Networking as an Organisational and Structural Barrier for Women

This paper analyses the literature on women and networking between1985 and 2021 to explore what is known about networking and itseffect on women, and what new research is needed on networking. Theauthors analysed a total of 78 articles published in women and genderstudies journals. Thematic analysis and three-tier coding have beenused in analysing available articles. Findings reveal that organisationalcultures did not change during the four decades of research as boys’clubs still exist and take men ahead much more than women’s networkstake women ahead. Old boys’ clubs remain persistent and more powerfulthan women’s networks and women do not report benefits fromnetworking even when they engage with this, often-seen, masculinepractice. Women also report exclusion from important professionalnetworks and this is a theme that consistently runs through research,and additionally, many women cannot join networks due to the socialexpectation that women will look after families.