Use Of Career Strategies, Satisfactions And Psychological Well-Being Among Women Managers And Professionals In Turkey

Abstract

The concept of career self-management gained currency in the early 1980s. It proposed that individuals could use career strategies to influence their career progress. Empirical support for this proposition has been low or mixed. The present study examines the relationship of use of career strategies and work and well-being outcomes in a sample of 143 women managers and professionals working in Istanbul Turkey. The vast majority worked in the public sector. Respondents indicated only limited use of these career strategies. Hierarchical regression analyses, controlling for both personal demographics and work situation characteristics were undertaken to determine the relationship of use of various career strategies and these outcomes. Use of career strategies had no relationship with any of our outcome measures. It may be that use of career strategies is more likely to be associated with work and well-being outcomes among women who are career oriented and work in organizational cultures more supportive of women and their career prospects.

Keywords

• Career, Career Strategies, Well-being, Satisfaction

References

1. Abraham,S. (2011) Individual career mana- gement and career satisfaction among employees in Indian banks. Internatio- nal Conference on Technology and Bu- siness Management, March.
2. Aycan, Z. (2004) Key success factors for women in management in Turkey. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 53, 453-477.
3. Aycan, Z., & Eskin, M. (2005) Childcare, spousal and organizational support in predicting work-family conflict for fe- males and males in dual-earner families with pre-schcool children. Sex roles, 53, 453-471.
4. Burke, R. J. (1991) Early work and career ex- periences of female and male mangers and professionals: Reasons for opti- mism? Canadian Journal of Adminis- trative Sciences, 8, 224-230.
5. Burke, R. J & Koyuncu, M. (2012) Women in management in Turkey. In M. Paludi (ed.) Women and management. Global issues and promising solutions. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO Inc.in press.
6. Burke, R. J., Koyuncu. M., & Fiksenbaum,. L: (2008) Still a man’s world: Implications for managerial and professional women in a Turkish bank. Gender in Manage- ment: An International Journal. 23, 278- 290.
7. Burke, R. J,., Divinagracia, L., & Mamo, E. (1998) Use of career strategies by Fili- pino managerial women. Women in Management Review, 13, 217-220.
8. Gould, S. & Penley, L. F. (1984) Career stra- tegies and salary progression: a study of their relationships in a municipal bu- reaucracy. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 34, 244-265.

9. Greenhaus, J. H.,, Parasuraman, S., & Worm- ley, W. (1999) Organizational experien- ces and career success of black and while managers. Academy of Manage- ment Journal, 33, 64-86.
10. Hall, D. T. (1996) The career is dead. Long live the career,. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass
11. Hall, D. T. (1976) Careers in organizations. Pacific Pallisades, CA: Goodyear Pub- lishing Company
12. Kabasakal, H., Aycan, Z., Karakas,F., & Maden, C. (2011) Women in manage- ment in Turkey. In M. J. Davidson & R. J. Burke (eds.) Women in management worldwide: Progress and prospects. Surrey: Gower Publishing. pp 317-339.
13. Kabasakal, H., Aycan, Z., & Karakas, F. (2004) Women in management in Tur- key. In M. J. Davidson & R. J. Burke (eds.) Women in management world- wide: Facts, figures and analysis. Al- dershot: Ashgate Publishing. pp 273-293.
14. Kofodimos, J. (1993) Balancing act. San Fran- cisco: Jossey-Bass
15. Lau, A. & Pang,M. (2000) Career strategies to strengthen graduate employees’ em- ployment position in Hong Kong. MCB University Press, 42, 135-145.
16. Koyuncu, M., Burke, R. J., & Fiksenbaum, L. (2006) Work experience and satisfaction of male and female professors in Tur- key: Signs of progress? Equal Opportu- nities International, 25, 38-47.
17. Maslach, C. Jackson, S. E., & Leiter,M. P. (1996) Maslach Burnout Inventory, 3rd ed. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psycho- logists Press.
18. McKeen, C. A,. & Burke, R. J., (1993) Use of career strategies by managerial and professional women. International Jo- urnal of Career Management, 5, 19-24.
19. Morrison, A. M., White, R. P., & Van Velsor, E. (1987) Breaking the glass ceiling. Rea- ding, MA: Addison-Wesley.
20. Morrison, A. M., White, R. P., & van Velsor, E. (1992)Breaking the glass ceiling. Up- dated edition. Readidng, MA: Addison- Wesley.
21. Noe, R. A. (1996) Is career management re- lated to employee development and performance? Journal of Organizational behaviour, 17, 119-133.
22. Ozbilign, M. & Woodward, D.(2004) “:Be- longing” and “otherness”: sex equality in banking in Turkey and Britain. Gen- der, Work and Organizations, 11, 668- 688.
23. Spence, J. T., & Robbins, A. S. (1992) Worka- holism: Definition, measurement and preliminary results. Journal of Persona- lity Assessment, 58, 160-178.
24. Ufuk, H. & Ozgen, O. (2001) The profile of women entrepreneurs: A sample from Turkey. International Journal of consu- mer Studies, 25, 299-308.
25. United Nations Development Programme (2008 ) Human development report 2007-2008. New York: Oxford Univer- sity Press.
26. Woodward, D. & Ozbilgin, M (1999) Sex equality in the financial services sector in Turkey and the UK. Women in Ma- nagement Review, 14, 325-332.
27. Yean, T. F., & Yahya, K. K.(2008) The rela- tionship between career strategies and career success. International Journal of Management Studies, 15, 85-101.