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Career priority patterns among managerial and professional women in Turkey: Benefits of putting career first?

Ronald J. Burke (York University, Toronto, Canada)
Mustafa Koyuncu (Erciyes University, Nevsahar, Turkey)
Lisa Fiksenbaum (York University, Toronto, Canada)

Women in Management Review

ISSN: 0964-9425

Article publication date: 24 July 2007

854

Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to examine potential antecedents and consequences of different career priority patterns among managerial and professional women working in a large Turkish bank. Two career priority patterns advanced by Schwartz were considered: career‐primary and career‐family. Previous research conducted in other countries has compared these career priority patterns.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 286 managerial and professional women using anonymously completed questionnaires, a 72 percent response rate.

Findings

Career‐primary and career‐family women were similar on personal demographic and work situation characteristics. However, the two groups were significantly different on a variety of other measures. Career‐primary women were more satisfied with their jobs and careers, had more optimistic career prospects, were more work engaged, exhibited higher levels of workaholism and reported higher levels of psychological well‐being. These findings were somewhat different from those obtained in previous research suggesting possible country and culture differences.

Research limitations/implications

All data were collected using questionnaires at one point in time making it difficult to draw conclusions on causality. It is also not clear the extent to which these findings would generalize to women in other occupations.

Practical implications

The findings raise potential career development issues and their role in the satisfaction and well‐being of managerial women, these having possible career counseling implications.

Originality/value

This study replicates previous work and extends this to another county. Future research should be devoted to greater understanding of country and culture effects on the findings.

Keywords

Citation

Burke, R.J., Koyuncu, M. and Fiksenbaum, L. (2007), "Career priority patterns among managerial and professional women in Turkey: Benefits of putting career first?", Women in Management Review, Vol. 22 No. 5, pp. 405-417. https://doi.org/10.1108/09649420710761464

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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