Moving Ahead or Just Moving?

Prior research has shown that employees learn by coping with new experiences. However, we examined gender differences in job moves described in 952 Wall Street Journal announcements of senior management appointments and found that women’s new positions were more similar to their previous positions than was true for their male counterparts. Women were less likely than men to be promoted to the management level or move to new organizations, and a greater proportion of women than men were appointed to line positions with prior female incumbents. Among managers in staff positions, women were less likely than were men to move to line positions or different organizational functions. Taken together, these findings raise questions about whether women’s job moves offered career benefits that were comparable to those received by men.