Article

Women Advancing South Asian Journal of Human

­Resources Management
to Leadership Positions: 5(2) 1–23
2018 Sage Publications India
A Qualitative Study Private Limited
SAGE Publications
of Women Leaders in IT sagepub.in/home.nav
DOI: 10.1177/2322093718782756
and ITES Sector in India http://journals.sagepub.com/home/hrm

Shubhasheesh Bhattacharya1
Sweta Mohapatra2
Sonali Bhattacharya3

Abstract
The article examines the key factors that facilitate the advancement of women
to leadership positions in the information technology and information technology
enabled services (IT and ITES) sector in India. It adopted interview based
exploratory case study method using multiple case studies and gathered empirical
data using in-depth semi-structured interviews. The study identified critical
individual and organizational factors which facilitate the advancement of women
in leadership positions. The findings are of value to human resource and diversity
practitioners to create gender-balanced and inclusive leadership in the organiza-
tions that would lead to attracting, retaining and developing women talent for
leadership roles.

Keywords
Talent management, diversity management, qualitative methods, India

Introduction
Attracting and retaining talented women in companies in emerging economies is
a challenge.

1 
Symbiosis Institute of International Business, Symbiosis International University, Pune, India.
2 
Symbiosis International University, Pune, India.
Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development, Symbiosis International
3  

University, Pune, India.

Corresponding author:
Shubhasheesh Bhattacharya, Symbiosis Institute of International Business, Symbiosis International
University, Phase-1, Hinjewadi, Pune 411057, India.
E-mail: shubhasheeshb@gmail.com
2 South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management 5(2)

Going by traditional sociocultural norms in many parts of India, women are

expected to take care of children and elders at home, perform household chores,
etc., which tend to impact the performance of the working women who also have
to meet work-related demands. Women employees look up to their employers to
help them meet such sociocultural “pulls” which otherwise can negatively impact
their careers and may also impact organizations due to a shortage of women
talent. By creating the processes and practices that enable qualified and deserving
women to go up in the ladder, companies can gain competitive advantage, apart
from playing a positive role as a corporate citizen. This requires organizations to
have a deeper understanding of the needs and aspirations of talented women
(Hewlett & Rashid, 2011).
A study by Catalyst (2012) highlights that the gender gap exists in the leader-
ship ranks of corporate India, with less than 5 per cent women serving as a member
of the board of directors. Of the entire workforce of 400 million, 30–35 per cent
are females out of which only 20 per cent work in urban India. IT-BPO is one of
the preferred career options for the qualified female workforce. This can largely
be attributed to the growth of the IT-BPO industry, which is one of the largest
recruiters of a qualified workforce in recent times. National Association of Software
and Services Companies (NASSCOM, 2016) claims to have the highest volume of
diverse, employable talent, and is estimated to employ nearly 3.7 million people in
2016 which makes it the largest private sector employer in India. The total
revenue of India’s IT-BPM sector is projected to reach USD200–225 billion by
2020 and around USD350–400 billion by 2025. These projections would need
continuous focus on building a talent pool and quality leadership within the
information technology and information technology enabled services (IT and ITES)
sector. Those firms who can tap the talent of both genders would stand to gain
from a people capability perspective. Organizations in this sector are beginning
to recognize the importance of female workforce, and the industry itself has
been a beacon in championing diversity and gender inclusivity initiatives
(NASSCOM, 2009).
However, despite some initiatives taken by companies and the government,
the issue of gender inclusivity remains unresolved (NASSCOM, 2010). While
the IT sector has made attempts to be gender neutral, an optimal level of gender
inclusivity is yet to be achieved at the senior level (Bhattacharyya & Ghosh, 2012).
Some research also indicates that IT firms in India are not always gender neutral,
and while women are well represented in ground-level jobs, they are under-
represented in senior-level jobs (D’Mello, 2006).

Theoretical Framework
Studies of individual and organizational factors can be broadly divided into two
groups (Oakley, 2000). The first group of studies looks at personal characteristics,
attitudes and behaviour, trying to explain the under-representation of women in
management, while the second group focuses on the research of the organizational
structure that makes career development more difficult for women (Fagenson,
1990). Although numerous studies in both groups have made contributions to the
Bhattacharya et al. 3

study of this problem, most theoretical and empirical research rarely looked into the
influence of personal and organizational factors simultaneously (Kirchmeyer,
1998). Boyar et al. (2012) found that the major individual and organizational factors
for the turnover of IT/BPO women employees are the lack of managerial support,
job content work-related stress and work–family balance. Anand (2014) identified
similar barriers for women’s advancement to a leadership position in the service
sector. Mehra (2002) addresses three different approaches towards women in
leadership positions, each having its own merits and demerits. In the first approach,
women leaders are considered at par with men leaders and are assumed to have
similar task characteristic and commitment towards the job role. In the second
approach, in addition to similar quantum and specifications of task characteristic,
there is cognizance of the special needs of women in their work life. In the third
approach, women are considered to bring a unique special dimension to leadership
which is given its due respect in the organization.
Billimoria (2007) suggests a framework for understanding women’s advance-
ment under two broad dimensions: influence and inclusion. Influence includes
women’s characteristics and skills. Inclusion encompasses the organizational
environment that enables women to perform optimally. If women wish to strive
towards higher managerial positions, they have to simultaneously possess certain
personal traits and skills (influence characteristics) and be in an organizational
environment that supports them in the use and development of their skills
(inclusion characteristics), further indicating that research must encompass both
factors: how a woman functions in a certain organizational environment and the
nature of that context (Bilimoria & Piderit, 2007).
In this study, advancement of women to leadership positions is the concept
of interest and refers to women advancing over the years into leadership layers
in this sector. The study draws from the workplace experiences and insights of
these women leaders who have been successful in advancing themselves towards
leadership positions. Budhwar, Saini and Bhatnagar (2005) highlight the strengths
of women leaders that they are less biased than their male counterparts, have better
sensitivity, better networking capability, higher commitment and ability to
manage a crisis. They are more willing to solicit help to bring more trust and
commitment to the organization. This was confirmed in the study by Gulhati
(1990) who compared the attitudes of men and women employees in the educa-
tion, health and social service sectors. He found that women have more positive
and less biased attitude towards other women in leadership position. Budhwar
et al. (2005) further identified barriers to women’s advancement. They are as follows:
differential treatment of women in the selection and career advancement in certain
male-dominant sectors such as manufacturing and operations, and male ego to
accept commands from women. In this context, this current study focuses on
realizing the personal characteristics, sociocultural and organizational factors that
are enablers or barriers for the advancement of women to leadership position from
the perspective of corporate women leaders from the IT/ITES sector.
“Leadership” roles in the context of this study would include functional
leadership, typically heads and leads within various functional areas. Functional
leadership (Hackman & Walton, 1986) is a particularly useful theory for addressing
4 South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management 5(2)

