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This study elaborates on the process through which gender-diverse boards of directors increase representation of females in management positions. This study draws on the gender spillover effect to examine whether gender diversity on boards of directors significantly influences the number of women promoted to managerial positions. The authors also employ implicit quota theory to examine the interaction effects of female board directors and their related strategies to target female customers as a source of female talent on the promotion numbers of female managers.

The authors draw from female manager panel data surveyed and gathered by the Korean Women Development Institute (KWDI), a Korean government-sponsored research institution, for the period 2008–2014. The total sample, comprising 5 biannual waves, includes 906 Korean companies across four wage rates. The authors apply zero-inflated negative binomial regression analyses to examine the effects of gender diversity on board director positions and its interactions with strategies targeting female markets on the number of female managerial promotions.

The authors find that gender diversity on boards of directors is positively related to the number of female managers promoted. Furthermore, in corporations where gender is not relevant to firms' strategy and decision-making, broader gender diversity increases the number of female managers promoted at lower- but not higher-level positions.

The current study demonstrates the complex role of gender diversity in board director positions in initiating and promoting the career development of female managers. On the one hand, gender diversity in board director positions has spillover effects on women's representation in management positions. On the other hand, female board directors impede the career progress of senior female managers to maintain their status in quotas when the female market is not critical to firms' competitiveness. Therefore, it is crucial to integrate two different concepts about gender diversity—the gender spillover effect and implicit quota theory—that elaborate on the effects of gender diversity in board director positions on female manager promotion numbers.

The current study followed up middle managers who had participated in a survey on attitudes to promotion in 1996. The vast majority of the original sample had responded favourably to the question: “Do you want to obtain a senior management position during your managerial career?” In addition, respondents were asked “How confident are you that this will happen?” and “How soon do you feel this will happen?” The aim of this follow up qualitative study is to contact as many of these individuals as possible, to explore the outcome to these questions, and to track what has happened to them in their management careers over the past eight years.

Interviews were conducted with 19 male and 11 female managers. Outcomes of promotion aspirations were sought, and factors that contributed to success and personal strategies that may have been set in place were explored, as were factors that had hindered their progress. In addition, views were sought on future aspirations for promotion.

Results indicated gender differences in outcome of promotion, in both proportions of women achieving senior roles, and the time it took for males and females to obtain these promotions with more male middle managers achieving their promotion to senior roles, in less time, than their female colleagues.

The findings were considered in relation to the ongoing career advancement of men and women in management, and in particular, the continuing disproportionate numbers of men and women in senior management roles.

As a follow‐up study, confirms that fewer female managers are being promoted to senior roles despite an obvious desire on their part such promotion and their confidence in obtaining it fairly quickly.

Women constitute only approximately 3‐5 per cent of Australian senior managers. One possible explanation of their failure to enter senior management in greater numbers is that women in management may have differing perceptions of the necessary prerequisites for promotion to senior roles. This study explored this possibility with 351 male and 156 female Australian middle managers, whose views were contrasted with senior managers’ perceptions. Gender differences in perception were found between middle managers and middle and senior managers in terms of the importance placed on personal qualities such as attractiveness, deference to superiors, likeability, personality, popularity and powerful allies (perceived charisma) as attributes considered necessary for achieving senior management promotion. In particular, female middle managers believed more strongly than their male counterparts, that senior managers would value the personal qualities encompassed in perceived charisma when considering middle managers for further promotion. However, senior managers did not consider this group of attributes to be important in promotion‐seeking behaviour.

An Australian study interviewed 50 women and men middle and senior managers about the factors they perceived as important in their promotion in management. A major finding was the similarity between the profiles of female and male managers although female managers averaged fewer promotions. Helping factors, perceived similarly by both female and male managers were: coaching by others, past training and experience, personal skill and positive work attitudes. Male managers mentioned luck as a factor in promotion more than the female managers. “Having a career plan” was not an important factor and few of the managers had firm plans for the next five years. Greater variability was found in the factors perceived to hinder promotional progress. The findings are discussed considering the popular advice offered to emergent managers by self‐help books, researchers and consultants.

This article looks at research into comparative patterns of promotion of men and women in Australia. The study was by interview and looked at equal numbers of men and women in medium to large organisations. A number of the findings were contrary to prevalent myths, e.g. both men and women were prepared to play games of corporate politics. Some women saw being too outspoken as a hindrance to promotion but more women saw their success as due to their own performance, while men were more likely to put it down to luck. In general there were more similarities than differences in patterns of promotion and perceived factors that help or hinder.

