PhD Oral Exam - Lihui Zhang, Management

When studying for a doctoral degree (PhD), candidates submit a thesis that provides a critical review of the current state of knowledge of the thesis subject as well as the student’s own contributions to the subject. The distinguishing criterion of doctoral graduate research is a significant and original contribution to knowledge.

Once accepted, the candidate presents the thesis orally. This oral exam is open to the public.

Abstract

This research captures the lived experiences of eight women middle managers in Québec’s Health and Social Service System (HSSS) and makes recommendations for changes that will support them in their multiple roles, while fostering their psychological well-being. A qualitative inquiry research approach was used to study how women middle managers navigate their professional and private roles, in a public organization where women comprise the majority of the employees and middle managers. Additionally, it explores the opportunities and barriers that these women face in a context where family-friendly policies such as parental leave, affordable daycare, and pay equity have existed for over two decades.

All study participants were white French-Canadian mothers, except one who was a mother-to-be. The research revealed that they felt overextended and that the superwoman syndrome is still alive and well, reinforced by unrealistic organizational and societal expectations grounded in the gendered segregation of both paid and unpaid work. Although these women were highly educated, they still followed the societal norms concerning their domestic, caregiver, and emotional roles, trying to adapt and “do it all” at the expense of their own health and psychological well-being.

The implications of this study show that persistent gender segregation in paid and unpaid work spheres leaves women and mothers squeezed for time and, thus, may be both a barrier to greater labour force participation and a bottom-up barrier to women’s upward mobility in management. Further research is required to understand this issue better and its impact on the lived experiences of women in their daily lives, their feelings and fear of exhaustion, and their inability to take on additional responsibility in management and leadership positions.