Illuminating Life Choices: A Multiple Case Study of Female Corporate Executives Regarding Their Feelings Toward Work and Personal Life

The work/life balance literature indicates several variables that contribute to the average woman's decision to remain in the workforce, ranging from a need for financial stability to spousal approval/disapproval to personal satisfaction and the internal drive to succeed (Werbel, 1998). Because female executives are still quite rare, the literature may overlook the choices made by this particular cross-section of the working population. However, the percentage of women in high-powered positions is likely to grow in the next few years, as more and more women enter corporations with the intention of breaking the glass ceiling. Illuminating the reasons for the decisions of women who came before can only serve to benefit those who follow.