FACTORS AND STRATEGIES INFLUENCING THE ADVANCEMENT OF SECRETARIES TO MANAGERIAL POSITIONS

The problem of this study was to trace the basic career patterns of management-level women who had advanced to those positions from the secretarial/clerical ranks. The study also determined the demographic and professional factors that were in operation when the career-path and career-ladder decisions were made and determined what strategic factors were used to pursue their careers. Primary conclusions of this study were: (1) Evidence indicates that it is highly likely that women advancing from the secretarial/clerical ranks will proceed through each level on the career ladder. (2) The secretaries being hired more recently are more highly educated. (3) Collegiate Administrative Office Management curricula should emphasize the long-range career possibilities of secretaries and administrative assistants by including in the curriculum conceptual and decision-making skills needed by middle and top managers. (4) As the secretaries advanced to the managerial ranks, the percentage who held memberships in professonal organiations increased; and they likely to become involved in leadership capacities within the organization. (5) Potential women managers may find it necessary to continue their education while working full time and are not likely to have significant interruptions in their employment history. (6) Indications are that a particular size of company has no advantage to women managers for employment or promotional possibilities. However, most respondents found advancement possibilities in the company in which they were employed. (7) The respondents from the secretarial/clerical level to the top-management level were employed primarily in four types of industries. (8) While several significant differences were found on individual factors, no specific career-strategy differences were found between women in female-dominated functional areas and women in male-dominated functional areas