This thesis explores the relationship between sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) and career progression (CP) by applying a performative, post-structuralist, and queer theory influenced approach to career theory. It analyses how, that is to say in what ways and by what means, homosexual and transgender difference is produced through the processes associated with CP. It is based on 36 interviews with individuals of diverse ages and occupations who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender (LGBT) and are based in the south-west of England. Hitherto career theory has based its understanding of CP on individual differences and/or category based explanations. The contribution of this thesis comes from using an anti-categorical understanding of difference to show how SOGI and CP are interacting disciplinary regimes. SOGI not only affects CP through assumptions about capability and suitability, but difference is constituted through CP – as the associated acts and interactions shape the way we think of ourselves, our possibilities, our becoming. Responsibility for achieving SOGI and CP is devolved to the individual, who is then often forced to prioritise one or the other. The findings show some shared patterns (which are argued to be based on situational, performative, embodied experiences not identity categories), such as minimising or compensating for difference, femininity as a locus for limiting discourse and self-employment as a mode of exclusion. Trajectories, choices and aspirations are affected, though not necessarily disadvantageously, leading to the conceptualisation of careers as queered by homosexual and transgender difference. This research contributes by arguing that rather than consider CP in terms of category based ceilings, CP and the production of difference can be understood as multiplicitous, emergent, and co-productive processes. This thesis forms a timely contribution to understanding LGBT experience during a period of intense change in social recognition, which includes discourses of normalisation, by suggesting that we still need to recognise the often subtle internal and external reiterations of heteronormative discourse that produce difference.

This study seeks to answer the question of what significant barriers are present for women managers in the organisational structure of hotels in Australia and New Zealand that impedes their progress to top management positions. Women seem to be under-represented at senior management levels in hotel companies and this exploratory research endeavoured to find out why this is the case.The research was carried out in conjunction with a major international group represented by more than 30 hotels in both countries. It consisted of an online survey sent to the hotel group's female supervisors and managers and a series of 18 follow up interviews. There was a high response rate to the survey and from respondents wishing to be interviewed. Issues arising from the research included organisational culture, the Old Boy Network, geographical mobility, role models, and the pathway to General Manager.The research concluded that for female managers aspiring to proceed up the career ladder in Australian or New Zealand hotels, it would be difficult for them to combine family life and career in the same manner as their male colleagues. There were also negative aspects of hotel culture and organisational practices that disadvantaged women at various stages of their career life cycle. If hotels companies wish to retain more women, they need to review whether their organisations consist of 'opportunity 'structures' (Scully 2003) or 'inequality regimes' (Acker 2006) for women.

This thesis analyses individual experiences of the promotion process to Managing Director within a global bank to identify the contribution made by social capital. Using Nahapiet and Ghoshal’s (1998) three-dimension framework as the theoretical lens, the thesis extends social capital research beyond its largely quantitative focus on network analysis (structural dimension) to understand more clearly the relative importance and impact of the relational and cognitive dimensions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34 men and women in an investment bank and a template-based analysis of their accounts was made. The findings make visible, the invisible mechanisms which enable or constrain the creation, development and use of social capital and, therefore, its contribution to securing the position of Managing Director. The findings highlight the need to consider the importance of agency, relationship level and gender in this context. The study makes three key contributions. First, it extends Nahapiet and Ghoshal’s (1998) theory of social capital, in the context of career progression, by demonstrating how each social capital dimension is operationalized and interdependent. Second, the research explicitly demonstrates the crucial role social capital plays in an executive-level promotion process, thereby revealing a complex and multi-layered system. Third, the study extends our knowledge of the gendered nature of senior-level career progression by identifying the particular barriers women face, compared to men, in their efficacious use of social capital for promotion in a global bank.

This thesis analyses individual experiences of the promotion process to Managing Director within a global bank to identify the contribution made by social capital. Using Nahapiet and Ghoshal’s (1998) three-dimension framework as the theoretical lens, the thesis extends social capital research beyond its largely quantitative focus on network analysis (structural dimension) to understand more clearly the relative importance and impact of the relational and cognitive dimensions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34 men and women in an investment bank and a template-based analysis of their accounts was made. The findings make visible, the invisible mechanisms which enable or constrain the creation, development and use of social capital and, therefore, its contribution to securing the position of Managing Director. The findings highlight the need to consider the importance of agency, relationship level and gender in this context. The study makes three key contributions. First, it extends Nahapiet and Ghoshal’s (1998) theory of social capital, in the context of career progression, by demonstrating how each social capital dimension is operationalized and interdependent. Second, the research explicitly demonstrates the crucial role social capital plays in an executive-level promotion process, thereby revealing a complex and multi-layered system. Third, the study extends our knowledge of the gendered nature of senior-level career progression by identifying the particular barriers women face, compared to men, in their efficacious use of social capital for promotion in a global bank.

