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"We Don’t Have the Key to the Executive Washroom”: Women’s Perceptions and Experiences of Promotion in Academia
Guth, Jessica Wright, Fran
Guth, Jessica
Wright, Fran
Publication Date
2010-05
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© 2010 IGI Global. Reproduced with the written permission of IGI Global in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy.
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Abstract
This chapter reports on a pilot study looking at the progression of academic women at one UK University.
The chapter focuses on the promotions process and criteria as one important issue emerging from that
research. Earlier research has shown that women are less likely to break into institutional networks
which allow them to access information not only on formal and objective promotion criteria but also
on hidden criteria and the way the ‘academic game’ is played. One result of this is that some academic
women may have an inaccurate view of promotion criteria and processes. At the university studied by
the authors, the Human Resources department has sought to make the promotion process more transparent
and, officially at least, it no longer depends purely upon research achievements. However, these
changes will not necessarily result in easier progression for women academics. The authors’ study
confirms that there is still a mismatch between what women think the criteria for promotion are, what
the formal criteria are and how those criteria actually operate. Reliance on incomplete or inaccurate
information about promotion criteria, coupled other factors, such as women’s reluctance to promote
themselves actively and traditional barriers to promotion such as caring responsibilities, puts women
at a disadvantage when they attempt to progress into more senior positions within universities. Reform
of promotions procedures needs to look beyond re-writing the substantive criteria for promotion and
look to improving understanding of what is involved.
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Citation
Guth J and Wright F (2010) "We don't have the Key to the Executive Washroom": Women’s Perceptions and Experiences of Promotion in Academia. In: Cater-Steel A and Cater E (Eds) Women in Engineering, Science and Technology: Education and Career Challenges. Hershey, PA: IGI Global. ISBN 9781615206575. pp159-177.
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Book chapter