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 47 © 2023 Global Journals support- which may have made it easier for them to integrate and be offered a promotion once they graduated: I worked part-time in a retail business [...] That’s when I got the bug, and that’s what made me switch programs instead of finishing my pre-university CEGEP program X [mentions name of her program]. I decided to do X [names her college program, in management] instead [...] When I graduated, well, I had been working part-time in a retail business, and my X [names her boss] he gave me a lot of duties. He gave me lots of responsibilities [...] When I finished my X [mentions name of her college program], I transferred to a new store. [...] I landed X [names her supervisor job] over there. - Marlène I work for the family business, and so I was kind of destined to move up the ladder eventually. So, when I finished my university, I fully joined the company as X [mentions professional position in sales and service].- Adrien In short, the processing and analysis of the interview materials revealed that having support from a superior or an external professional, taking part in training or support activities, or having held one or more positions in the organization can help young men and women ease into management positions. These findings are largely in line with other studies on women in management that have highlighted the importance of career development training(Sexton et al., 2014), the support of a superior or access to a mentor as career levers (Baumgartner & Schneider, 2010; Bishu et al., 2022; Guptill et al., 2018; Michaelides et al., 2023; Sexton et al., 2014). In fact, it is reasonableto conclude that being able to share one’s workplace experiences and supportive relational dynamics (Dejours, 2009)- particularly through training activities or one-on-one support from a superior or an external professional- from the moment they enter theirrole empowersboth young men and womento hone their professional skills and further their careers. Thesefindings also show that having held one or more positions in the organization can beafacilitating factor in the integration of young managers, particularly since they have a head start in terms of their knowledge of the staff and practices in the organization. This also echoesmixed-cohort studies by Thaller et al. (2023), that show the most important levers for career progression are professional work experience, highmobility and networking. Simply put, having held several positions in the organization, the support of a mentor or superior and developing their network can helpyoung men and women integrate professionally into management. b) Workplace Experiences that Complicate Integration On the other side, some participants related workplace experiences that complicated their integration into professional roles. The sub-categories that follow illustrate some of these complex experiences. i. Mismatches Between Accumulated Knowledge and the Demands of Management Work The mismatch between knowledge accumu- lated from previous training and job experiences and the demands of managerial work- such as being able to square the different facets of material, financial and human resources- left some participants feeling that something was lacking: So, I was apprenticing a lot. And like it or not, there’s no written manual on how to become a manager, there’s no particular formula that can help us become managers. Sure, they have training courses at X [mentions name of the educational institution] to train people, just to go and find training, but the human relations aspect of it, anything that has to do with dealing with people, I think that... it’s something we either have or don’t; it’s not necessarily something that can taught. - Mathias This mismatch was also noted when integrating into a new position during a labour shortage, as it was often done swiftly without first having all the necessary resources and support, as Fanny attests: We’re in an age where I find we’re losing a lot of expertise. Boomers will be leaving in droves, and we’re holding down jobs that come with additional responsibilities much sooner. Then you’re short of people. So, I’ve taken on this X [mentions her specialist role] with more responsibilities much sooner. But I find that to do this job, you’re not always well supported or supervised, and learn a bit on the fly, and this might not be the best way.- Fanny In some cases, immigration may also have played a role in amplifying this mismatch during integration, given that for some managers, previous work experience and qualifications carried little or no recognition in accessing management positions with responsibilities comparable to those in previous jobs: When I was looking for work, I had a hard time as an immigrant finding a job that matched my previous experience and my qualifications. So I worked a lot in the cultural and community sectors, as well as in outdoor recreation. They were mostly X [mentions a middle management position]. I did have a certain level of responsibility, though, but they weren’t very well-paying jobs. On the other hand, it helped build a resume of work experience in Canada, and I think that led to the next step. – Sylvain Added to all of this, not knowing colleagues or superiors well, having little opportunity to talk with them, or lacking feedback, particularly when joining a new workplace, can certainly complicate integration. More broadly, some participants noted they had encountered challenging organizational situations and complex Navigating Early Career Management: Workplace Experiences and Career Impact