Maximising women's potential in the UK's retail sector
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01425450710776308 |
| Pages | 492-505 |
| Date | 21 August 2007 |
| Published date | 21 August 2007 |
| Author | Lynette Harris,Carley Foster,Paul Whysall |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
Maximising women’s potential in
the UK’s retail sector
Lynette Harris, Carley Foster and Paul Whysall
Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to show that a defining characteristic of the UK retail sector is
the high number of women it employs but there remains an enduring under-representation of women
in its management positions. The majority of women in the industry work part-time and this paper
aims to explore the factors that impact upon the career progression.
Design/methodology/approach – In the paper, 1,000 questionnaires were completed by store staff
in three leading retailers, supported by interviews with store staff and SME retailers in the UK’s East
Midlands region.
Findings – The paper finds continuing barriers to career progression for women working part-time
in retailing. Despite family friendly employment policies becoming an increasingly important feature
of modern work organisations, career progression was informed by a traditional concept of a career
based on full-time working.
Research limitations/implications – The paper was limited to one sector. There is a need for
further studies into women’s career progression in other sectors reliant on female employment.
Practical implications – The findings in the paper have implications for promotion policies,
training and development provision and line management practices if retailers are to maximise the
potential of the women they employ.
Originality/value – The paper suggests that retailing is an industry where a significant number of
women are working below their potential despite organisational policies supportive of diversity and
equality of opportunity.
Keywords Women, Careers,Part time workers, Retailing, UnitedKingdom
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
This paper examines women’s career progression in retailing and particularly explores
the position of part-time workers drawing upon findings from a study funded by the
European Social Fund (ESF) as part of EU initiatives to improve the position of women
in the labour market. The aim of the research was to identify those factors that
constrain and support female career progression in a sector which is the UK’s third
largest employer of female labour (Begum, 2004) but, whilst women constitute 71 per
cent of its work force, only a third of them are classified as working in managerial roles
(Equal Opportunities Commission, 2005). In terms of occupational segregation, Labour
Force Survey data (ONS, 2005) reveals that sales and retail assistants are the largest
occupational group for female employment in the UK labour force with some 884,000
women working in such roles compared to 359,000 men.
As a major employer of women in lower paid jobs, the retail sector provides an ideal
opportunity to examine the employment experiences and career aspirations of women
in such roles. The reported findings are drawn from a combination of quantitative and
qualitative data provided by over 1,000 store employees who worked for three of
Britain’s leading retailers and ten small, independent retailers in the East Midlands.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0142-5455.htm
ER
29,5
492
Received September 2006
Revised January 2007
Accepted January 2007
Employee Relations
Vol. 29 No. 5, 2007
pp. 492-505
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0142-5455
DOI 10.1108/01425450710776308
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