Women Who Succeed: Strangers in Paradise?

212 Pages·2016·0.853 MB·English

by  Susan Durbin (auth.)

Women Who Succeed
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Women Who Succeed
Strangers in Paradise?
Susan Durbin
UniversityoftheWestofEngland,UK
©SusanDurbin2016
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2016 978-1-137-32825-0
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Firstpublished2016by
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ISBN 978-1-349-58088-0 ISBN 978-1-137-32826-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9781137328267
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Durbin,Susan,author.
Womenwhosucceed:strangersinparadise?/SusanDurbin.
pages cm
1. Womenexecutives—GreatBritain. 2. Women—
Employment—GreatBritain. 3. Discriminationin
employment—GreatBritain. 4. Glassceiling(Employment
discrimination)—GreatBritain. 5. Successinbusiness—Great
Britain. 6. Women—Vocationalguidance—
GreatBritain. I. Title.
HD6054.4.G7D872015
(cid:2)
331.481658400941—dc23 2015023918
This book is dedicated to Betty and Rachel
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Contents
ListofFigures x
Acknowledgements xi
1 Introduction 1
Whyabookaboutseniorwomen? 4
Methods 9
Structureofthebook 11
2 StrangersinParadise?Women,WorkandManagement 13
Introduction 13
Whatis‘genderequality’? 15
Exclusion,segregationand‘choice’:Women’srelationship
withpaidwork 20
Womenmanagers:Commongroundordifferent
experiences? 24
Howmanywomendoesittake? 32
Achievingcriticalmass:Howmanyisenough? 33
Thebusinesscaseforincreasingwomen’srepresentationin
management 36
Targetsorquotas?Howbesttomovethegenderequality
agendaforward? 38
Chaptersummary 43
3 ThroughtheGlassCeilingandBeyond:Getting
In/GettingOn 44
Introduction 44
Context 45
Intervieweeprofile 47
Maritalstatusandchildren 47
Qualifications 50
Currentroles 51
Workinghoursandpart-timeworking 53
Careers:Plannedorserendipitous? 58
Careersatisfaction 64
Challenges 66
vii
viii Contents
Gender-relatedchallenges:Privatesector 66
Role-relatedchallenges:Privatesector 69
Gender-relatedchallenges:Publicsector 70
Role-relatedchallenges:Publicsector 70
Careerprogressionstrategies 71
Chaptersummary 74
4 WhoSupportsSeniorWomen?TheRoleofMentors 77
Introduction 77
Mentoring 79
Genderandmentoring 82
Thementoringfunction 83
The‘darkside’ofmentoring 85
Formalmentoringschemes 86
Movingin/movingup:Theimportanceofpastmentorsto
seniorwomen’scareers 87
Currentmentoringforwomenintheprivatesector 91
Currentmentoringforwomeninthepublicsector 97
Theoverallbenefitsofmentoring 101
Chaptersummary 103
5 WhoInspiresSeniorWomen?RoleModels 106
Introduction 106
Whatisarolemodel? 107
Rolemodelsidentifiedbywomenintheprivatesector 111
Rolemodelsidentifiedbywomeninthepublicsector 114
Comparingrolemodelsacrosstheprivateandpublicsectors 116
Seniorwomenasrolemodels 118
Chaptersummary 123
6 WhoConnectswithSeniorWomen?Networking 126
Introduction 126
Whatisnetworking? 127
Whyisnetworkingimportantforseniorwomen? 129
Homophilousandheterophilousnetworking:‘Oneofthe
boys’or‘oneofthegirls’? 130
Homophilouswomen’snetworks 131
Homophilous‘oldboys’networks’ 133
Seniorwomenandnetworking 135
Is‘gettingon’basedonwhoorwhatyouknow?Social
capitalversusknowledgeandexpertise 135
Women’snetworkingintheprivatesector 139
Contents ix
Women’snetworkinginthepublicsector 142
Therelationshipbetweennetworkingandcareer
progression 146
Areseniorwomenengagingwithandparticipatingin
women’snetworks? 150
Women’sexperiencesofoldboys’networks 158
Chaptersummary 163
7 ConclusionsandFutureDirections 168
Thefuture 169
Areseniorwomen‘strangersinparadise’? 176
Researchimplicationsandrecommendationsforthefuture 181
References 185
Index 195