Administration and values: the career advancement of women managers in the British Columbia public service
Date
2018-06-29
Authors
Bullen, Christine
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Abstract
This study consists of an investigation of the relationship between the values of the organization, the work-related values of managers, and the career advancement of female managers within the British Columbia Public Service. Organizational value priorities were determined through the categorization by Deputy Ministers of fifteen organizational values. Through statistical analysis, the study established: the extent to which the values of public service managers are shared with those of their organization; the relationship between career advancement and value congruency; the change in managers' values over time; and managers' perceptions of the influence of other factors on career advancement. Anecdotal data were treated non-statistically.
The study concludes that there are few individual value differences between The British Columbia Public Service and its managers regardless of level or gender. Although no significant differences were observed between the composite values of the various management groups and the organization, correlations between the values of the two bodies diminish as one descends the organizational hierarchy. These findings suggest that values do have an influence on the achievement of senior administrative positions, and that women at all management levels have the value potential to reach these positions. However, since women's level of attainment of top positions is much lower than that of their male colleagues, it is suggested that other value-based factors, possibly including educational level, family responsibilities and organizational bias against women may be as influential on career advancement as the organizational and work-related values examined in the study.
On the whole, managers' values were not found to change significantly over their years of experience with the organization, therefore the study concludes that hiring practices within the British Columbia Public Service are effective in identifying managerial employees who share the organization's values, although this may be an unconscious process. It is also concluded that male junior managers may feel that their careers will be particularly vulnerable to the effects of the career advancement of female managers, and that managers of both genders feel undervalued as employees and are struggling to balance work and family responsibilities, although the latter problem appears to affect women more than it affects men.
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Keywords
Civil service, British Columbia, Promotions, Social conditions, Economic conditions, Women in the civil service, British Columbia, Career development