specific leader behaviours expected to contribute to organizational or unit effec-

tiveness. This theory talks about five broad functions a leader performs which
include (a) monitoring, (b) organizing, (c) teaching and coaching, (d) motivating
others and (e) intervening actively in the group’s work.
In the backdrop of the above, this study sought to explore the following two
research questions:

RQ1. What are the key individual factors that influence the advancement of women to
leadership positions in the IT/ITES sector in India?

RQ2. What are the key organizational factors that influence the advancement of women
to leadership positions in the IT/ITES sector in India?

Methodology
Since the aim was to explore the key factors in play in the local Indian context
within a specific sector, it was decided to concentrate on the actual life experiences
of the women managers in this sector who are considered successful in advancing
themselves to leadership positions in this sector. A multiple case study research
method was adopted, which is suitable for the exploration of a contemporary
phenomenon in its natural setting (Yin, 2013). Six Indian cities are listed in the
annual ranking by consulting firm Tholons in 2014 among the top 10 most attractive
outsourcing locations in the world. These are Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi NCR,
Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune. Bangalore remains the most attractive IT/ITES
outsourcing location in the world, as per this ranking. Purposive sampling (Patton,
2002) was used for selecting women leaders from six cities who were handling
highly accountable leadership positions within IT/ITES firm and are reporting
directly to CEO/CXO level. Thus, a common feature shared by the interviewees
was their leadership position and accountability to top management for their
deliverables. They occupied positions like directors, senior vice presidents, global
heads and other site leadership (Table 1). Two of them are located in Bangalore,
12 of them in Pune and 4 were from the National Capital Region that includes
Delhi, Noida and Gurgaon and remaining two are located in Hyderabad. Their
educational background varied from graduates, engineers to higher academic
degrees like management and chartered accountancy. Three of the women
respondents were single, two were divorced and rest of them were married.

Data Collection
Interviews are important sources of case study information. The interviews were
more like guided conversations rather than structured queries. In the interview,
a consistent line of inquiry was pursued, and an actual stream of questions was not
rigid (Rubin & Rubin, 1995). An interview guide was created, which is essential
for multiple case studies (Yin, 2013). It included the questions and probes related to
organizational and individual factors that helped these women advance to leadership
positions. It also included few questions on demographic details of participants and
few standard guidelines for conducting each interview.
Table 1.  Details of Women Leaders Surveyed
Number of
Dependent If There is
Number of Parents/ Any Full-Time
Case Pseudo Highest Marital Children Parents-in-law Helping Hand Parental Family Income Occupation
Number Name Position Held Location Qualification Status (if any) (if any) (Maid, etc.) Background (in INR) of Spouse
1 Reena Global Productivity Pune MBA Married 1 2 Yes Business >50,00,000 p.a. Businessman
Head of an IT Services Background
Firm
2 Kaavya Global Communication Pune MBA Married 0 2 Yes Private Service >70,00,000 p.a. Private
Head of an IT Services Service
3 Amita Senior HR Leader of an Bangalore MBA Married 1 2 Yes Private Service >70,00,000 p.a. Private
IT Captive of a Global Service
Bank
4 Neelam Head of Service Hyderabad Btech Married 1 2 Yes Government >50,00,000 p.a. Private
Delivery in a Global Service Service
Shared Services Centre
5 Priya Vice President Rewards Pune MHRM Married 1 2 Yes Private Service Private
of a Captive IT Firm Service
6 Muskaan Vice President Rewards Bangalore MBA Married 1 0 Yes Private Service Private
of a Captive IT Firm Service
7 Vama Head Customer Noida/ MBA Divorced 1 2 Yes Private Service >50,00,000 p.a. NA
Operations of a NCR
Global Shared Services
Organization
8 Tarana Business Head in an IT Pune Btech Married 1 0 Yes Private Service >50,00,000 p.a. Army
Services and Product
Firm
9 Priyam Head HR Business NCR/ MBA Married 1 0 Yes Private Service >50,00,000 p.a. Private
Partner in a Global IT Noida Service
Services Firm

(Table 1 Continued)
(Table 1 Continued)
Number of
Dependent If There is
Number of Parents/ Any Full-Time
Case Pseudo Highest Marital Children Parents-in-law Helping Hand Parental Family Income Occupation
Number Name Position Held Location Qualification Status (if any) (if any) (Maid, etc.) Background (in INR) of Spouse
10 Manju Head Quality Control, Pune BE Married 2 2 Yes Private Service >50,00,000 p.a. Private
in a Captive IT Service
Organization of a Bank
11 Aanya Global Head Strategic Pune Masters in Divorced 1 2 Yes Government >50,00,000 p.a. NA
Communications Communication Service
12 Shubhi Director Quality at an Hyderabad BE Married 2 2 Yes Teacher >50,00,000 p.a. Private
IT Product Firm Service
13 Prabha Business Head Pune BSc Single 0 0 Yes Business >50,00,000 p.a. NA
Experience in an IT Background
Services Firm
14 Veena Head Client Relations in NCR BTech Single 0 2 Yes Private Service >50,00,000 p.a. NA
an IT Product Firm
15 Vibha Sr. Director Product Pune BE Married 1 0 Yes Business >50,00,000 p.a. Businessman
Delivery in an IT Background
Product Firm
16 Madhu Sr. VP and Business Gurgaon/ MBA Married 1 2 Yes Private Service >70,00000 p.a. Private
Head, in a Large Global NCR Service
ITES Firm
17 Ajeeta Head HR in an IT Pune MBA Married 1 2 Yes Private Service >50,00,000 p.a. Private
Product Firm Service
18 Anamika Head HR in an IT Pune MBA Married 1 2 Yes Private Service >50,00,000 p.a. Businessman
Product and Services
Firm
19 Nandita Head R&D, IT product Pune BE Single 0 0 Yes Private Service >7000000 p.a. Private
firm Service
20 Viana Vice President Service Pune MS Married 2 0 Yes Private Service >70,00000 p.a. Private
Delivery in a Global Service
ITES firm

Source:  Authors’ own research.

Bhattacharya et al. 7

Data collection process was rigorous, and attention was paid to block the
timing(s) and venue of meetings in advance from the busy schedules of participants
to ensure that face-to-face interactions of 60 to 75 minutes could be conducted
without disruptions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, in person between
January 2015 and July 2015. The interviews were voice-recorded and transcribed
word-by-word. To maintain the anonymity and confidentiality of interviewed
women, pseudonyms and code numbers from 1 to 20 were assigned to them
and their organizations were masked.

Validity and Reliability

The evidence from multiple case designs are often considered to be compelling,
and the overall study is therefore regarded as being robust (Herriott & Firestone,
1983). The sampling and data collection continues until no new conceptual
insights are generated. At this point, when there is repeated evidence for conceptual
categories, the stage of theoretical saturation reaches (Bloor & Wood, 2006). Since
20 cases provided sufficient replications (Tables 2 and 3, Pattern Matching Matrix)
and there were no new conceptual insights generated after this, hence the need to
interview more women leaders was not felt. The pattern matching technique
revealed that our findings supported some of the prior literature on this topic
(Ezzedeen & Ritchey, 2009; Vinnicombe & Singh, 2011). An extensive database
was maintained throughout this study, consisting of all interview transcripts and
audio recordings, post-interview field notes, coding schemes and their revisions.
Also, all participants were sent a copy of transcripts for their review.

Data Analysis
Framework analysis was used to analyse the data (Ritchie & Spencer, 2002;
Srivastava and Thomson, 2009). It involves five steps: familiarization, identification
of a thematic framework, indexing, charting, and mapping and interpretation.
In the first phase of familiarization, we read the data multiple times to become
properly familiar with the study material. In the second phase of identifying
thematic framework, data were organized into individual factors of influence and
organizational factors of inclusion. Further, secondary probes were conducted
around these factors as enablers for the advancement of women to a leadership
position. In this phase, we first extracted common messages and meanings and
labelled them into factors. All of the factors and thoughts did fit into these two groups
(Table 4). In the third phase of indexing, the contents of each of the two categories
were scrutinized for differences and similarities within them. In the fourth phase
of charting, we conducted an even more thorough and detailed investigation, leading
to the formation of the main meaning groups and a preliminary typology of
individual and organizational factors. Finally, in the fifth phase, factors were
re-examined and remodelled on the basis of third and fourth phases, and further
clarified the typology. And finally, after many reformulations and pattern matching
discussions, we formed the final typology by the analysis.
Table 2.  Pattern Matching (Individual)
Women Leaders (in coded nos.) Spoke about
Individual Subfactors Supporting the Advancement
No. Subfactors of these Women Leaders for Leadership Positions Linkages to Prior Literature
1 Home support C2, C3, C4, C8, C15, C16, C17 Crowley-Henry and Weir (2007), Jatana and Crowther (2007)
2 Mindset towards household work C2, C3, C5, C10, C13, C17 McKeen and Burke (1994)
3 Draw from early life experiences C7, C10, C11, C13, C20 McDermott et al. (2011)
4 Education C1, C2, C7, C8, C9, C11, C13, C20 Ezzedeen and Ritchey (2009)
5 Experience and competence C1, C2, C3, C6, C7, C8, C9, C10, C11, C13, C14, Gumbus and Grodzinsky (2004); Wentling (2003), Ezzedeen and Ritchey
C16, C17, C18, C20 (2009), Appelbaum et al. (2003)
6 Self-confidence C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C9, C10, C11, C12, Appelbaum et al. (2003)
C13, C14, C15, C16, C19, C20
7 Ambition C1, C4, C5, C7, C9, C11, C13, C17, C20 White et al. (1997), Metz (2004)
8 Emotion management C4, C11, C12, C14 McDermott et al. (2011)
9 Supportive family C1, C2, C5, C7, C8, C10, C12, C14, C15, C17, C20 White et al. (1997), Ezzedeen and Ritchey (2009)
10 Own strategies for continued working C1, C2, C9, C11, C20 McDermott et al. (2011), McKeen and Burke (1994), Ezzedeen and Ritchey
(2009)
11 Opportunity mindset C3, C5, C7, C12, C16 Crowley-Henry and Weir (2007), Wentling (2003), Srinivasan et al. (2013)
12 Seeking general managerial exposure C7, C11, C16, C17, C18, C20 Kilian, Hukai, and McCarty (2005)
13 Passion for own area of work C1, C10, C16 Ezzedeen and Ritchey (2009)
14 Risk taking for career shifts C1, C2, C6, C7, C8, C9, C12, C13, C15 Metz (2004), Wentling (2003), Ezzedeen and Ritchey (2009)
15 Voicing concerns assertively C2, C7, C10, C13, C16, C19  
16 Own zeal and learning agility C3, C4, C6, C7, C8, C9, C11, C13, C14, C16, C20 Souha R. Ezzedeen Kristen G. Ritchey (2009), Rose Mary Wentling (2003)
17 Tenacity and perseverance C19, C14 Souha R. Ezzedeen Kristen G. Ritchey (2009)
18 Authenticity C13, C16 Cabrera (2009)
19 Managerial skills C16, C15 Ronald J. Burke Carol A. Mc Keen (1994)
20 Adaptability C1, C2, C4, C6, C7, C9, C15, C20 Metz (2004)

