- Inside or Out? Insights on career advancement and gender equality in management -

Abstract

Despite the proliferation of research on the lack of women holding leadership positions in organisations, antidotes prescribed for improving gender parity have failed time and time again. We conduct a case study to observe and explore the participants evaluations from a specific intervention: The Leadership Development Program in an international energy company based in Norway. We seek insights from participants in into how such programs can be useful for career advancement, and to add understanding of what dynamics affect such career advancement for men and women. Our findings are grouped into two categories: dynamics inside the leadership development program and outside the program. Findings include insights on how the leadership development program develops confidence, confirmation and self-development beneficial for career advancement, with some gender differences. The findings on dynamics outside the program indicate the significant importance of organisational initiatives such as career opportunities, career rotation, follow up and managerial support, dynamics that are lacking at the case company. Recommendations for improvements to the case organisation’s program are given.