Understanding the leaky pipeline system: behavioural ecological approach to the social marketing of women thriving in STEM careers
ISSN: 2042-6763
Article publication date: 4 November 2021
Issue publication date: 23 November 2021
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the complexity of the “leaky pipeline” of women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in the intriguing contexts where there are a high number of STEM graduates but a low number of women working in these fields.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted in-depth interviews with eight STEM “leavers” and eight “persisters” in Turkey to understand the multi-level influences on their career paths.
Findings
The behavioural ecological model is applied to enrich the understanding of women’s attrition from STEM. The authors found a complex system of actors, relationships and influences that impact the negotiations of women’s felt misfit/love of their STEM career and changing self-actualisation.
Practical implications
The authors highlight that social marketers should consider the complex influences on even the most individualistic-looking decisions to produce systemic change.
Originality/value
This paper deepens the use of the behavioural ecological model in the ways that the layers of motivator and demotivator influences interact with women’s internal negotiations of career choice. The paper integrates classic theories (self-actualisation (Maslow, 1943) and two-factor model (Herzberg et al., 1959)) within systems social marketing.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the editor and reviewers for their support in improving the work. They also thank research assistants Elif Nisa Güler and Vuslat Hazan Özkan for their enthusiasm and contributions throughout the data analysis process. May you thrive in your careers.
Citation
Çelik, H. and Watson, F. (2021), "Understanding the leaky pipeline system: behavioural ecological approach to the social marketing of women thriving in STEM careers", Journal of Social Marketing, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 616-632. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSOCM-03-2021-0051
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited