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Patterns of career development and their role in the advancement of female faculty at Austrian universities: New roads to success?

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Abstract

As a result of various reforms carried out in the last decade, the academic sphere has undergone perceptible change, with redevelopment and reshaping at different institutional levels. These reforms have had an effect on gender relations, especially within the past several years, with an increasing proportion of female academics now in leading positions. This article investigates the ways in which female academics reach leading positions, the different patterns of career development exhibited by the women in question, and the role of these patterns in the advancement of female faculty. The study is based on qualitative interviews with female academics in leading positions. The analysis yields three main patterns of career development, consisting of the following characteristics: (1) individualistic, output-driven, (2) political-sustainable and (3) adaptive-flexible.

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Notes

  1. The University Act (UG 2002) states the following [§22/17(3)]: “In determining the composition of the rectorate, care shall be taken to ensure that it possesses the necessary academic, managerial and administrative capabilities”. Paragraph §23/2: “Only persons with international experience and the necessary abilities to manage a university's organisation and finances may be selected as rector”.

  2. The Federal Ministry of Science and Research has allocated a total of € 6 m over 6 years to support women in leading positions at Austrian universities (Wroblewski and Leitner 2011).

  3. Parallels can be observed to Lindholm’s (2004) study: Serendipity was found to influence professional career decision-making processes. Lindholm (2004, p. 618) referred to this group as ‘accidental academics’ who show little recollection of any sort of well-delineated, intentional path to the professorate.

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  1. Department for Sociology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Nina-Sophie Fritsch

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Fritsch, NS. Patterns of career development and their role in the advancement of female faculty at Austrian universities: New roads to success?. High Educ 72, 619–635 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-015-9967-6

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