This paper sets out to examine the experiences of female managers in order to enhance our understanding of why there is a relative scarcity of senior female managers in one of the newest sectors of the Irish economy, the high‐tech sector. Because this sector has effectively only emerged in Ireland in the last 15 years, it had been expected to provide a unique genderless environment in which female managers would emerge in equal numbers to their male counterparts.

This paper takes a qualitative approach. A series of interviews were carried out with 20 female junior and middle managers in this industry segment.

The results of the interviews illustrate that a combination of formal and informal organizational policies and procedures, together with a “self‐imposed” glass ceiling hamper women in junior and middle management positions from advancing to senior managerial roles in this important segment of the Irish economy.

One of the limitations of this study relates to the sample. Further research expanding on this initial sample into other industry sectors is required.

One issue that emerged from the interviews is the concept of a “self‐imposed glass ceiling”, where individual female managers are actively weighing up the costs and the benefits of moving to the next level of management. Based on their analysis of this information they are individually deciding whether or not to engage in the activities, which will assist their carrier progression. The role of individual choice may assist us in explaining the low numbers of women at senior management level.

While the question regarding the low numbers of senior female managers has been posed for decades, it is of particular significance in the Irish context, as a result of the emergence of the Celtic Tiger and the associated rise in female labour force participation. This paper aims to investigate the impact of both individual and organisational barriers on female managerial career progression in Ireland, in an effort to increase understanding of why there are still so few senior female managers. The focus in this study is women in middle level management positions, as it is individuals at this organisational rank who are the natural successors to the executive suite.

In‐depth interviews were conducted with 30 female managers, from across a wide range of industry sectors in Ireland.

The results highlight that the collision of managerial career stage with family life demands is resulting in many female managers feeling pressurized into remaining at middle management level, rather than seeking promotion. One of the most interesting issues to emerge is the importance afforded by the respondents to “visibility” as a career strategy.

The research findings contribute to both the limited research on the Irish context, and to the wider extant literature on the glass ceiling, particularly on the experiences and perceptions of those at middle management level.

The purpose of this paper is to describe a longitudinal study which followed up middle managers who had participated in a survey on attitudes to promotion eight years earlier. The aim was to contact a sample of these individuals to ascertain their current views on women's career advancement in management.

In‐depth interviews were conducted with 30 interviewees (19 male and 11 female managers). Respondents were reminded of their initial response to the question “How long do you think it will take before women in this organisation fill 50 per cent of senior management positions?” Current views were recorded to ascertain if any attitudinal changes had occurred over the previous eight years.

The responses from this sample reflected a pessimistic change in views and were consistent with the view that gender stereotyping of the management role continues, influencing attitudes toward the appropriateness of women in senior management positions. The majority of these male and female managers now feel that it will take “more than ten years” before female managers fill 50 per cent of senior management positions, suggesting that some respondents do not believe they will see this outcome during their working life‐time.

Limitations of the follow‐up study were the small sample that was available, highlighting some of the methodological difficulties involved in carrying out research of a longitudinal nature. The responses obtained suggested that gender stereotyping of the management role continues, exerting a negative influence on the career advancement of women. It was concluded that female talent is still not being utilised sufficiently in the ranks of senior management. Practical implications of such practices are noted.

This paper allows an examination of any attitude change that may have occurred in a small sample of managers who participated in an initial study in relation to predictions about the length of time it will now take for women to fill 50 per cent of senior management roles. Obviously, because of the small sample, it will not be possible to draw any generalizations from the results obtained, however it will be possible to observe the indicative trends, and these may suggest fruitful paths of exploration for future research.

Tests the prediction that there will be sex differences in how middle managers perceive promotion requirements, and that such differences will be influenced by societal expectations of gender appropriateness, in which women are expected to display communal (nurturing, interpersonally sensitive) and men agentic (independent, assertive and ambitious) qualities and behaviour. Results from 351 male and 156 female managers indicated that sex does not strongly influence the belief that every manager receives the same opportunities for advancement. However, there were sex differences in the reasons given for unequal career advancement, personal career progress, achievement of the last promotion received, and why a future promotion may not occur. Additionally, although male and female managers have similar aspirations to obtain a senior management position, women are less likely to expect a promotion. The results partially support the predictions of social‐role theory.