Women in banking: A comparative perspective on the integration myth

Abstract

This article reports on the results of two similar surveys conducted with professional women bankers, one in the USA and the other in Turkey, to explore socio-economic backgrounds, attitudes towards work, and the nature of the support they receive as such. It also describes the views of women bankers in both cultures with reference to sexual discrimination in the workplace and also their varying levels of job satisfaction and frustration. In the last decade, the number of professional women has increased substantially in the workplace. In particular, women have made significant advancements in the banking industry[l], where 190 of them serve as Presidents at the 14,000 banks in the US, and where the number of them serving as executives has tripled over the last decade. A similar trend also exists in Turkey[2]. The number of women bankers has increased since 1971, and these women have high potential for promotion to executive positions. Because banks are major employers of women, women bankers represent an important case study. Studying women and their professional advancement in banks will provide guidelines for other women professionals striving to achieve professional advancement. A comparative study will help to expand the boundaries of knowledgeability about the advancement of professional women bankers to an international level.