What do women want? The perceived development needs of women managers

Abstract

This paper outlines a study designed to investigate the development needs of women managers in a large local authority in the North of England. The study arose as a result of a proposal to design a new development programme for women within the organisation. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used and the results focus on the data from 102 questionnaires and 17 in‐depth interviews. The results highlight the factors that women managers perceive to be supportive or inhibitory to their development and provide some suggestions as to the perceived development needs of this particular group of women. It is argued that, in preparing any developmental initiative, the views of potential participants should be taken into account. Additionally, the role of discriminatory attitudes and practices in preventing the success of development opportunities for women is highlighted.

Citation

Mallon, M. and Cassell, C. (1999), "What do women want? The perceived development needs of women managers", Journal of Management Development, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 137-154. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621719910257729