Source:  Authors’ own research.

Bhattacharya et al. 9

Table 3. Pattern Matching (Organizational Factors)

Women Leaders (in coded

numbers) Spoke about
Organizational Subfactors
Supporting the Advancement
of these Women Leaders for
No. Subfactors Leadership Positions Linkages to Prior Literature
1 Leadership C8, C11, C15, C20 Deloitte (2014), Gupta et al.
development (1998), Lahtinen and Wilson
interventions (1994), Mattis (1995), Paul
Vanderbroeck (2010)
2 Senior C1, C7, C8, C16, C19 Gupta et al. (1998); McCarty
management et al(2005), Evans (2010),
support Mattis (1995)
3 Coaching and C3, C4, C18, C20 Gumbus and Grodzinsky
mentoring (2004), Gupta et al. (1998),
culture White et al. (1997), McCarty
et al. (2005), Cormier (2007),
Lahtinen and Wilson (1994),
Terrell and Rosenbusch (2013),
Ezzedeen and Ritchey (2009)
4 Encouragement C11, C20 Gumbus & Grodzinsky
to network (2004), McCarty et al.
(2005), Evans (2010),
Cormier (2007), Lahtinen
and Wilson (1994), Wentling
(2003), Singh, Terjesen, and
Vinnicombe (2006)
5 Family-friendly C5, C10, C14, C15, C17 McKeen and Burke (1994),
practices McCarty et al. (2005), Evans
(2010), Lahtinen and Wilson
(1994), Mattis (1995)
6 Workplace C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C9, McCarty et al. (2005),
flexibility C10, C11, C12, C13, C15, Lahtinen and Wilson (1994),
C16, C17, C18, C20 Mattis (1995)
7 Communication C4, C10, C11, C13, C15, Deloitte (2014), Evans (2010),
of gender C17, C18, C20 Cormier (2007)
Diversity vision
8 Gender C10, C13 McCarty Kilian et al. (2005),
sensitization Evans (2010),
Training
9 Internal C1, C7, C11, C16, C20 Gupta et al. (1998), Lahtinen
movements and Wilson (1994)
10 Support for C4, C7, C20 Gupta et al. (1998), McKeen
career plans and Burke (1994)
and moves
(Table 3 Continued)
10 South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management 5(2)

(Table 3 Continued)
Women Leaders (in coded
numbers) Spoke about
Organizational Subfactors
Supporting the Advancement
of these Women Leaders for
No. Subfactors Leadership Positions Linkages to Prior Literature
11 Talent C2, C10, C11, C19, C20 McCarty et al. (2005), Mattis
identification and (1995), Vanderbroeck (2010)
development
12 Promotion C1, C2, C4, C7, C8, C10, Ruderman, Ohlott and Kram
processes C12, C13, C15, C20 (1995)
13 High visibility C1, C8, C10, C11, C13 Gumbus & Grodzinsky
roles (2004), McKeen and Burke
(1994), McCarty et al. (2005),
Evans (2010), Terrell and
Rosenbusch (2013)
14 Functional and C8, C11, C12, C14, C15 McKeen and Burke (1994),
technical training Lahtinen and Wilson (1994)
15 Sponsors C1, C8, C9, C19 Deloitte (2014)
16 Managers who C2, C4, C5, C9, C11, C14, Ezzedeen and Ritchey (2009)
advance talent C20 McKeen and Burke (1994)
17 Women role C1, C7, C14, C17, C20 Evans (2010)
models
18 Equal C5, C7, C13 Cormier (2007), Jatana and
opportunity Crowther (2007)
Source:  Authors’ own research.

Table 4.  Themes and Sub-themes Identified

A. Individual Factors B. Organizational Factors
(Influence Characteristics) (Inclusion Characteristics)
Human Capital Diversity and Inclusion Practices
Self-confidence Workplace flexibility
Ambition Gender diversity vision
Risk taking Family-friendly practices
Emotion management Women role models
Own zeal and learning agility Gender sensitization training
Tenacity and perseverance Equal opportunity
Authenticity Leadership Commitment to
Adaptability Advance Women
Knowledge Skills and Competence Managers who advance talent
Experience and competence Sponsors
Education Senior management support
Managerial skills Talent Management Systems
Home and Family Variables Promotion processes
Supportive family Internal movements
Home support Talent identification and development
(Table 4 Continued)
Bhattacharya et al. 11

(Table 4 Continued)
A. Individual Factors
(Influence Characteristics)
Mindset towards household work
Personal Leadership
Seeing the big picture
Assertiveness and voice
Drawing from early life experiences
Own strategies for continued working
Opportunity mindset
Passion for own area of work
Source:  Authors’ own research.
B. Organizational Factors
(Inclusion Characteristics)
High visibility roles
Career planning and development
Networking opportunities
Capability Building Initiatives
Functional and technical training
Coaching and mentoring
Leadership development interventions

