Exploring the Transition to Senior Leadership for Women: A Comparative Study of Female Senior Leaders from South Africa and Mauritius

Abstract

This study explores the lived experiences of 28 women from South Africa and Mauritius women who have successfully transitioned from middle management into senior leadership roles. From the data, “The Pathways into Leadership model was developed and illustrates that career transitions were a continuous process within three interrelated contexts: the broad societal context, the organizational context, and the individual context. Each phase of the model represents the critical enablers and roadblocks for women’s career success in leadership.