How do male managers narrate their female spouse ' s role in their career?

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study is to investigate how male managers make meaning the role of their female spouses along with their careers.

Design/methodology/approach

The topic was investigated within a Finnish context by analyzing the narratives of 29 male managers. Common to the men were their managerial position and extensive work experience. All the men had or had had one or more spouses during their careers, and all of them were fathers.

Findings

A typology distinguishing four types of female spouses was constructed: supporting, balance-seeking, care-providing, and success-expecting types. These types describe the various roles that are constructed in relation to the female partner during a male manager ' s career, pointing out the ambiguous nature of the phenomenon.

Originality/value

The study highlights that to understand more about male managers ' experience in their careers, the author needs to acknowledge how a male manager ' s career unfolds in tandem with their family life, as well as the norms and gender roles related to the family. Research approaches that enable examination from that perspective should be developed.

Citation

Heikkinen, S.S. (2014), "How do male managers narrate their female spouse ' s role in their career?", Gender in Management, Vol. 29 No. 1, pp. 25-43. https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-05-2012-0054