Handbook of Research on Promoting Women's Careers

Why is it that relatively few women achieve senior management positions despite their increasing levels of education and years of work experience? How can we change this? In a changing world where women have dominated as graduates from universities in the West, recent research has shown that the same trend is also strikingly evident in the newly emerging markets. Tapping into this female talent pool is extremely important and advancing women's careers has become a key business issue. This Handbook lays out a number of promising approaches. First the business case for doing so is presented. The challenges facing women are reviewed, followed by various programs that address particular needs such as mentoring, leadership development programs for women, work and family initiatives, and succession planning. Finally, case studies of award-winning organizational initiatives are described. The book identifies obstacles women face in career advancement and possible initiatives to address them. The work will be highly sought by scholars and doctoral students interested in women in organizations. Human resource managers and consultants will also find plenty of invaluable information in this resource.