Women Managers Moving On: Exploring Careers and Life Choices

Recent research shows there is a surprisingly high exodus of successful female executives from the corporate sector. This takes place at a level well beyond the conventional family-raising stage and appears to be related to more fundamental issues of lifestyle choice and alienation from a male corporate culture. This book explores the phenomenon through a qualitative study of 16 women who have reached middle or senior management levels and paused to review their careers. Most have then left employment temporarily, some being forced to do so. By telling their stories in detail, Marshall explores their experiences of working in male-dominated cultures, being change agents, why they decided to leave and what their next steps are. The reader is invited to make sense of the material, and review their own career pattern. A true second-generation study, this challenging book raises real questions about the traditional corporate culture in business and industry.