Experiences of career-persistent women managers in the manufacturing export sector in South Africa

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of career-persistent women in senior management roles in the male-dominated manufacturing export sector in South Africa. Particular attention was given to the different forms of discrimination that the women faced in the work environment and how it influenced their employment relations in these organisations. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was employed to explore the experiences of 18 women's employment relations from different industries, age groups and race groups making up the sample. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed, from which first-order concepts, second-order themes and aggregated dimensions were derived to facilitate the analysis. Findings The key findings were that women managers experienced various employee relations challenges in the workplace, including unequal pay and the preferential selection of men for succession and mentoring opportunities, which hindered women's promotion prospects. Despite these challenges, the women managers persevered by concealing their stress and frustration and working hard to prove their worth to their organisations. Originality/value Limited prior research has been conducted on women managers in an exporting context, especially the White male-dominated manufacturing export sector where women, and particularly Black women, are faced with both local and international cultural norms and gender stereotypes. The study has important implications for employee relations, including Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, Human Resources Management succession strategies and management development interventions.