Findings
A cross-case analysis of all interviews revealed that for each of the woman leader
we interviewed, a set of individual factors and a set of organizational factors
certainly played a role in advancing them to leadership positions that they hold
today. Analysing the cases in a descriptive manner to determine whether they
followed similar courses helped in abstracting some subthemes and classify these
further into broad themes as summarized below.
Under individual factors, 4 main factors or themes and 20 subfactors or sub-themes
emerged that were perceived as enablers by the participants in advancing to a
leadership position (Tables 4, 2 and 3). Under organizational factors, 4 main factors or
themes and 18 subfactors or sub-themes emerged that were perceived as enablers by
the participants in advancing to a leadership position (Tables 1 and 2).

Individual Factors: Human and Social Capital Influence

Human and social–capital influence can be defined as how a person/woman
affects the organization, based on its authority and efficiency in certain roles it has
in an organization (Zelechowski & Bilimoria, 2003). This definition includes the
human capital of women—education, training skills, previous work experience,
and also individual social capital that influences how and to what extent a person
can influence others to create success (Bilimoria & Piderit, 2007). Numerous research
findings indicate that possessing human and social capital can help women to
develop careers, high level of education and specialization in a certain area can
help achieve greater influence in the organization (Ragins, Townsend, & Mattis,
1998). In our study, participants candidly shared various individual factors,
characteristics and traits that helped in their career success. They believe they
have leveraged these well to advance themselves in the organizations.
Following are the broad themes and sub-themes related to influence characteristics
which emerged from the study:

Human Capital
Risk-taking behaviour, self-confidence, never say die spirit, perceived high emotional
quotient are some of the characteristics these women felt helped them to reach
positions of influence within their firms.
12 South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management 5(2)

I think the other attribute would be taking risks. So I have taken a lot of risks in my
career journey. I started off working in finance […] So I think the ability to take that
risk and experiment with different things has broadened my experience a lot. The risks
I took because I moved from one role to the other, one country to another without […]
That gave me a lot of exposure, the experience which gave me a very firm foundation in
my career. (Vama, Head Customer Operations of a global shared services organization,
an MBA graduate and a divorcee located in Delhi NCR).

I did not look at obstacles. I knew I wanted to do it, so I just ignored them. Whether it
meant handling the kid, I never let guilt enter my mind. I want to do it my way; there
were a lot of obstacles like […] I clearly set the expectations from everyone around.
There are only certain areas where I can fulfill the expectations, as […] Not everywhere
I will be able to match up to your expectations because there are other aspirations in
life I have. (Priya, Vice President Rewards of a captive IT firm located in Pune. She is
a post graduate in Human Resource Management, mother of a child with dependent
parents-in-law).

Past studies confirm that woman’s attitude and self-confidence have a role in woman’s
leadership effectiveness (Appelbaum, Audet, & Miller, 2003). Learning agility,
ambition, risk taking, adaptability, perseverance and authenticity constitute the
human capital that enables career growth of women (Cabrera, 2009; Ezzedeen &
Ritchey, 2009; Metz, 2004; Wentling, 2003). McDermott, Kidney and Flood (2011)
highlighted how successful women could undertake the dual-strands of emotion-
management. In the present study, almost all participating women acknowledged
that it was their sheer self-confidence while dealing with the ups and downs of their
career and workplace situations that helped them keep up to the demands and climb
up the ladder to leadership positions of the organizations. Many participants in the
study passionately talked about how they enjoyed continuous learning to sharpen
their skills and considered this as a key ingredient to succeeding in the workplace.
These women also highlighted how having dreams and aspirations, set them
apart from others and helped them keep up their motivation throughout their career
milestones. They also shared how their adaptability and risk-taking attitude helped
them look at opportunities and leverage them for growth.

Knowledge Skills and Competence

In the present study, quite a few women touched upon the importance of education
in their journey upwards into leadership positions. These women leaders inter-
estingly also talked about the importance of building experience and competence
and sharpening managerial skills in advancing themselves. In doing so, most
women had not relied on organizational policies and systems, but on their initia-
tive and resourcefulness. Most successful women are lifelong learners.
See education cannot be taken for granted. I think women who have it in them
ensure that they get the right education as well. There are social deterrents and
reasons […] There is no age for education. (Reena, Global Productivity Head of
an IT services firm located in Pune, Reena is a mother of a young child and her
parents and in-laws are running businesses).
Bhattacharya et al. 13

Home and Family Variables

Support at home from family members and caretakers is an important constituent
of social capital that influences women’s career. Most of the women leaders in the
present study talked briefly or at length about how important it was to have a
supportive family, especially whenever job demands increased, and they were in
need of spending long hours at their workplaces. They also talked about how
important it was to build and strengthen home support systems which include
family, parents and in-laws or hired help like maids, cooks, drivers and nannies.
All these women either are supported by close relatives and the hired person helps
to take care of household chores and children.

I have got some processes that I apply to work, to get more efficient at work. I have
applied those processes at home as well. So it works like a clock, it’s almost like there is
business continuity plan for everything. If I am traveling, domestic help knows exactly
how to get there; they know who to go to if there is a problem. There has been a lot of
time spent in training hired help, reiterating the messages to make sure they understand.
But it is all, so process driven. So I just applied efficiency from work to home, and for
me, the home support system has been very good. (Madhu, Vice President and Business
Head of a large global ITES firm at National Capital Region with the responsibility to
take care of a child and old parents-in-law).

