Career Issues for Women Association Executives

Abstract

This article reports the results of a study of the experiences of women association executives: the challenges those women face in their current positions, the career issues that affect women managers, and the ways in which they manage their organizations. Three major issues surfaced in the interviews: (1) the importance of career development and mentors, (2) the prevalence of pay inequity, and (3) the challenges of developing working relationships with board members. Mentors were particularly important to these women in the early stages of their career, for career-oriented advice. Many women are working for less money than their male counterparts (a woman's starting pay often was based on her past salary rather than the value of her current position). Several women reported that their board of directors felt that they could “get more for less” from a woman executive.