Over the last 30 years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of women participating in the paid work force, but the change in the proportion of women in senior positions has been very slow. This doctoral dissertation project utilizes a theory of organizational learning to explain the selection of women and men for senior positions and how that selection procedure contributes to the low frequency and type of women in senior management positions. Based on interviews of ninety-seven women and men randomly sampled at three levels of management in two companies, beliefs of organizational members who are promoted and those who are not promoted are compared to beliefs about appropriate managerial behavior and about proper gender behavior that are imbedded in the organizational code. This project will contribute to a broader sociological understanding of what characterizes women who have been promoted to senior positions by elucidating how their behavior is different than some other women in the organization and how organizational inertia is supported through this selection process. This project also will provide an excellent opportunity for a promising young scholar to continue to develop independent research skills.
