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Women Networking to Achieve Tenure in Higher Education
Abstract
The purpose of this research was to identify the social requirements necessary for success and the approaches used to balance work expectations for career advancement by women in the professoriate. The present study investigated social requirements necessary for success, as well as, work expectations for career advancement by women in the professoriate. The central research question of the study was: “How do women acquire and use their professional networks to support acquisition of tenure in the professoriate?” A narrative methodology was used. Seven participants agreed to be interviewed. They represented three states and four high research higher education institutions. Each career path was different. Emergent themes and key features to career success were revealed. Four themes were identified: networking, institutional supports, work roles and career behaviors. The findings suggest that women in higher education develop their networks through self-agency by building relationships and self-promoting. When seeking answers about higher education, women rely on informal networks and doctoral program advisors. Professional organizations, conferences, and social media platforms are essential tools in establishing academic space for both untenured and tenured professors. Furthermore, professional organizations and conferences were a tool for networking. The women in second career transitions and pre-tenure status viewed conferences as a tool to assist in developing their curriculum vitae by building collaborative relationships through networking. Women viewed their networks as resources for service, teaching, and scholarship. An implication of the study was that higher education institutions should employ formalized mentoring or induction systems within similar colleges of study. Self- agency was essential in the achievement of tenure based on the women’s experiences.
Subject Area
Educational leadership|Womens studies
Recommended Citation
Guerrero, Andrea, "Women Networking to Achieve Tenure in Higher Education" (2017). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI10271109.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI10271109