Como impactar a aspiração à carreira em mulheres universitárias? A influência de papéis de gênero e modelos de referência

Abstract

Despite the growing presence of women in the labor market, they remain a minority in leadership positions and face several obstacles that hinder their career progression. To change this scenario, besides promoting equality in society and organizations, women also need to aspire to advance in their careers. Considering that undergraduate education can promote experiences that affect women's perceptions of their own professional future, there is a need for studies that investigate the formation of their career aspiration during this period. Thus, this dissertation aimed to investigate, through different methodological strategies, how to impact undergraduate women's career aspirations, which was accomplished through three studies. The first study was a systematic literature review, which mapped the theoretical and empirical models and measures used in studies, published between 2001 and 2021, on career aspirations of undergraduate women. The results indicated that most of the studies did not point to a definition or theoretical model for career aspiration, nor did they provide sufficient data about the measurement instruments. The predictors and consequents were categorized at the micro, meso, and macro levels, and a theoretical model for career aspiration was proposed. The second study analyzed the influence of attitudes toward gender roles and role models on undergraduate women's career aspirations through a survey. The responses of 212 women over the age of 18, undergraduate students at public or private institutions of higher education in Brazil, were analyzed. The results showed that only role models, especially the inspiration and modeling dimension, was a significant predictor of women's career aspiration. The third study analyzed the impact of an online mentoring program, that is, the presence of role models, on undergraduate women's career aspiration, through a quasi-experimental design. 36 female undergraduate students participated in the intervention. Results showed that there was no significant change in the participants' career aspirations after the mentoring program. Overall, it is concluded that this dissertation has contributed to the advancement of the literature and to direct the design of interventions that promote women's career development, helping to address gender inequities in the world of work.