Search

This study aims at contributing to gender equity research and strategies by investigating a primary research question: “What are the lived experiences of millennial women holding knowledge positions in South African metropolises that lead them to leave their organizations?” Stemming from this, this study also investigated what the experience of resigning felt like for the women, and the second secondary research question was: “Do different identities play a role in different experiences?” Finally, this study also intends to add value to organizations by identifying mechanisms that could be used to retain millennial women in their organizational structures. A hermeneutic phenomenology methodology in an interpretivist paradigm was employed, by making use of semi-structured interviews and written reflections from a purposive sample size of 25 English-speaking women who were working but had resigned from a knowledge position in the last five years, and resided in the metropolises of Gauteng or the Western Cape (two main economic hubs of South Africa). Six themes were identified: (1) toxic leadership and environment, (2) identity discrimination, (3) growth desires, (4) voice suppression, (5) inadequate rewards and recognition, and (6) unrealistic expectations to perform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]