McKeen and Burke (1994) while exploring the characteristics of a woman-friendly

organization, mentioned the importance of right mindset towards household and the
difference it could make in the success of a woman’s career.
In this study too, many women gave examples of how changing their mindset
towards household work helped them attain the required balance and continue to
strive and succeed in the workplace.

I think somehow we define the home front in a feminine way. Gone are the days when
a woman would be responsible for all at home, I would say it is the equal responsibility
of the partners. You know my husband has been a great support, and yes living in a joint
family always helped. You know, it is something like you hire staff but you also have
the full-time support of family, and you don’t take those worries to work. (Ajeeta, Head
of HR of an IT product firm)

Personal Leadership
A working woman has to play a leadership role both at home and in the work-
place. They are required to maintain balance in role—switchover between work
and home. Childhood family environment and upbringing helps in imbibing
leadership quality. Participants in the study passionately shared their childhood
influences which include hard work, difficult times, the role of parents, family
and environment where they were brought up, etc. They shared how they could
draw from early life experiences in a manner that helped them succeed and
advance themselves enhancing their coping mechanisms and strategies to navigate
their career successfully.
14 South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management 5(2)

My childhood was really difficult; I lost my father when I was in school in seventh
grade and mother was not working at that time. She was a very strong woman, […]
So honestly, childhood was not great, we faced a lot of ups and downs […], So obviously
my aim was I become independent earn money and make my mother happy. That was
my thinking in my mind, and I think today that’s why I am here. (Shubhi, Director
Quality at an IT product firm)

Women leaders in the present study talked about how their macro understanding
of industry and business and ability to see the bigger picture played an important
role in their journey to leadership positions.
Past research indicates that assertiveness in women does not serve them
well for their promotions and growth. This is because communal qualities that
people associate with women, such as warmth and selflessness diverge from the
agentic qualities, such as assertiveness and instrumentality that people perceive
as characteristic of successful leaders (Eagly & Carli, 2003). However, in our
study, this came out as a strong contributing factor to the advancement of
women in the context of Indian IT sector. Most participants talked about how it
was important to assert personal leadership by demonstrating assertiveness and
by having a voice.

I am okay to voice out and say to peers or seniors alike—“Hey I am not going to
accept bad language to be used when I am on the call, so I will hang up, once you
guys are finished abusing each other, let me know and I will dial back.” And I did
that right from day one. So I think if you went out and asked somebody who works
with me how do you describe Madhu—the first thing they will say is “no-nonsense.”
And that I think is important. (Madhu, Senior Vice President, and Business Head,
in a large global ITES firm).

Organizational Factors: Inclusion

Inclusion in an organizational sense can be defined as a way to determine how
well a woman is integrated into the organizational environment (Zelechowski &
Bilimoria, 2003). A woman who is part of an inclusive organizational environ-
ment can express her talents and skills fully. This environment is characterized
by norms that are independent of gender stereotypes, and career development
support that is based on professional skills and abilities and ensures professional–
private life balance (Bilimoria & Piderit, 2007). The research has shown that
numerous organizational barriers like lack of training opportunities, career
development, promotion and financial benefits can have a negative impact on
career advancement for women, irrespective of her traits (Oakley, 2000). Those
organizational factors that support women to develop their skills and knowledge
to advance in their career path are referred to as “Inclusion Characteristics”.
Inclusion is a very important category to consider in the understanding of career
development for women, as the only personal influence of a woman is not
enough to advance her career if she is in a non-inclusive organizational environment
(Bilimoria & Piderit, 2007).
Bhattacharya et al. 15

Diversity and Inclusion Practices

As has been found in earlier studies (Lahtinen & Wilson, 1994; Mattis, 1995;
McCarty, Dawn, & McCarty, 2005), women in IT/ITES sector would prefer some
flexibility in their work life to cater to their needs. Majority of the participants talked
about the fact that flexibility available to them on location, timings or shifts, etc.
went a long way to help them cope with increasing home and office responsibilities
at certain life stages like marriage and motherhood.

Workplace flexibility always helps to a great extent. In my firm, we enjoy the flexibility
of work hours, you know, when we can step out whenever we want, and we come
back, as long as work is getting done, there are no hard and fast rules to working hours.
(Ajeeta, Head HR in an IT product firm)

Madhu, Senior Vice President, and Business Head, in a large global ITES firm,
shares how she had a constraint to be in a specific city and was allowed to operate
in that city handling a global role, with extensive travel to other locations. This
helped her grab the opportunity to play a leadership role in higher visibility and
accountability in her organization.
They allowed me to do multiple senior roles while staying in Pune and
managing it. They are accommodating and gave me that flexibility.
Majority of women leaders also focused on the importance of family-friendly
policies in helping them juggle responsibilities in their vulnerable life stages.
Most of them also highlighted how they believed that their advancement to
leadership positions was enabled by the fact that their employers gave equal
opportunity and always took efforts to attract, retain and grow employees of
both genders. Another strong theme that emerged during interaction and analysis
was opportunities to work in various roles to get a broad perspective and leader-
ship exposure which later helped them prepare for leadership positions of
their choice.
Many of the past and present employers of these women had a gender diversity
vision either articulated or implicit, and essentially it meant that these women
experienced proactive actions for supporting their advancement towards the role
of decision-making processes. Participants also talked about how they believed
that sensitization programmes for their male managers and colleagues helped in
providing an enabling environment for them to grow.

