When we compare women with and without children at the age of 30, we see that women who don't have children have, to a greater extent, been appointed to positions in the medium and highest ranked group in the enterprises.
Astrid Kunze
- Prepare for maternity leave
The same old story in Norway? Women with children progress slower on the career path, than women who do not have children. Why is that surprising for a country known for its gender equality and a paid paternal quota of 10 weeks?
‘The likelihood for women without children of being promoted is eight per cent, and it is lower for women who have children. Then, the figure is almost 40 per cent lower.’
The family gap
This is a finding from research conducted by Astrid Kunze, economist and an Associate Professor at Norwegian School of Economics.
Kunze makes reference to her Norwegian study of the family gap in career progression (see reference), in which she bases the empirical analysis on Norwegian register data and links it to a survey conducted by the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise from 1987 to 1997.
In this study, she investigates the family gap in career progression. She focuses on female employees in Norway and analyses at what pace employees climb on the the career ladder in organisations in the private sector.
The question is whether women who have children are less likely to be promoted than women who don’t have children (‘the family gap’) – and if so why.
Ten-year perspective
The data provide information about all of the employees of an NHO member organisation over a ten-year period. This enables Kunze to follow developments in the employees’ careers in the enterprise during this period.
Around 30 per cent of the sample are women. The researcher distinguishes mothers from childless women (and identifies age differences, levels of education etc.), and looks at the career development of the two groups – from the group at the bottom of the ladder to those in the middle and/or at the top.
The critical phase when the gap in promotions arises between mothers and childless women is already at the early stages of their careers, Kunze shows.
‘When we compare women with and without children at the age of 30, we see that women who don't have children are appointed to positions in the medium and highest ranked group to a larger extend than mothers in the enterprises. Fewer of them have positions in the lowest ranked group.'
Down the ladder
It seems that less work experience and seniority and the extent to which women work part-time largely explains why women who have children are less likely to be promoted than those who don’t have children, Kunze explains.
‘This can be explained by the fact that when women return from having been home with children, the organisation and its procedures have changed. It is also possible that the women's knowledge has become rusty and that they may have forgotten a fair bit.'
Another explanation is that they return to a job that does not provide the same opportunities as before, and that childless women leave them behind in the competition for promotion.
Take the initiative
Employers take it for granted that mothers are going to take maternity leave, but no one talks about what can be done to give these women better career opportunities when they return to work at the end of their maternity leave.
references
The study «Mødres karriereprogresjon» is published in the book Ulik likestilling i arbeidslivet. The publication at Gyldendal Akademiske is a result of the work in CORE - kjernemiljø for likestillingsforskning.
The paper «Parental Leave and Maternal Labor Supply. Parental leave increases the family–work balance, but may have negative impacts on mothers’ careers» by Astrid Kunze is published in IZA World of Labor.
‘The mothers can keep in closer contact with their work, despite being on maternity leave, and maybe have a more formal arrangement if they would like that. They could have a project that ensures that women on maternity leave are not left out in the cold. Women can also take the initiative themselves in this respect, which can pay off.'
Kunze believes more companies would benefit from establishing sponsorships for women.
‘Enterprises can offer women a high-level sponsor, an executive in the organisation who can exert his/her influence and get women to take advantage of the career opportunities that are available.'
Attitudes in business and industry
‘Do you think women who have children will have better career opportunities in the coming years?’
‘It’s about attitudes, but also about the companies’ ethical standpoints. Some time ago, I looked at a case with NHH Students based on the following dilemma: A woman who was a highly-motivated consultant had just had a child. When she returned to the team after her maternity leave, she could no longer work long days because she had to pick up the child by 16.30 at the latest.'
The mothers can keep in closer contact with their work, despite being on maternity leave, and maybe have a more formal arrangement if they would like that.
Astrid Kunze
‘What should the leader do,’ Kunze asks, ‘remove her from the team? That would mean that she was being demoted.’
‘Is it discrimination or fair that enterprises under a lot of financial pressure do things like that,’ she asks.
punished
In some cases, women leave their positions before they have had their babies because they feel they are not making a big enough contribution.
‘What we see in some studies is that in career terms, women are punished even before they’ve had children. They plan to have children, and feel that their positions and tasks are not compatible with an addition to the family. They then take lower positions even before the baby has arrived. They really lose out by doing so, including in relation to pay,’ says Kunze.