Is there a link between family structures and women's and men's managerial career advancement?

Tharenou, Phyllis

Family roles are said to reduce women's advancement into management. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of family structures on the managerial career advancement of managers and professionals using a longitudinal design. Family structures were found to predict managerial advancement for women and men and employment disruption for women only. Advancement in organizations was lower for childless single men and women, and for single fathers, than for other family structures. Greater managerial advancement was associated with being a traditional father, in the private sector, whereas mothers with employed spouses like post traditional mothers advanced in management as much as other women. The impact of family structures on male and female advancement was not affected by employment disruption but was moderated by employment sector. The advancement of mothers with not-employed spouses in the private sector suggests that spouse support is important when promotion practices are influenced by family variables.

WOMEN'S employment; CAREER development; FAMILY-work relationship; ORGANIZATIONAL research; WORKING mothers; SOCIOLOGY of work

Journal of Organizational Behavior, 1999, Vol 20, Issue 6, p837

0894-3796

Academic Journal