Antecedents of gender stereotyping impacting on women career progression – perspective of management literature

Purpose – Gender stereotyping is considered as a significant issue obstructing career progression of women in management. However, there is a dearth of literature focusing on the antecedents of gender stereotyping. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap by systematically reviewing the literature in relation to identifying the antecedents of gender stereotyping that affect career progression of women in management.
Methodology - Systematic review methodology was employed to identify the factors of gender stereotyping and the supporting theories.
Findings - From the thematic analysis four main factors have been identified: Individual factors, Family Factors, Socio-cultural factors and Organisational factors.
Research limitations/Implications – The conceptual framework with factors identified has been suggested for future research implications specifically to test those factors empirically in organisations of developing countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.
Practical Implications – this paper contributes to the limitation in the underexamination of gender stereotypes and their impact on personnel decisions that contribute to discrepancies in the gender distribution at high levels of organisations (Agars, 2004). The authors suggest organisations and policy makers regarding the antecedents that influence gender stereotyping in organisations creating the phenomenon of glass ceiling. Moreover, HR recommendations are made to help organisations promote gender equality and fairness.
Originality - This paper goes beyond previous literature reviews of gender stereotyping by systematically and critically evaluating key factors influencing sexrole stereotypes. It not only provides a road map for HRD practitioners in organisations who intend to implement/change policies to promote gender equality but also provides the academic community with an agenda for future research.