Perceptions of sponsoring as a career advancement tool for women: Are they different in Europe?

Abstract

The current understanding of sponsoring as an impactful tool for the career advancement of women is based on predominantly US based research. There is a lack of insight into the perceptions of sponsoring outside of the US, despite evidence that such differences may exist. This qualitative study explored the perceptions of sponsoring in Europe utilising interviews with 11 participants. Findings draw attention to how sponsoring is understood and valued by the participants in comparison with mentoring. The findings expand the existing body of sponsoring literature, reveal some previously unexplored issues, open up areas of possible research and present implications for practice.