Navigating the leadership ladder: Exploring the career progression of women engineers into leadership positions

Abstract

The United Nations (2024) Sustainable Development Goal report regarding progress towards SDG 5, focusing on gender equality, indicated that the underrepresentation of women in leadership and the public sector suggests that realising gender parity for women may require an additional 176 years, signalling a dire call to action. Despite South Africa’s progressive gender parity legislation, significant gender disparity in STEM fields persists, driven by the limited participation of women in higher education programmes and is exacerbated by barriers to entry into the workforce (Fouad et al., 2020). The underrepresentation of women engineers in leadership roles further complicates this landscape, as this profession is vital for industrial innovation and economic sustainability (Makarem & Wang, 2020). Consequently, this study sought to contribute to addressing this research gap by identifying and conceptualising the agentic and contextual factors, as well as the coping strategies influencing the career progression of women engineers into leadership positions within the manufacturing sector. This qualitative inquiry was grounded in the integrated theoretical orientation of the Social Cognitive Career Theory and the Intelligent Career Framework. Twenty in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with women engineers in leadership across the manufacturing sector. The findings indicated that personal characteristics conducive to leadership were cultivated both during the completion of engineering qualifications and in tenure in the manufacturing sector, influencing their choice to pursue a leadership career path. Personal factors for career progression included developing an authentic leadership style that embraced their femininity, moral integrity, their ability to advocate and empower others, as well as their ability to communicate effectively and leverage self-directed development. While external factors emphasised the significant impact of social support from both professional and family, which allowed them to navigate the responsibilities of their evolving identities as women, mothers, and leaders. These internal and external characteristics were leveraged to develop coping strategies to overcome career and organisational challenges, characterised by marginalisation.