Exploring the Positioning of Women Early Career Researchers Holding Managerial Roles

Abstract

This study aims to expand the knowledge about the link between the positioning of women ECR managers and their coping strategies. The study is based on how women leaders in various higher education settings encounter positioning issues in the management process. Three women early-career researchers from different universities in Turkiye participated in the study. All had held managerial positions at three different universities in Türkiye. The data obtained from interviews with them were transcribed and analyzed thematically. The analysis revealed three types of positioning: social, talent/potential-oriented, and managerial function-oriented. The participants' positioning problems were categorized into four themes: cultural, managerial, physical/psychological health, and career/personal life. The study also identified four themes for the participants' repositioning strategies: managerial, interactional/social, avoidance, and emotional strategies.