Despite the economic imperative to effectively empower and harness women’s talents, gender-related barriers continue to hinder women’s career paths. Existing theoretical models do not sufficiently take into account the complex interplay between individual proactivity and contextual factors such as family commitments, career breaks and stereotypes, often ignoring the fact that women still play a central role in family care.
The project explores sustainable career development for women in Lithuania and Italy. As the Global Talent Competitiveness Index(2023) reveals, the significant differences in women’s career opportunities in these countries point to the need to compare the opportunities and barriers in these different countries. Thus, both universal and context-specific challenges will be highlighted, in particular patriarchal attitudes, which are still present and strong in Italy. By studying both countries, the project strengthens the research methodology, allowing the proposed model to be tested and adapted, increasing its validity and wider applicability.
The overarching aim is to develop and validate a conceptual model of women’s sustainable career crafting, by examining the predictive role of individual and contextual factors, and to provide evidence-based recommendations for promoting sustainable career paths for women in different cultural contexts, based on empirical research in Lithuania and Italy. This research will provide evidence-based recommendations for organizations to implement more inclusive and supportive policies, fostering positive work environments, and enabling women to unlock their full potential.
Project funding:
Research Council of Lithuania, Projects of Postdoctoral fellowships funded by the state budget of the Republic of Lithuania
Project results:
The main outcome of the research project will be a developed and validated conceptual model of women’s sustainable career development, which reveals the predictive significance of individual and contextual factors, as well as recommendations based on empirical research conducted in Lithuania and Italy, aimed at promoting the development of women’s sustainable career pathways across different cultural contexts.
Three stakeholder groups for whom the results of this study are relevant are:
The scientific community. Research on sustainable careers is still an emerging field, in which the need for empirical studies is particularly emphasized. This study will contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge on women’s sustainable careers, and the developed conceptual model, as well as the quantitative and qualitative instruments, may be applied in future research.
Organizational leaders and human resource management professionals. Empirically grounded recommendations will support organizations in implementing more sustainable career opportunities, trajectories, and working conditions for women in the workplace.
Women. The results of the study are particularly important for women themselves, as they provide opportunities to develop meaningful career directions. An understanding of the various factors influencing sustainable careers may help women more easily achieve a balance between productivity, health, and well-being (happiness).
Period of project implementation: 2025-11-03 - 2027-11-02
Project coordinator: Kaunas University of Technology
