Title: A comparative study of career success between Korean and American women managers

Authors: Jung-Jin Kim, Eunjoo Chang

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, Seoul Women's University, 623 Hyrang-Ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul, Korea. ' Department of Business Administration, Kyungin Women's College, 101 Gyesan-dong, Gyeyang-gu, Incheon 407-740, Korea

Abstract: This study investigated factors affecting the career success of Korean and American female managers and compared the relations of variables using structural equation modelling. As a criteria of career success, career satisfaction and employability were included, and as factors affecting career success, growth needs, political skill, supervisor support, and the size of an informal network were considered. Multi-group analysis demonstrated that the effect of growth needs was positive for Korean, but negative for American women. Political skill had no significant effect on Korean women|s career satisfaction, but had a significantly positive effect for American on a marginal level. Further, political skill had no significant effect on Korean women|s employability, but had a significantly positive effect on that of American women. The effect of political skill on supervisor support was found to be positive both for Korean and American female managers, but the effect was greater for American.

Keywords: South Korea; USA; United States; female managers; career success; employability; political skills; informal networks; Korean women; American women; gender; structural equation modelling; job satisfaction; growth needs; supervisor support; multi-group analysis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEIM.2010.035084

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, 2010 Vol.12 No.3/4, pp.270 - 290

Published online: 03 Sep 2010 *

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