The progression of women to senior management positions at a South African University in the Western Cape

Abstract

In this research study, emphasis is placed on the progression of women to senior management positions in higher education. The main purpose was to determine whether there were any barriers that women experienced in progressing to senior management positions in higher education. This study specifically focused on a South African university in the Western Cape. Normative criteria, which were derived from the literature survey included relevant books, academic journal articles, legislation, policy directives, conference papers and the Internet in order to extract relevant standards against which current practices could be measured. The themes in the literature search for this study included organisational barriers that women might have experienced in their places of work, gender stereotypes, organisational or institutional cultures, and the importance of career planning. The South African labour legislation was explored in terms of providing a framework for the transformation of the workplace with regard to equity and skills development. The data was submitted for professional statistical analysis, which was predetermined in collaboration with a registered statistician. A questionnaire was designed by using the Likert Scale, and was submitted to the registered statistician for analysis. The results of this study showed that, firstly, in most instances, men and women had different views of the current situation; that the institution had made strides in terms of transformation, but that emphasis should still be placed on gender equity. The research study provides evidence that women might still be facing barriers, whether hidden or not, in order to progress to senior management positions in higher education. The researcher has provided recommendations that could assist the institution in this respect.