Push Factors

What's Really Holding Women Back? by Robin J. Ely and  Irene Padavic
Harvard Business Review, March 1, 2020

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In their searing article in Harvard Business Review, professors Robin J. Ely and Irene Padavic take a long, data-driven look at the facts rather than the feelings behind what they call the “work-life narrative.” Researching a global consulting firm for 18 months, Ely and Padavic found that the “real culprit” undermining everyone was not women’s particular difficulty balancing work and life, but “a general culture of overwork that… locks gender inequality in place.” Men and women alike were distressed over missing important moments in their children’s lives, but women were the ones much more likely to adjust their work commitments, resulting in “sacrifices in power, status and income.” The authors identify several “push factors” impacting women including the perpetual option to off-ramp or move to an internally-facing position; the pressure to exchange a relational style for a more “hard-charging” style in order to advance; and the “poor reputation” of women with children. “With these push factors constantly reminding women that they don’t really belong in the workplace,” say Ely and Padavic, “it’s no wonder that women are often ambivalent about their career commitments… leaving the culture of overwork intact [and locking] gender inequality in place.” Their findings are relevant to all professional sectors including education, where leaders of all genders are maximally stressed.