Longitudinal prediction of women's careers: Psychological, behavioral, and social-structural influences

Abstract

Adult women's pursuit, attainment, and experiences of careers in college and noncollege teaching and entrepreneurial business were examined in a longitudinal sample of 111 women studied as college seniors in 1967 and again in 1981. Fifty-nine percent of seniors planning noncollege teaching careers changed fields, and 72% of businesswomen had planned other careers as seniors, supporting Harmon's 1981 opportunities dominance hypothesis. Women in different fields had similar family priorities in college, but 14 years later teachers were more involved with their (larger) families than businesswomen. Noncollege teachers made earlier career decisions and were highest on interpersonal job values and perceptions and lowest in career persistence and progressions. Professors and businesswomen valued and reported instrumental, advancement, and achievement satisfactions. Businesswomen experienced more field changes and longer career indecision than teachers. College faculty reported both interpersonal and instrumental career choice rationales in 1967, and later resembled businesswomen in most career features and noncollege teachers in interpersonal power job satisfactions.