I have seen a lot of role models in my career, and when I joined, it was a very women-
centric organization set up by a female who was the CEO. So we were quite used to
having women in leadership roles not in support functions but business roles. So we
had two CEOs who were women, and they were from different cultures. A British lady
who […], an American lady […] a French-Tunisian lady who was again the COO of
an Indian organization. So I think there were many types of role models which then
removed barriers for female colleagues. There was no internal barrier to tell them that
you cannot be a business leader. So I got a lot of encouragement from female business
leaders. (Aanya, Global Head Strategic Communications an ITES firm in Pune, is a
single mother staying with parents.)
16 South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management 5(2)

Leadership Commitment to Advance Women

Many studies like Gupta et al. (1998), McCarty et al. (2005), Evans (2010) and
Mattis, (1995) pointed out the importance of senior management commitment
and support towards having more women in leadership layers and towards creating an
enabling environment for women. Deloitte’s (2014) study also highlighted how
sponsors holding status and power within organizations could help advocate
women talent and advance them within organizations.
The interaction with women leaders in the current study revealed how important
it was for their advancement to have supportive, encouraging managers who had
confidence in their ability and supported them with challenging roles. These man-
agers believed in advancing the talents in their respective teams. Equally important
was the senior leadership commitment and support towards advancing their careers.
Few examples were about how leadership positions were created for them, and it
was followed up with support and encouragement. Few of them also talked about
how they faced different obstacles in their leadership journey but could overcome
them as they had sponsors within their organizations who ensured they do not get
derailed in their careers due to setbacks.

Like, I will give you an example of how I started with US transfer agency. US transfer
agency is […] we work in evening hours, and being a female employee not many opt
for it, and I have a family, I had a little girl at that time and now have two little girls.
Of course, I would give a lot of credit to my supervisor also because he has been
observing me and assessing me and he wanted to know my opinion about this oppor-
tunity. I had my apprehensions, so I said no thank you, It will be difficult and then he
asked me a second time. I said I would think about it, and then again he asked for the
third time. Then I spoke to husband, and he said—Okay take it, we will figure it out.
I took it. There was so much of opportunity to learn in that role. (Vina, Vice President
Service Delivery in a global ITES firm in Pune)

Talent Management Systems

Many of the women in the present study were identified as a talent with high
potential, and they enjoyed high visibility roles, challenging assignments,
global travel opportunities that made them more ready for leadership positions.
Some of these women shared that their organizations could provide a platform
for networking which tremendously helped them in their career milestones.
Few of them also experienced structured career planning and development
programmes.

I am unfortunately not one of those people who can stay in a role for too long. Because
of the amount of effort, time and energy I put in to […]. So you are constantly saying,
‘now what?’ And that’s when I say there is always a negotiation. I go through with my
CEO that I will do it for two years, and I will do it for three years. Therefore he knows
that before that time is over, he is going to come back and offer me a new job or he
Bhattacharya et al. 17

knows I will go back and say ‘what happened?’. (Madhu, Sr. VP and Business Head in
a large global ITES firm).

Most women in the study mentioned meritocracy, fair promotions and rewards as
a significant enabler that their employers offered which helped them prove their
mettle and forge ahead in leadership positions.

Capability-building Initiatives
Lahtinen and Wilson (1994) studied women and power in organizations and
recommended ways to create positive stereotypes of women which in turn would
help them take powerful positions within the organizations. This study highlighted
the importance of various training interventions, coaching and mentoring initiatives
and other leadership development interventions. Gumbus and Grodzinsky (2004)
identified mentoring of women by other senior women to be an important factor
of advancement opportunities for women in the field of information and communi-
cation technology.
Most women leaders in the present study mentioned how various capability-
building initiatives along their career journey helped them advance into leadership
positions. These included functional and technical training, leadership development
interventions, coaching and mentoring. They talked about personal examples of
how functional and technical training contributed towards sharpening their expertise
and helped them stay relevant as they took up higher responsibilities and account-
abilities. Many of them also mentioned how mentoring and coaching provided
them insights to persevere and groom themselves for leadership roles.

Discussion
The growth of IT and ITES has opened up career opportunities in India. It is one of
the most preferred destinations for educated urban women. This sector relies on the
supply of quality talent with good functional and leadership skills. Still, only a
handful of women are able to reach the leadership positions. Hence, it is important
to tap available talent pool by attracting and advancing women into leadership
positions. This qualitative study focused on the influence of individual factors
(social and human capital influence) and organization factors (inclusion) on the
advancement of women leaders in the IT and ITES sector in India.
Particular attention was paid to their workplace experiences and how they
have leveraged these factors while climbing the ladder of the organizations.
We observe that these women leaders came from a middle-class background and
had ample access to basic education. They were placed outside the place of birth.
The fact that their parents focused on their education and allowed them to take up
opportunities to move out of their home cities to study and work also added to
their success.
The individual characteristics such as human capital, which include risk-taking
behaviour, emotional maturity, self-confidence are some of the components of
18 South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management 5(2)

