Factors Affecting Women Career Advancement In The Banking Industry In Kenya: A Case Of Kenya Commercial Bank Branches In Nairobi County

Abstract

Despite banking being a female-dominated industry, women are still under-represented in management and senior management. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting women career advancement in Kenya Commercial Bank. The study was guided by the following specific objectives: to determine the extent to which age affects women’s career advancement in the banking sector in Kenya; to establish the extent to which gender affects women's career advancement in the banking sector in Kenya.; and to determine the extent to which education affects women’s career advancement in the banking sector in Kenya; and to establish the extent to which core-self evaluation affects women’s career advancement in the banking sector in Kenya The population of interest was Kenya Commercial Bank branches located in Nairobi region, whose number stood at 19 as at June 2012 (Kenya Commercial Bank, June 2012). There were two respondents from each of the bank branches, the branch manager and another senior bank official, of the opposite sex from the branch manager. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from the respondents. Since all the targeted bank branches have their offices in Nairobi, the researcher administered the questionnaires by hand delivery. For purposes of this study, the data was analyzed by employing descriptive statistics. The findings of the study indicated that the factors investigated, i.e. age; gender issues; individual’s skills, tenure, hard work, reputation and performance and affect women’s career advancement; and women’s lack of self-confidence and their tendency to be more self-critical than men hinder their career advancement in the banking sector in Kenya. Some of the recommendations of the study are that Women in management should be given similar opportunities for training and development as men; and that organizations should assess the level of challenge and demands placed on women since additional outside-of-work (home and family) responsibilities shouldered by the women, coupled with less support in their organizations, may prove overwhelming for them.