What helps and hinder women doing well in historically male-dominated careers : a critical incident study

• Main Author: Moran, Ciara
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2015
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/51882

Women working in historically male-dominated careers experience a unique work environment. To date, some research has been conducted on this population, however most studies focus on challenges and barriers to success. Few studies have examined the women who have found success in their work in male-dominated environments. This study explored the experiences of women working in fields dominated by men and aimed to elucidate how these women understand success in their work. The enhanced critical incident technique was used to explore what factors help and hinder the success of 9 women participants working in historically male-dominated careers. Results highlight three main areas: a) the importance of supports outside of work, b) the role that attitude and self-concept has in feeling successful, and c) the relevance of a relational theory of career when working with this population. These results will serve to inform counsellors working in career, policy developers and future research. === Education, Faculty of === Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of === Graduate