming the challenges of creating quality performance in such a group and insights for similar groups, not necessarily musical, are identified.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-172
Author(s):  
Shubhasheesh Bhattacharya ◽  
Sweta Mohapatra ◽  
Sonali Bhattacharya

The article examines the key factors that facilitate the advancement of women to leadership positions in the information technology and information technology enabled services (IT and ITES) sector in India. It adopted interview based exploratory case study method using multiple case studies and gathered empirical data using in-depth semi-structured interviews. The study identified critical individual and organizational factors which facilitate the advancement of women in leadership positions. The findings are of value to human resource and diversity practitioners to create gender-balanced and inclusive leadership in the organizations that would lead to attracting, retaining and developing women talent for leadership roles.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Marissa Dickins ◽  
Georgina Johnstone ◽  
Emma Renehan ◽  
Judy Lowthian ◽  
Rajna Ogrin

Abstract Older women living alone are at risk of being socially and financially disadvantaged, which impacts their wellbeing. Currently there is a significant gap in knowledge relating to older women living alone. This study aimed to identify the barriers and enablers to service access in this group. We undertook a qualitative study comprising semi-structured interviews in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. Thematic analysis was conducted to elucidate key themes. Thirty-seven women were interviewed between May and August 2017. Six key themes were identified: financial; mental and emotional health; mobility and ability; transport; social connections; and knowledge. Access issues for older women living alone are multifaceted and interconnected. Barriers and enablers to service access, as well as their intersections with gender and living situation, should be considered in service design and re-design.


2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert S. Rubin ◽  
Erich C. Dierdorff ◽  
Michael E. Brown

ABSTRACT:Despite sustained attention to ethical leadership in organizations, scholarship remains largely descriptive. This study employs an empirical approach to examine the consequences of ethical leadership on leader promotability. From a sample of ninety-six managers from two independent organizations, we found that ethical leaders were increasingly likely to be rated by their superior as exhibiting potential to reach senior leadership positions. However, leaders who displayed increased ethical leadership were no more likely to be viewed as promotable in the near-term compared to those who displayed less ethical leadership. Our findings also show ethical culture and pressure to achieve results are important contextual factors that moderate the relationships between ethical leadership and leader promotability to senior leadership roles.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document