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Examines the hypotheses that high instrumentality, adaptive coping, and low work/family pressure are predictive components of women’s managerial advancement. A profile analysis demonstrated that the managerial profile was characterized by high instrumentality and low relationality accompanied by high adaptive work coping. On the other hand, the non‐managerial profile was characterized by low instrumentality and high relationality accompanied by low adaptive work coping and high maladaptive work coping. A LISREL path analysis was tentatively used to test the causal influence of internal (instrumental and relational) traits, work/family pressure, and coping on women’s managerial advancement. The results showed that the strongest predictor of managerial emergence was the instrumental factor, while work/family pressure and coping style had no impact.

The study examined the influence of individual (internal) and situational (external) factors on the career advancement of women and men (N = 88) in a Swedish nation‐wide organization. Using, among other methods, LISREL path analyses, the results revealed that the internal factor of instrumental qualities was the major predictor of managerial advancement regardless of gender. Thus, the findings imply that the norms for managers are still quite traditional, leading both women and men to adopt an instrumental managerial style. Contrary to expectations, the impact of the external factor was not indicative of managerial aspirations or managerial group membership (attending a managerial program provided by the organization). However, women in both groups suffered more from work/family pressure than men in both groups. The results are discussed in terms of the contemporary view that there might be a shift in the definition of the managerial role in favor of women.