Abstract
Existing literature suggests that progress has been made concerning women’s access to managerial opportunities. However, few women are in top management positions. Moreover, scholars state that responsibilities from domestic obligations, primarily children and children caring duties, have a major influence on the positions women can accept. This study aims to investigate further how career progression is impacting women who choose to have children, by exploring society’s perceptions of mothers, employers’ perceptions of mothers, and a women’s own perception of their role as a mother using a thematic approach, investigating both a western and non-western view.
A review of the current literature is followed by analysis of semi-structured interview questions. Five women with leadership positions in either entrepreneurial or managerial roles and three students from non-western countries were interviewed to explore the perceptions, barriers, and facilitators to merge motherhood and career progression successfully.
Results underline the strong impact of gender on the workplace or industry, with some sectors being more family-friendly than those massively populated by male workers. The general society and culture contributes with some contrasting views, seeing non-working mothers as lazy and working mothers as failing in looking after their children in a proper way as the female role would recall. All in all, the barriers that western and non-western working mothers face are similar, with a perceived positive trend in the perception of working mothers and mothers in leadership positions.
The article contributes to the literature on gender equality in the workplace, addressing the needs and concerns of mothers with entrepreneurial or managerial roles and aspirations.
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Rowe, C.N., Dal Mas, F., Biancuzzi, H., Rugara, D. (2023). Challenges Working Mothers Face. A Discussion Exploring the Obstacles of Balancing Motherhood and Career Progression. In: Paoloni, P., Lombardi, R. (eds) When the Crisis Becomes an Opportunity. SIDREA Series in Accounting and Business Administration. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21932-0_25
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