THE LUCKY ONES? A narrative approach to how top women managed to reach the top of Dutch organizations

Abstract

Despite the many barriers for women to achieve career success, a small number of women managed to reach the top of Dutch organizations. These top women perceive their success partly as luck or coincidence. This research aims to investigate this perspective and therefore explores how top women managed to reach the top of Dutch organizations. By means of a narrative approach, perspectives and life stories can be best studied, therefore top women were interviewed using this approach. The data analysis showed that independence, drive & ambition and support were important for their career success. Top women were brought up as independent women, felt drive & ambition from a young age and were supported by their parents. Today, they are independent women, they go for their own drive & ambition and they make sure that their environment supports them in this. In addition, top women have benefitted from inclusive organizations that encourage their drive & ambition and have inclusive policies. Eventually, it appears that top women are little influenced by stereotypes. That started during their non-stereotypical upbringing, but has resulted in top women who do not attach much value to what is expected from them.