Job crafting behavior and the success of senior academic women: An international study

Abstract

This article examines the job crafting strategies senior academic women use to progress in their careers. The study was exploratory and inductive and used in-depth interviews to gather data from 43 senior academic women in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis in combination with reflective discussions. Cognitive crafting emerged as the most critical job crafting strategy impacting women’s career progression. While some women chose to be more strategic, others focused on doing meaningful work and considered career progression a natural outcome rather than an end in itself. This study extends the job crafting literature by highlighting how contextual and cognitive factors impact women’s academic career progression. Understanding similarities and differences across cultures and identifying how academic women can prosper can inform programs that effectively promote women’s careers at tertiary institutions.