Reality checks for career women: An interpretevist paradigm

Abstract

This paper reflects on the latent organisational process that leads tothe scarcity of women in senior positions. Utilising characteristics of legitimisation, institutionalisation and self-determination theories the paper observes how women manage upward mobility. Subsequently, it was important to investigate the mid-level cohorts, as there lies the critical question triggering the anomaly. Focusing on the public sector with an interest in gendered organisations, the study examines law enforcement. Conversely, the aim of this paper is to focus on why there is a continued dearth in the number of policewomen at top level positions in USA and Australia. A qualitative study with a phenomenological approach is applied. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with 40 policewomen in mid-management positions in American and Australian law enforcement. It further aims to explore the linkages of the ongoing paucity of gendered leadership in organisations, questioning how these will influence women's ability to advance to higher-level positions.

Aging the gap: the compensation among men and women executives

“…Given that women, particularly those of child-bearing age, are perceived to have lower levels of work commitment (Rivera & Tilcsik, 2016;Weisshaar, 2018), moving into top positions early on might help overcome such perceptions and reduce the potential for compensation differentials at the beginning of their careers. However, going beyond these perceptions, women who become executives at a young age might break the pattern of men acquiring complex jobs earlier after graduation, a difference that contributes to early career gender gaps in wages (Anthony & Soontiens, 2019;Ford et al, 2021;Jyrkinen & McKie, 2012).…”

“…Given recurrent evidence that the gender pay gap within firms and occupations remains substantial (Penner, Petersen, & Hermansen, 2023;Tomaskovic-Devey & Avent-Holt, 2019) and largely unexplained (Perales, 2013), especially among executives (Magnusson, 2010), we explore the impact of age on executives' employment outcomes in technology industries. Importantly, large gender gaps exist in the attainment of upper-level positions and proportionate career rewards among highly educated employees and skilled occupations (Anthony & Soontiens, 2019;Magnusson, 2010). Bringing together the various facets explored in extant research, we examine how the age factor related to career advancement impacts gender pay inequality.…”