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Frank and Fearless: Supporting Academic Career Progression for Women in an Australian Program

Author

Listed:
  • Polly Parker

    (Business School, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia)

  • Belinda Hewitt

    (School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia)

  • Jennifer Witheriff

    (Business School, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia)

  • Amy Cooper

    (Business School, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia)

Abstract

The underrepresentation of women in senior positions continues to be a major challenge in higher education and most other industries. In Australia, the career trajectory for academic women stalls at a lower level than that of their male counterparts. Concern about this situation in one Australian university led to the design and delivery of a career progression program to support women’s advancement from senior lecturer to associate professor. This study details the main features of the program, designed to facilitate women’s transition from being leading academics to academic leaders through a focus on leadership and career progression. We report the participants’ perceptions of its value based on survey data. We conclude that leadership development is difficult work and requires a supportive environment where risk-taking is encouraged, where frank and fearless feedback is provided, and where the individual is required to examine assumptions and biases and to assume a leadership identity.

Suggested Citation

  • Polly Parker & Belinda Hewitt & Jennifer Witheriff & Amy Cooper, 2018. "Frank and Fearless: Supporting Academic Career Progression for Women in an Australian Program," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-18, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:8:y:2018:i:1:p:5-:d:133743
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Deborah O’Neil & Margaret Hopkins & Diana Bilimoria, 2008. "Women’s Careers at the Start of the 21st Century: Patterns and Paradoxes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 80(4), pages 727-743, July.
    2. Paula Burkinshaw & Kate White, 2017. "Fixing the Women or Fixing Universities: Women in HE Leadership," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-14, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Blessing Kanyumba & Melanie Lourens, 2022. "Career development for female academics in Australian and South African universities: An integrative review," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 11(2), pages 391-401, March.
    2. Karen A. Longman, 2018. "Perspectives on Women’s Higher Education Leadership from Around the World," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-6, July.

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