Women in senior management positions : an exploration of how they balance their roles.

Abstract

The research explored how women from the University of KwaZulu-Natal balanced both their personal and professional roles in order to advance into senior management positions. The study used a qualitative research methodology in which semistructured interviews were conducted on nine participants. The data were then analysed using Qualitative Thematic Analysis. The findings of this study revealed that although the participants faced various challenges, which were related to their gender they did manage to advance into senior management positions. What facilitated their advancement was that these women learned how to balance their dual roles through observing and imitating positive role models, which is supported by Bandura’s Social Learning Theory. The findings of the study were both confirmed and disconfirmed by the literature. However what this study does show is that women are managing to advance into positions of senior management despite challenges that they may face and thus indicting that the glass ceiling is cracking. Management should therefore be prepared to manage this new breed of managers in their echelons.