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Navigating Career Change: A Phenomenological Study of Married Women in India

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  • Sowmya S.
  • Ruth Angiel Padiri

Abstract

Balancing career and family responsibilities, often with limited support, leads many married women to leave their jobs or experience significant burnout, prompting some to pursue a complete career change. While much research has focused on women’s career re-entry and challenges, the experiences of married Indian women who have successfully changed careers remain underexplored. The present study addresses this gap by examining the career change process among Indian married women. Using purposive sampling, seven women who made a career change were interviewed with a semi-structured approach, and results were analyzed through the interpretative phenomenological approach. The study identified five key themes: self-determined decision-making, transforming challenges into opportunities, the perceived advantage of gender, deprioritizing financial gains and a nurturing ecosystem. This study expands the theoretical understanding of married Indian women’s career changes, emphasizing self-determined processes influenced by sociocultural factors, autonomy and support systems while reframing career breaks as transformative opportunities for growth. The study emphasizes continuous career exploration, leveraging personal strengths, and offers practical guidance for counsellors and women to navigate transitions and harness career changes for growth and opportunity.

Suggested Citation

  • Sowmya S. & Ruth Angiel Padiri, 2025. "Navigating Career Change: A Phenomenological Study of Married Women in India," Paradigm, , vol. 29(1), pages 96-114, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:padigm:v:29:y:2025:i:1:p:96-114
    DOI: 10.1177/09718907251346552
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Afridi, Farzana & Dinkelman, Taryn & Mahajan, Kanika, 2016. "Why Are Fewer Married Women Joining the Work Force in India? A Decomposition Analysis over Two Decades," IZA Discussion Papers 9722, IZA Network @ LISER.
    2. Rudolph, Cort W. & Allan, Blake & Clark, Malissa & Hertel, Guido & Hirschi, Andreas & Kunze, Florian & Shockley, Kristen & Shoss, Mindy & Sonnentag, Sabine & Zacher, Hannes, 2021. "Pandemics: Implications for research and practice in industrial and organizational psychology," Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(1-2), pages 1-35, June.
    3. Rajeshwari Gwal, 2016. "Working Women: Career Breaks and Re-entry in a Fast-changing Business Environment," Metamorphosis: A Journal of Management Research, , vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, June.
    4. Sarkar, Sudipa & Sahoo, Soham & Klasen, Stephan, 2019. "Employment transitions of women in India: A panel analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 291-309.
    5. Swati Singh & Sita Vanka, 2021. "Career Break, Not a Brake on Career: A Study of the Reasons and Enablers of Women’s Re-entry to Technology Careers in India," Business Perspectives and Research, , vol. 9(2), pages 195-214, May.
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