Examining Mothers' Return-to-Work Experiences Following Maternity Leave and the Perceived Impact on Their Careers
ABSTRACTEXAMINING MOTHERS’ RETURN-TO-WORK EXPERIENCES FOLLOWING MATERNITY LEAVE AND THE PERCEIVED IMPACT ON THEIR CAREERS Rebecca Clanton Marsha Richardson As more women attempt to balance their careers with family life, those returning to work from maternity leave in the United States confront significant personal and professional challenges. Research on work-related travel in this context is limited. This qualitative study explores the return-to-work experiences and perceptions of 16 U.S. biological mothers whose jobs require travel following maternity leave. The purpose of this study is threefold. It strives to: 1) increase awareness of mothers’ return-to-work experiences that can inform practical interventions for individuals, leaders and organizations, 2) examine the impact of mothers’ perceptions and experiences on their careers, and 3) advance gender equity by providing rich insights that help women advance to all levels of the leadership pipeline. Data were gathered through 75-minute semi-structured interviews and Photovoice methods. These methods give voice to an underrepresented population in current research, mothers who travel for work, and provide a multi-dimensional understanding of the impact of post-maternity leave experiences on working mothers’ careers. The data are analyzed using a hybrid, inductive and deductive thematic approach. The study results suggest that mothers feel tension between their motherhood and professional identities, have an increased mental load, and experience intense emotions when they return to work. Also, their self-perceptions and how they perceive others view them have short and long-term impacts on their careers and motherhood.
Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Organizational Behavior and Theory, Management Sciences
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