human capital which are of significance for career advancement of women. A study
by Vinnicombe and Singh (2011) also indicated the importance of human capital for
women to overcome workplace barriers. Studies of Isabel Metz (2004) and Ruth
Sealy (2010) also confirmed human capital as a factor influencing career growth
of women in the service sector in the context of developed nations like the UK.
Learning orientation and education are enablers for career advancement.
Organizations should facilitate learning and development opportunities for potential
women employees to enable their growth in a leadership position. Women from
business families also ventured out to gain experience and acquire knowledge
to develop business acumen. In a qualitative study, Ezzedeen and Ritchey (2009)
discovered how a sample of executive women managed to advance through profes-
sional support that included education and experience even under family constrains.
Burke and McKeen (1994) explored linkages of training and development activities
and career success of managerial women and found management development
initiatives as a strong influencer of career success of women. Most of these women
have been helping hand at home. Family support and a helping hand in the form of
maid and aptness to train and manage them reduce the emotional tug of war to main-
tain work–life balance and helps women realize their career goals. Ezzedeen and
Ritchey’s (2009) study revealed the complex components essential for the career
success of women in at work, which includes “relational coping mechanisms” such
as social support, planned career and family decisions over the life course, and specific
values and beliefs vis-à-vis career and family.
Crowley-Henry and Weir (2007) highlighted the importance of family support
and home support systems like childminder, childcare options for a professional
woman to balance work and home responsibilities and focus on career growth.
Studies by McKeen and Burke (1994) and Jatana and Crowther (2007) further
corroborate the importance of family and social support for working women.
Personal leadership qualities such as assertiveness, passion for work, ability to
maintain a balance between work and social life are also antecedents for women’s
advancement. This is largely influenced by upbringing and family environment.
There are some studies (Eagly & Carli, 2003) which indicate that assertiveness
may be a hindrance to the advancement of women in a leadership position, but our
sample of women leaders from IT/ITES sector perceives this to be as an enabler.
A study by Crowley-Henry and Weir (2007) reveals the importance of the ability
to transform as time determined the life focus from career to children to changing
career direction in the narratives. Development themes identified in the study by
McDermott et al. (2011) included using the drive to make the most of early
life and career experiences, developing personal strategies to attain balance—
knowing that one cannot do it alone, being selective about how one works, main-
taining the substance of one’s leadership and tailoring one’s style. A study by
Evans (2010) highlights the importance of women taking up general managerial
exposure for a broader understanding of business. A study by Ezzedeen and
Ritchey (2009) highlights that women who can balance work and family most of
the time display a distinct passion for their work and are successful.
The organizational factors and inclusivity policies which facilitate advance-
ment of women in career path are visionary outlooks of inclusivity policy such as
Bhattacharya et al. 19

flexibility in terms of location and time, encouragement and recognition from top
management, non-discriminatory talent management processes; capability building
measures such as leadership training and exposure to international market will
facilitate women to reach leadership position in organization. Past studies have
also revealed the importance of diversity and inclusion practices for advancing
women talent further in their careers. Cormier (2007) and Jatana and Crowther
(2007) stated the importance of being an equal opportunity employer. Evans
(2010) in his findings mentioned how having a gender diversity vision—creating
women role models and sensitizing managers around gender biases—creates an
environment for women leaders to thrive. McCarty (2005) has emphasized how
eliminating inequities and stereotypes is not just the right thing to do but may also
have to play a role in advancing women.
Gumbus and Grodzinsky (2004), McCarty et al. (2005) and Evans (2010) had
also identified few organizational enablers for career success and growth of
women at workplaces like high visibility assignments, career planning and devel-
opment and networking opportunities. A study by Mattis (1995) throws light on
successful initiatives that are known for breaking the glass ceiling and highlights
early identification of high-potential women. A study of challenges and opportu-
nities of Indian women managers by Gupta et al. (1998) indicates the importance
of career development programmes and job rotations to advance women.

Conclusion
By studying the experiences of Indian women leaders in the target sector and by
qualitative analysis of the data, the article draws out a set of individual and organi-
zational factors which significantly contribute to the advancement of women in
the chosen context. When these women look at factors which were at play as they
advanced in their careers, the majority of them talked about their self-confidence
to take up challenges, overcome difficulties and deliver in complex, ambiguous
settings. The women in leadership position in IT/ITES sector look forward to
senior women leaders in the organization for inspiration, encouragement, and
support, as has been observed by Gulhati (1990). For most participants, giving
up their career completely was not a choice at all, rather it was either balancing
career and family or it was prioritizing career demands over other responsibilities.
While these women believed that their success was influenced by many individual
factors, they equally appreciated the role that their current and past workplaces
played in grooming them for leadership positions. The organizational factors that
these women leveraged to advance themselves were not always in the form of
formal policies, initiatives and mechanisms. Some of these were elements of
the organization culture like support from senior management, supervisors and
informal opportunities to network and showcased one’s work to senior colleagues.
And interestingly many talked about how they were flexible, adaptable and tenacious
enough to make these enablers work for them, which converge with thoughts of
Mehra (2002) who emphasized that women’s special talents and competencies
need to be recognized with some flexibility, helping them to attend to their family
responsibilities.
20 South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management 5(2)

Individual factors Organizational factors

(Influence) (Inclusion)
• Human capital • Diversity and inclusion
• Knowledge skills and practices
competence Advancement
of women to • Leadership commit-
• Home and family ment to advance
variables leadership
positions women
• Personal leadership • Talent management
systems
• Capability building
initiatives

Figure 1.  Framework of Resultant Model

This detailed interview-based qualitative study with specific focus on Indian

IT sector contributes to the existing literature available around career advance-
ment of women to leadership positions. It may be beneficial for striving women
in this sector to take cues from the leadership journey of current women leaders
and understand how they leveraged individual factors and organizational factors
to advance to leadership positions. Organizations may also benefit from deeper
understanding of the factors that go into creating an enabling culture for having
more women in leadership positions. The final framework of the resultant model
is given in Figure 1.
This article provides valuable, insightful thoughts of women leaders in this sector
in India on the given issue. Further research is suggested to include other sectors in
the study as well. It may also be worthwhile and interesting to conduct a comparative
study between women leaders of different sectors and geographies to draw common-
alities in their journey to leadership. This study looks into the issue of advancement
of women to leadership positions from the perspective of women on this journey.
It would be interesting to look at the issue from the perspective of their supervisors,
peers, subordinates and family members, in future research. The limitation of this
study is that it is based on the success stories of only 20 women leaders in the
IT/ITES sector and would require a survey on a larger sample before generalization.
However, it has helped in identifying the individual and organizational factors
which have been the determinants of the career advancement of women leaders in
the sector and would also help in the development of a structured questionnaire
which then can be used for quantitative analysis on a larger sample.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, author-
ship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication
of this article.
Bhattacharya et al. 21

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