Global Journal of Management and Business Research, A: Administration and Management, Volume 23 Issue 10

Global Journal of Management and Business Research ( A ) XXIII Issue X Version I Year 2023 43 © 2023 Global Journals Navigating Early Career Management: Workplace Experiences and Career Impact Naviguer Dans La Gestion Du Début De Carrière: Expériences Sur Le Lieu De Travail Et Impact Sur La Carrière Émilie Giguère α , Mariève Pelletier σ , Jade Avoine ρ , Geneviève Girard Ѡ & Mireille Sirois Gagné ¥ Author α σ ρѠ ¥: Université Laval Pavillon des sciences de l’éducation 2320 rue des Bibliothèques, Québec, Canada. e-mail: emilie.giguere@fse.ulaval.ca Abstract- This article explores the workplace experiences of young professionals during their early integration into management roles and their implications for career development. Employing a qualitative research approach, the study conducted one-on-one interviews with 61 participants. The findings reveal a diverse range of workplace experiences that can either facilitate or complicate the integration process. Notably, the study sheds light on the persistence of gender- related issues in these early career stages. The research offers practical insights for organizations and guidance counselors and underscores the need for further exploration in this field. Keywords: managers; early-career; career progression; gender. Résumé- Cet article explore les expériences professionnelles des jeunes professionnels au cours de leur intégration précoce dans des rôles de direction et leurs implications pour le développement de carrière. Utilisant une approche de recherche qualitative, l'étude a mené des entretiens individuels avec 61 participants. Les résultats révèlent une diversité d’expériences de travail qui peuvent faciliter ou compliquer le processus d’intégration. L’étude met notamment en lumière la persistance des problèmes liés au genre à ces premiers stades de carrière. La recherche offre des informations pratiques aux organisations et aux conseillers d’orientation et souligne la nécessité d’une exploration plus approfondie dans ce domaine. Mots-Clés: cadres; débuts de carrière; progression de carrière; genre. I. I ntroduction n recent years, the issue of career development for managers has attracted the interest of a good number of researchers and professionals (Adamson et al., 2022; Bishu et al., 2022; Thaller et al., 2023). In this field, studies on careers in management conducted with cohorts of women reveal the persistence of ethnic (Alesia, 2017)or gendered (Alesia, 2017; Bates & Holt, 2021; Ekonen & Heilmann, 2021; Ezzedeen et al., 2015; Vaz et al., 2023) prejudices and stereotyping, as well as microaggressions (mansplaining, manterrupting) (Vaz et al., 2023) that hold women back from management positions. Similarly, corporate culture in the form of working long hours or lack of authority in relation to supervised staff also continue to hinder women’s careers (Lama, 2015). Crowning these struggles is the demanding responsibility for household chores, and the complex burden of reconciling the latter with professional duties, which compel women in manage- ment positions to muster different strategies to strike a certain balance (Bates & Holt, 2021; Bishu et al., 2022; Ezzedeen et al., 2015; Giguère et al., 2023; Michaelides et al., 2023; Shaw & Leberman, 2015).Moreover, a small number of studies on women managers have evidenced the deep-seated role of social gender relations from the very beginning of their post-secondary training and socio-professional integration (Giguère et al., 2020). Conversely, other research focused on women reveals the importance of training (Sexton et al., 2014), networking (Ekonen & Heilmann, 2021) and the support of a superior or access to a mentor, all of which can be levers for women’s careers(Baumgartner & Schneider, 2010; Bishu et al., 2022; Guptill et al., 2018; Michaelides et al., 2023; Sexton et al., 2014). Studies carried out with mixed cohorts of men and women show that professional work experience, high career mobility and leveraging networks are key career accelerators (Thaller et al., 2023). They also expose gender-related issues in the area of work-life balance, in particular the more complex and tenuous high-wire act mothers at a higher risk of imbalance must perform, fueling frustration and anxiety (Adamson et al., 2022). For male managers, the need to reconcile managerial work and family life is less pronounced, suggesting a disproportionate share of housework falls on their spouses (Adamson et al., 2022). Despite significant advances in understanding professional career development issues facing both men and women, few of these studies can be used to identify and examine the experiences of young managers as they enter the work place in their early days of their professional careers. The aim of this article is to identify and examine these early-career workplace experiences and their possible impacts on career progression, using a theoretical framework that combines a life course approach (Fournier et al., 2016) and living work theory (Dejours, 2009; Molinier, 2008). First, however, we will provide a context for our study with an overview of I