Leiden University Student Repository

Hermouet, Anais Marie 2016

Understanding the influence of Culture in the workplace: a sociological critic to the existing discourse and approach chosen in Management Studies

Bachelor thesis | International Studies (BA)

closed access

Over the past decades, both business studies (and in particular management studies) and social sciences have increasingly emphasized the importance of the individual and thus how Culture influences...Show moreOver the past decades, both business studies (and in particular management studies) and social sciences have increasingly emphasized the importance of the individual and thus how Culture influences individual particularities. Yet, a dichotomy is today flagrant between how social sciences approach the term 'Culture' and the characteristics given to it in management studies. A new term even emerged when relating to the workplace, 'diversity'. However, almost ironically, the definition of diversity is closer to the modern sociological term of 'culture'. While 'Culture' as defined in management studies remains clearly based on studies from the end of the 20th Century. This paper addresses this central divergence, approaching the why and how it could be problematic to reduce the complexity of culture, especially concerning individuals and the workplace, as compared to sociological findings on the subject.Show less

Zwart, Annette A. 2016

Japanese Women and Career Advancement: the Road to Success - Mapping out the experiences of Japanese women in managerial positions

Master thesis | Asian Studies (60 EC) (MA)

closed access

The purpose of this research is to examine what distinguishes Japanese women who have attained managerial positions from those who haven't, with a specific focus on social capital. The main...Show moreThe purpose of this research is to examine what distinguishes Japanese women who have attained managerial positions from those who haven't, with a specific focus on social capital. The main question is “How did Japanese women in managerial positions negotiate their surroundings and utilized their social capital for their career advancement?”, which we have attempted to answer through the conduct of through life-history research. We found that all informants were supported by their parents in various life choices, such as education and job perspectives. This equipped them not only with the cultural capital needed to find employment, but we also suggest this has influenced their attitude towards work and may have provided them with certain non-cognitive skills that helped them in their career advancement. Moreover, the roles of social networks became particularly explicit in the context of negotiating childcare with the full-time job responsibilities. It was however not a matter of expanding the network, but strengthening the already existing ties that was essential for these women. Finally, we saw that the composition of the family also played a significant role in the women's career advancement: in particular the husband's occupation and help from the parents enabled working mothers to combine their careers with childrearing activities.Show less