Women in management: Perspectives on a decade of research (2005–2015)

Abstract

Awareness of gender as a central feature in all aspects of everyday life and society has become more and more widespread. The dynamic and constantly evolving nature of the social sciences reflects the increasing concern for gender studies. This article provides a review of some of the recent literature (published in specialist journals) on gender in management and organizations to examine contributions from academics associated with different research areas. A total of 723 articles are examined from two key journals (Gender, Work & Organisation [GWO] and Gender in Management [GIM]) to outline leading issues and themes in recent research over the period 2005–2015. While we identify several similarities between the two journals, ‘Corporate Governance’ is the topic that seems to capture most attention in GIM, while GWO’s coverage is more focused on ‘Discrimination’ in the workplace, ‘Differences between men and women’ and ‘Conflicts of interest’. This paper contributes to the literature in two ways. First, it provides a focused analysis of gender research published over a 10-year period. In addition, it outlines areas for future research in the field of gender in management and organization (that is, gender quotas, new business opportunities for female entrepreneurs) and advocates for a more interdisciplinary research approach. This article is published as part of a collection on the role of women in management and the workplace.