Women Managers Moving on: Exploring Career and Life Choices

Recent research shows there is a surprisingly high exodus of successful female executives from the corporate sector. This takes place at a level well beyond the conventional family-raising stage and appears to be related to more fundamental issues of life-style choice and alienation from a male corporate culture. This book explores the phenomenon through a qualitative study of 16 women who have reached middle or senior management levels and paused to review their careers. By telling their stories in detail, Marshall explores their experiences of working in male-dominated cultures, being change agents, why they decided to leave and what their next steps are. Recent research shows there is a surprisingly high exodus of successful female executives from the corporate sector. This takes place at a level well beyond the conventional family-raising stage and appears to be related to more fundamental issues of life-style choice and alienation from a male corporate culture. This book explores the phenomenon through a qualitative study of 16 women who have reached middle or senior management levels and paused to review their careers. By telling their stories in detail, Marshall explores their experiences of working in male-dominated cultures, being change agents, why they decided to leave and what their next steps are.