| Currently, women hold only 2.8% of the CEO positions in the Fortune 500 companies. Similar data for executive level women, specifically in the U.S. banking industry, is neither currently reported nor readily accessible. Although the percentage in the banking industry is thought to be similar to that of the Fortune 500, recent studies have indicated that more women are beginning to move into executive level positions within banking. Recent studies have suggested that emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, networking, mentoring relationships, and organizational culture are factors that may contribute to women's success at being upwardly mobile in their careers in various industries and organizations. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to meet with five executive women in the U.S. banking industry and explore their perceptions of the impact the above factors may have had on their career upward mobility. A face-to-face in-depth interview was conducted with each participant, with the interview focused on the above factors and the characteristics that further describe each success factor. The data gathered provided a rich context of personal information that was analyzed for common themes and evidence, which were found to support the influence of some but not all of the proposed factors. The results suggest that a combination of the internal factors of emotional intelligence and self-efficacy and the external factor of mentor relationships contributed most significantly to the participants' upward mobility career success. In addition, this study suggests opportunities for future research by expanding on the key factors determined critical as a result of the exploratory interviews. Further, the resulting analysis may be used by managers, human resource professionals, and other leaders within organizations working to increase the number of executive women in their organization, as well as by women seeking guidance in their career advancements. |
