Career success: An assessment of a gender‐specific model

The paper assesses a gender‐specific model of career success, using human capital attributes, career choices, and opportunity structures as predictors. The model was evaluated in two studies using a sample of managers from a public sector organization, and a sample of British employees from the general workforce. The results demonstrated the need for gender‐specific models, as the paths to career success vary between the sexes. The importance attached to specific predictors of career success varied between men and women. Job‐specific attributes influenced more the career success of men; whereas women's achievements were obtained more through job‐relevant merits, career‐move decisions and organizational and occupational opportunities' structures. The results and their implications for future studies of career success are discussed.