Career decisions of Indian female talent: implications for gender-sensitive talent management

Abstract

Purpose

Talent scarcity in emerging economies such as India poses challenges for companies, and limited labour market participation among well-educated women has been observed. The reasons that professionals decide not to pursue a further corporate career remain unclear. By investigating career decision-making, this article aims to highlight (1) the contextual factors that impact those decisions, (2) individuals' agency to handle them and (3) the implications for talent management (TM).

Design/methodology/approach

Following a qualitative research design, computer-aided analysis was conducted on interviews with 24 internationally experienced Indian business professionals. A novel application of neo-institutionalism in the Indian context was combined with the family-relatedness of work decisions (FRWD) model.

Findings

Career decisions indicate that rebellion against Indian societal and family expectations is essential to following a career path, especially for women. TM as part of the current institutional framework serves as a legitimising façade veiling traditional practices that hinder females' careers.

Research limitations/implications

Interviewees adopted a retrospective perspective when describing their career decisions; therefore, different views might have existed at the moment of decision-making.

Practical implications

Design and implementation of gender-sensitive TM adjusted to fit the specific Indian context can contribute to retaining female talent in companies and the labour market.

Originality/value

The importance of gender-sensitive TM can be concluded from an empirical study of the context-based career decision-making of experienced business professionals from India. The synthesis of neo-institutionalism, the FRWD model and the research results provides assistance in mapping talent experiences and implications for overcoming the challenges of talent scarcity in India.

Citation

Böhmer, N. and Schinnenburg, H. (2021), "Career decisions of Indian female talent: implications for gender-sensitive talent management", Employee Relations, Vol. 43 No. 1, pp. 319-335. https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-12-2018-0344