Intersectional identities and career progression in retail: The experiences of minority‐ethnic women

Kele, Juliet Elizabeth; Cassell, Catherine; Ford, Jacqueline; Watson, Kathryn

Abstract

Contributing to scholarship on diversity and inclusion (D&I) and careers within UK retailing, this paper documents the lived experiences of minority-ethnic women working in retail. Given the extensive research on both the career obstacles faced by women in a highly feminized sector and the disadvantages experienced by minority-ethnic workers in the UK labor market more broadly, consideration of social identity categories beyond gender and their impact on retailing careers in the existing literature is limited. Here we use intersectionality theory to explain how individual-level identity categories, such as gender, ethnicity and religion, intersect with wider organisational practices, which disadvantage the career progression of minority-ethnic women in UK retail. In a service-driven sector dependent upon consumers, we conclude that there is a need to consider intersectional identity experiences and power relations within the customer-employee relationship, as this disproportionately affects minority-ethnic women and the realization of their career goals in retail.

Citation

Kele, J. E., Cassell, C., Ford, J., & Watson, K. (2022). Intersectional identities and career progression in retail: The experiences of minority‐ethnic women. Gender, Work and Organization, 29(4), 1178-1198. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12830

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 27, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Mar 25, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022-07
• Deposit Date: May 31, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 21, 2023
• Journal: Gender, Work & Organization
• Print ISSN: 0968-6673
• Electronic ISSN: 1468-0432
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 29
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 1178-1198
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12830
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1203326