Career management strategies and perceived career success and satisfaction: Are women disadvantaged

Decades of research indicate that women in organizational contexts face obstacles to success. Catalyst (2010) reported that women comprise only 7.6% of the highest earning officers and 14.4% of CEOs in Fortune 500 companies. This disparity is evident in Europe as well. The current global study explored how gendered career management strategies affect both career success and satisfaction for men and women. Four masculine career management strategies (extended career involvement, creating opportunities, mobility and self-presentation) and two feminine career management strategies (quality career guidance and networking) were examined. Three research questions were explored to test whether career management strategies (a) predict both perceived career success and satisfaction, (b) predict both perceived career success and satisfaction differently for men and women and (c) predict both perceived career success and satisfaction differently across organizational level for women.;Data were obtained from a Light Speed Research (http://www.lightspeedresearch.com) database with information collected from late November to early December 2008 from working men (n = 3,633) and women (n = 1,810) in 18 countries across a range of organizational levels, which were controlled for in the analyses.;Results indicated that all six career management strategies were positively and significantly correlated to both career success and satisfaction. Only two strategies, creating opportunities and networking, predicted more career satisfaction for women compared to men. Most agentic career management strategies benefitted women more in higher organizational levels compared to lower levels, whereas communal strategies added little predictive value for women in higher organizational levels.;Findings from this research have several implications. First, this study contributes to understanding the affect of career management behaviors on success and satisfaction. Second, practical implications for career management programs suggest that all six career management strategies should be recommended for both men and women. Thirdly, findings suggest that leaders should engage in masculine strategies, particularly women leaders. Finally, results may inform organizational policy to better support women who want to work longer hours or become more mobile.