Struttura e avanzamento di carriera in cardiologia in Italia

Women are less present in the labour market and many studies have demonstrated the existence of gender differences regarding participation rate and career advancement of women. The process through wich job-, career- and research-related choices are structured within the realm of Italian cardiology, is described in this study emphasizing the effects of productivity, gender and family commitments. In June 1996, a questionnaire was mailed to all members (8000) of the Italian society of cardiology. It included mainly (pre-coded) set-choice concerning individual characteristics, career-related data, and information pertaining to teaching, scientific and research activity. Returned questionnaires numbered 1715 (21.4% of the total mailed), 83% were completed by men and 17% by women. For both hospital and academic careers, advancement in rank was influenced by variables denoting productivity, family and individual characteristics. However, men and women showed slightly different patterns. Promotion to upper ranks of hierarchy was highly dependent upon time (once the effects of the covariates were eliminated). This situation is typical of the internal labour market, that is, in institutions in which staff members are ranked on a hierarchical scale according to formal criteria that are ‘rigid’ and institutionalized, partially sheltered from competition. Therefore, once member has gained access to the bottom of the hierarchy, the professional career is ‘pre-determined’ and seniority has an appreciable influence on promotion decisions; in this context, women appear to be at a disadvantage.