Abstracts
Summary
Subjective career success reflects an individual’s internal apprehension and evaluation of his or her career, across any dimensions that are perceived relevant by the individual. It has beneficial consequences on several individual and organizational outcomes, such as job performance, employee commitment, occupational retention as well as organizational retention. Given the pervasive result that women are subjected to gender discrimination in the workplace, we first wanted to check whether the level of perceived discrimination they report having faced is related to their subjective career success. We also wanted to check whether individual priorities, as evidenced in the concept of career anchor, have an influence on the relationship between perceived discrimination and career success.
Using a sample of 300 women employees working in a large French company, we therefore investigated the relationship between perceived gender discrimination, subjective career success and career anchors. We found that perceived gender discrimination was negatively related to subjective career success overall. However, the relationship between the two variables was moderated by career anchors. Some anchors (i.e. managerial, technical and lifestyle) enhanced the impact of perceived gender discrimination, while other anchors (i.e. security and autonomy) lessened it.
Our results show how individual expectations, reflected in the notion of career anchor, have an influence on how the work environment is interpreted. In addition, they provide a potential explanation for the apparently contradictory findings of the literature on gender and career success. Finally, our results suggest that organizations should pay special attention not only to the work experiences of women who aspire to move up the hierarchy, but also to the women who aspire to achieve a high level of competency at their job, or seek balance between their work life and their home life.
Keywords:
- equal treatment,
- perceptions,
- women,
- career expectations,
- professional achievement
Résumé
Le succès de carrière subjectif reflète l’évaluation globale par un individu de sa carrière en utilisant pour ce faire différents critères qu’il juge pertinents. Il a des conséquences bénéfiques sur plusieurs phénomènes individuels et organisationnels, tels que la performance, l’engagement au travail, le maintien dans la profession ou la fidélisation organisationnelle. Face au constat largement répandu que les femmes sont sujettes à de la discrimination au travail, la présente recherche a pour objectif d’étudier s’il existe une relation entre la discrimination sexuelle perçue et le succès de carrière subjectif. Elle s’attache également à vérifier si les priorités individuelles, telles qu’elles se manifestent dans la notion d’ancre de carrière, ont une influence sur la relation entre la discrimination et le succès de carrière perçus.
En nous appuyant sur un échantillon de 300 femmes employées dans une grande entreprise française, nous montrons ainsi qu’il existe un lien négatif entre la discrimination sexuelle perçue et le succès de carrière subjectif. Toutefois la relation qui existe entre ces deux variables est modérée par les ancres de carrière. Certaines ancres (à savoir, les ancres management, technique, et qualité de vie) renforcent l’effet de la discrimination perçue, alors que d’autres la réduisent (à savoir, les ancres sécurité et autonomie).
Ces résultats montrent comment les attentes individuelles, telles que reflétées dans les ancres de carrière, ont une influence sur la manière dont l’environnement de travail est interprété. D’autre part, ils fournissent une explication possible aux résultats apparemment contradictoires de la littérature sur le genre et le succès de carrière. Enfin, ils suggèrent que les entreprises devraient non seulement prêter attention au développement de carrière des femmes qui aspirent à progresser dans la hiérarchie managériale, mais également à celui de celles qui cherchent à atteindre un niveau d’expertise élevé dans leur travail ou à préserver un équilibre entre leur vie professionnelle et personnelle.
Mots-clés :
- égalité de traitement,
- perceptions,
- femmes,
- attentes de carrière,
- réussite professionnelle
Resumen
El éxito subjetivo de carrera refleja la evaluación global de un individuo sobre su carrera utilizando para ello diferentes criterios que el juzga pertinentes. Esto tiene consecuencias benéficas sobre varios fenómenos individuales y organizacionales tales como el rendimiento, la implicación en el trabajo, el mantenimiento en la profesión o la fidelidad organizacional. Dada la observación ampliamente difundida que las mujeres son sujetas a la discriminación laboral, la presente investigación tiene como objetivo de estudiar si existe una relación entre la discriminación sexual percibida y el éxito profesional percibido. Se propone de verificar igualmente si las prioridades individuales, tales como se manifiestan en la noción de anclaje de carrera, tienen una influencia en la relación entre la percepción de discriminación y el éxito percibido de carrera.
Con una muestra de 300 empleadas mujeres de una gran empresa francesa, se constata que existe un vínculo negativo entre la discriminación sexual percibida y el éxito percibido de carrera. Sin embargo, la relación que existe entre las dos variables es moderada por los anclajes de carrera. Ciertos anclajes (esto es, los anclajes de gestión, técnicos y de calidad de vida) refuerzan el efecto de la discriminación percibida mientras que otros la reducen (esto es, los anclajes de seguridad y de autonomía).
Estos resultados muestran cómo las expectativas individuales, tal que reflejadas en los anclajes de carrera, tienen una influencia sobre la manera de interpretar el ambiente de trabajo. De otro lado, se provee una explicación posible a los resultados aparentemente contradictorios de los escritos científicos sobre el género y el éxito de carrera. Para terminar, se sugiere que las empresas deberían poner atención al desarrollo de carrera de las mujeres que aspiran a progresas en la jerarquía de dirección pero también al de aquellas que quieren alcanzar un nivel de experiencia elevada en su trabajo o preservar un equilibrio entre vida profesional y personal.
Palabras clave:
- igualdad de trato,
- percepciones,
- mujeres,
- expectativas de carrera,
- éxito profesional
Appendices
References
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