The Role of Gendered Informal Networks in the Career Advancement of MBA Graduates
Open Access
Author:
Goochee, Gail C
Area of Honors:
Labor and Employment Relations
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Sarah A Damaske, Thesis Supervisor Alan V Derickson, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
gender informal network career advancement MBA graduates
Abstract:
This paper looks at the role of informal networks in the career advancement of MBA graduates, specifically investigating whether the use of these networks contributes to gender variation in the career advancement of MBA graduates. Research data comes from in-depth interviews with forty MBA graduate students- twenty men and twenty women. The results support the importance of informal networks for career advancement, which indicates an area in need of further research. Moreover, the findings suggest that the presence of homophilic preferences in male-dominated fields have the potential to decrease female access to powerful informal networks and therefore inhibit opportunities for career advancement.
