Women’s re-entry after a career break: Efficacy of support programs
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
ISSN: 2040-7149
Article publication date: 1 June 2020
Issue publication date: 12 November 2020
Abstract
Purpose
There is a recent organizational focus on increasing and managing gender diversity with stress on supportive policies for working mothers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of one such supportive policy (i.e. completion of company-initiated internship programs) designed to help women return to the workforce post a career break.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses an experimental design to compare the evaluation of a woman applicant who has a career break with the evaluation of a woman applicant who has completed a support program after a career break. Variance in the evaluation of the applicant on the parameters – educational qualification, professional qualification, fit with job description and invite for an interview is tested. The study also examines the effect of individuals’ neosexist attitude on their evaluation of the applicant. Data were collected from 109 participants having an average age of thirty-two years (SD = 5.97), and average work experience of 9 years (SD = 5.20).
Findings
Results show that completion of a support program, as well as neosexism, have a main effect on the evaluation of job fit.
Practical implications
Results have implications for employee-training programs, as well as development programs for women re-entering the workforce post a career break.
Originality/value
This paper is the first to study the efficacy of internship programs for re-entry of women, started by various multi-national companies in India. It extends the application of neosexism to such initiatives, which are not affirmative action, highlighting the changing nature of sexism.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Gargi Trivedi for her copy editing-related assistance in the preparation of this manuscript
Citation
Kaushiva, P. and Joshi, C. (2020), "Women’s re-entry after a career break: Efficacy of support programs", Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Vol. 39 No. 8, pp. 849-864. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-09-2019-0240
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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