Determinants of the Movement of women up the Management Hierarchy: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Executive Summary Evidence indicates that women are under-represented in high-level management positions. This study sought to identify the determinants of the progression of women to top management positions. The research examined the influence of marital status, family-work balance, and social-cultural factors on the progression of career women to managerial positions using the data retrieved from the existing quantitative and qualitative studies. This study was carried out using a systematic literature review. High-quality peer-reviewed articles were obtained from University databases that included Emerald Journals, Science Direct, JSTOR, SAGE, CINAHL, Business Source Complete, EMBASE and Google Scholar. A total of 60 articles published after 2003 were selected. The findings of this review indicated that marital status could either hinder or facilitate the progression of women in top management positions. Being married could be an advantage in the progression of women in their management careers if the spouse is supportive. Being married can hinder the progression of women to managerial positions if women are burdened by family responsibilities hence shy away from managerial positions or are unable to perform well as managers. Maternal wall and work family devotion were also noted to impede the progress of women leaders. The review also indicated that work-life conflict associated with family responsibilities such as childbearing and upbringing negatively affects the women's progression in managerial positions and their performance as managers. Social-cultural factors such as cultural norms negatively influence the progression of women to managerial positions. The review highlighted the cultural aspects that act as barriers, such as the hierarchical and rigid cultural considerations where women are considered subordinates and required to play the assistant roles.