From organizational employment to self-employment : women managers, gendered organizations, and the influence of mid-life

Australian women participate in the workforce at increasingly higher rates - 46% in 1985 to 57% in 2005 (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2009a), yet women’s pay is behind their male counterparts, participation on boards and in executive management is declining (Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace [EOWA], 2008), and the Equal Opportunity Commissioner noted continuing barriers to gender equality (Gordon,2009) One phenomenon that has emerged is the departure of some women managers in mid-life from employment in large public and private organizations to become self-employed. In this study I interview twelve women managers who left employment and became self-employed to explore why they left, and the impact off actors such as mid-life and gender on their decision-making. I position myself as a feminist psychologist with management experience, and I select a qualitative approach to gain the nuances of these women’s experiences, through what I term a ‘reflective interview’.