Choice or constraint? Tensions in female retail executives' career narratives

摘要

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the usefulness of Hakim's preference theory in thernunderstanding of the attitudes of women retail senior managers and directors towards their career andrnnon-work lives. It provides a critical analysis of the main tenets of preference theory and evaluates thernextent to which women have "free choice" in their careers.rnDesign/methodology/approach - A qualitative methodology consisting of 13 in-depth interviewsrnwith women at senior executive and director levels in retailing was adopted. The interviews examinedrnwomen's career paths and uncovered the choices and constraints impacting on their career progressrnand other aspects of their lives.rnFindings - The findings demonstrate the complexity of careers and choices. While several womenrntalk about the choices they have made, it is apparent that these choices have been constrained byrnextraneous variables, both at an individual and organisational level.rnPractical implications - The findings from the paper can enhance practitioners' understanding ofrnsome of the choices and constraints women make in their working lives, which in turn might lead tornimproved organisational policies for women to better accommodate work-life balance issues.rnOriginality/value - The paper questions whether choice equates to preference and assesses thernusefulness of Hakim's preference theory as a means of understanding the careers of women inrncontemporary organizations.