Factors affecting the career advancement of black women in a selected manufacturing firm in Gauteng

Career advancement is viewed as an important element of job satisfaction and employee retention, however the gender differences observed in the workplace globally mean that there is gender inequality even in career growth. With South Africa’s long history of discrimination, career advancement disparities are observed along racial and gender lines. The current study’s focus is on the factors affecting the career advancement of a group of black women working for a selected manufacturing firm in Gauteng. The study highlights the importance of both the individual and the organisation in driving career advancement and asserts that there are self-driven and employer-driven factors affecting the career growth of black women employed by the selected firm. The primary objective of this study was to investigate and analyse factors affecting the career advancement of South African black African women (hereafter referred to as black women) employed by the manufacturing company. After a comprehensive literature study, three self-driven factors (pre-career choices, career capital development and attitude towards gender discrimination) and three employer-driven factors (mentorship opportunities, organisational leadership and organisational culture) were identified as factors affecting career advancement. These were subsequently empirically tested. A quantitative research paradigm was adopted for this study. The sample chosen was the entire population of black women employed by the business in question. Using the survey research method, a structured questionnaire was distributed resulting in an 85% response rate. Cronbach’s alpha was employed to test the reliability or internal consistency of the research instruments, resulting in the minimum acceptable level of 0.70 being met. The data collected were subjected to statistical analyses using simple regression analysis, one-factor Anova and descriptive statistics. The simple regression analysis revealed that pre-career choices had a statistically significant positive influence on career advancement. Furthermore, the findings suggest a link between education and employability, as the majority of the respondents (53%) possessed tertiary qualifications. Although no empirical evidence was found to support the influence of the other five factors on career advancement, the use of descriptive statistics revealed clear differences brought about by variations in education, such as the significantly higher levels of career capital for respondents with post-graduate qualifications in comparison to the total sample. The findings of this study informed the recommendations made to promote the career advancement of the black women employed by the selected firm. These were recommendations for individuals to enhance their career capital through education and the pursuit of career goals, and for the organisation to support career development with a conducive environment that values all employees and affords them equal opportunities for growth