This study seeks to answer the question of what significant barriers are present for women managers in the organisational structure of hotels in Australia and New Zealand that impedes their progress to top management positions. Women seem to be under-represented at senior management levels in hotel companies and this exploratory research endeavoured to find out why this is the case.The research was carried out in conjunction with a major international group represented by more than 30 hotels in both countries. It consisted of an online survey sent to the hotel group's female supervisors and managers and a series of 18 follow up interviews. There was a high response rate to the survey and from respondents wishing to be interviewed. Issues arising from the research included organisational culture, the Old Boy Network, geographical mobility, role models, and the pathway to General Manager.The research concluded that for female managers aspiring to proceed up the career ladder in Australian or New Zealand hotels, it would be difficult for them to combine family life and career in the same manner as their male colleagues. There were also negative aspects of hotel culture and organisational practices that disadvantaged women at various stages of their career life cycle. If hotels companies wish to retain more women, they need to review whether their organisations consist of 'opportunity 'structures' (Scully 2003) or 'inequality regimes' (Acker 2006) for women.

The purpose of this qualitative research was to acknowledge the gap in literature concerning the relationship between female leadership in a Swedish context with impostor syndrome. The focus was on analyzing whether impostor syndrome has an impact on the career progression of female leaders and how organizations can either exacerbate or mitigate the effects of suffering from impostor syndrome in the workplace.  In order to reach a conclusion aligned with the purpose and to respond to the conducted research questions, six semi-structured interviews were conducted with women in different leadership positions, operating within different companies and industries in Sweden. The interviews along with the theoretical framework allowed the authors to perform a thematic analysis in order to structure and analyze the gathered information.  The empirical data that was collected provided sufficient evidence for the authors to draw conclusions with regards to the posed research questions. It was concluded that impostor syndrome is a phenomenon that was frequently experienced among the female leaders, which could be confirmed in the literature. It could also be concluded that this was not a factor that had hindered them in their career progression. Moreover, the organizational support systems could be concluded to have a great impact in how the effects of impostor syndrome could be mitigated or further exacerbated.

Background: This narrative study explores the experiences of social scientists in medical education research (MER) units housed in Canadian medical schools. Although MER has been gaining recognition as an important area of research to facilitate the translation of medical education into medical practice, the need for social science research in MER remains poorly understood. Moreover, available literature on the career progression of researchers in MER – with regards to factors like academic promotion, funding opportunities, and job satisfaction – have been largely limited to clinician or biomedical researchers. Purpose: To explore the experiences of social scientists in medical education research (MER) units housed in Canadian medical schools through the research question: How do social scientists experience the evolution of their careers into MER? Research Design: Narrative study. Data Collection and Analysis: This study involved semi-structured interviews with six faculty members of MER units in three medical departments in Canada. Findings: My analysis revealed the following themes: 1) challenges are systematic in nature but rewards tend to be interpersonal; 2) the development of MER units have helped improve social scientists’ experiences in MER; 3) interdisciplinary and interprofessional interactions act as both the greatest challenge and reward of a social scientist’s career in MER; 4) social scientists’ perceived experiences in MER are influenced by their perceived impact on institutional change; and 5) social scientists in MER retain and advocate for their identity as social scientists, but individual differences exist in the perceived gratification of advocacy work.

The dissertation investigates gender inequalities in Italian academia concerning career progression and tenure, and how these inequalities intersect with parenthood and fertility. Structured around three empirical chapters, it examines the impact of parenthood on men's and women's academic careers and how academic progression influences men's and women's fertility behaviour. The research uses an extensive empirical dataset, including administrative records of PhD holders and unique primary data collected from Italian academics. Advanced regression-based techniques and event history analysis are applied to analyse the data. The first chapter focuses on the academic journey from PhD to employment, assessing potential gender differences in career choices. The second chapter examines gender differences in academic progression in terms of the time elapsed between obtaining a PhD and being appointed to different academic positions, assessing the role of fertility in contributing to gender disparities. The third chapter aims to understand how academic careers shape the fertility behaviour of academic women and men. The findings shed light on the complex interplay between gender, parenthood and academic careers, revealing significant challenges faced by women in academia, particularly in terms of career progression and balancing fertility decisions.

No / Men constitute 11 per cent of Scotland’s nursing workforce, yet they make up 27.6 per cent of senior management. Major research into gender and nursing career progression completed at Edinburgh Napier University last year explored the hypothesis that women’s career trajectories put them at a disadvantage. The research was conducted in two phases. The first involved a quantitative analysis of the work patterns of 65,781 nurses in Scotland between 2000 and 2008. Gender, employment grades, number and length of career breaks, length of service, age, working patterns, and number and age of dependent children were examined to identify the factors that influence women’s career outcomes.

No / This paper presents a knowledge review on the career progression of Equality and Diversity professionals within the British National Health Service. Adopting a multidimensional methodological approach, the review involved examining literature of published and unpublished literature including scientific journals, statistics, and national and international reports to highlight research gaps, consultation with experts, and documentary analysis of job advertisements. Thematic analysis was utilized to examine and report patterns within data generated from the multiple data collection methods. The review identified the concept of career undergoing a fundamental shift in strategy and consequent overhaul of traditional organizational structures in all sectors. New boundaryless organizations have presented the possibility of boundaryless careers, resulting in the renegotiation of the psychological contract between employee and employer. The knowledge review has identified that more needs to be addressed, from both employee and employer perspectives, to ensure that conditions are in place for such competences to flourish.