About this Research Topic
Women's educational and occupational achievements are crucial to economic productivity and prosperity of a nation. Women have gained access to higher education, full-time employment opportunities and increased earnings in many more countries over relatively recent times (OECD, 2022). However, despite increasing numbers of women studying, participating in the labor market, and working across industries, there is still insufficient research of psychological factors that affect women’s choices, motivations, and persistence in careers.
Some psychological factors have been studied in terms of careers and, in particular, of women’s careers. For instance, Super and Culha (1976) suggested that a comprehensive theory of career motivation needed consideration of personal and situational determinants, and the ways in which these interact at various stages of an individual’s self-development. Later, a theory of Self-determination (SDT) provided a theoretical framework to explain a woman’s career motivation in terms of her environment, motive, psychological satisfaction, and goal setting (Deci and Ryan, 2012). More recently, Pinder (2014) defined career motivation as the direction, maintenance, strength, and type of energy expended by individuals to obtain work-related outcomes. These concepts are worthy of investigation for studies of women’s careers.
Whilst the number of female Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) amongst the ‘Fortune 500’ companies increased from 41 in 2021 to 75 in 2022, that only represents a mere 15 percent of the total (Buchholz, 2022). The United Nation (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number five (#5) highlights gender equity as an important global objective, while SDG number eight (#8) is aimed at promoting sustained, inclusive economic growth with equal employment for all (UN, 2019). It is imperative to achieve these two SDGs, through attracting, recruiting, and retaining women in the workplace, as well as by developing their promotion potential to attain leadership positions. Therefore, the goal of this special issue is to address the lack of attention to psychological factors that affect women’s career choices, motivation, and persistence. A further aim of this special issue is to share knowledge of practical import to enable women across cultures and social development status to learn about career choices, motivations, and persistence.
This special issue is interested in scholarship that engages with established and emerging challenges for women in the workforce and that explores the diverse nature of women’s motivations as employees. We welcome diverse voices of women that have not been sufficiently documented, as more discussion is needed of their lived experiences. We aim to be inclusive of cultural and social development differences amongst women. This research will enhance scholarly knowledge about what has shaped women’s career experiences. Furthermore, understanding for workplace praxis will develop from these studies into how women navigate nuances of the socio-cultural and remain motivated to persist and advance in their careers.
We invite contributions that address (but are not limited to) the following themes/questions:
• What factors influence and motivate women to work outside the home?
• How do career goals affect women’s persistence in their careers?
• What strategies do women use to navigate the workplace environment?
• To what extent does the socio-cultural context impact women’s careers?
• How do women manage demands, expectations, and pressures of womanhood to achieve so-called ‘work-life balance’?
Some psychological factors have been studied in terms of careers and, in particular, of women’s careers. For instance, Super and Culha (1976) suggested that a comprehensive theory of career motivation needed consideration of personal and situational determinants, and the ways in which these interact at various stages of an individual’s self-development. Later, a theory of Self-determination (SDT) provided a theoretical framework to explain a woman’s career motivation in terms of her environment, motive, psychological satisfaction, and goal setting (Deci and Ryan, 2012). More recently, Pinder (2014) defined career motivation as the direction, maintenance, strength, and type of energy expended by individuals to obtain work-related outcomes. These concepts are worthy of investigation for studies of women’s careers.
Whilst the number of female Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) amongst the ‘Fortune 500’ companies increased from 41 in 2021 to 75 in 2022, that only represents a mere 15 percent of the total (Buchholz, 2022). The United Nation (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number five (#5) highlights gender equity as an important global objective, while SDG number eight (#8) is aimed at promoting sustained, inclusive economic growth with equal employment for all (UN, 2019). It is imperative to achieve these two SDGs, through attracting, recruiting, and retaining women in the workplace, as well as by developing their promotion potential to attain leadership positions. Therefore, the goal of this special issue is to address the lack of attention to psychological factors that affect women’s career choices, motivation, and persistence. A further aim of this special issue is to share knowledge of practical import to enable women across cultures and social development status to learn about career choices, motivations, and persistence.
This special issue is interested in scholarship that engages with established and emerging challenges for women in the workforce and that explores the diverse nature of women’s motivations as employees. We welcome diverse voices of women that have not been sufficiently documented, as more discussion is needed of their lived experiences. We aim to be inclusive of cultural and social development differences amongst women. This research will enhance scholarly knowledge about what has shaped women’s career experiences. Furthermore, understanding for workplace praxis will develop from these studies into how women navigate nuances of the socio-cultural and remain motivated to persist and advance in their careers.
We invite contributions that address (but are not limited to) the following themes/questions:
• What factors influence and motivate women to work outside the home?
• How do career goals affect women’s persistence in their careers?
• What strategies do women use to navigate the workplace environment?
• To what extent does the socio-cultural context impact women’s careers?
• How do women manage demands, expectations, and pressures of womanhood to achieve so-called ‘work-life balance’?
Keywords: Women, Motivation, Challenges, Social support, Turning point, Culture
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