Motherhood and its impact on career progression

Bibliographic Data

ID12920848
AuthorsBryan Mcintosh (0000-0002-4872-170X, corresponding author), Ronald W Mcquaid (0000-0002-5342-7097, Edinburgh Napier University), Anne Munro (Edinburgh Napier University), Parviz Dabir‐Alai
Year2012
Volume27
Issue5
Pages346-364
Publication date2012-07-13
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGender in Management An International Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1754-2413 • E-ISSN: 1754-2421
PublisherEmerald Publishing Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1108/17542411211252651
OpenAlexW2012228318
LanguageEN
Citations received23
References cited28

Purpose After many years of equal opportunities legislation, motherhood still limits womens' career progress even in a feminized occupation such as nursing. While the effect of motherhood, working hours, career breaks and school aged children upon career progression has been discussed widely, its actual scale and magnitude has received less research attention. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of these factors individually and cumulatively. Design/methodology/approach This paper considers the impact of the above through a longitudinal analysis of a demographically unique national database, comprising the 46,565 registered nursing workforces in NHS Scotland from 2000‐2008. The variables examined include gender, employment grades, number and length of career breaks, lengths of service, age, working patterns, the number and age of dependent children. Findings The results indicate: motherhood has a regressively detrimental effect on women's career progression. However, this is a simplistic term which covers a more complex process related to the age of dependent children, working hours and career breaks. The degree of women's restricted career progression is directly related to the school age of the dependent children: the younger the child the greater the detrimental impact. Women who take a career break of greater than two years see their careers depressed and restricted. The results confirm that whilst gender has a relatively positive effect on male career progression; a women's career progression is reduced incrementally as she has more children, and part‐time workers have reduced career progression regardless of maternal or paternal circumstances. Originality/value This paper is the only example internationally, of a national workforce being examined on this scale and therefore its findings are significant. For the first time the impact of motherhood upon a women's career progression and the related factors – dependent children, career breaks and part‐time working are quantified. These findings are relevant across many areas of employment and they are significant in relation to broadening the debate around equal opportunities for women

Career development · Developmental psychology · Legislation · Longitudinal study · Originality · Political science · Gender Diversity and Inequality · Medicine · Psychology · Retirement, Disability, and Employment · Social Psychology · Work-Family Balance Challenges

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