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Ruby Roy Dholakia: autobiographical reflections of a female marketing academic

Ruby Roy Dholakia: autobiographical reflections of a female marketing academic PurposeIn a very personal reflection, this paper aims to trace the academic trajectory of a female marketing academic in a very male-dominated discipline. It also highlights the struggle balancing work and family, as well as protecting an immigrant identity in a foreign culture.Design/methodology/approachGiven the period and unique conditions of the author’s academic journey, this highly personal retrospective account is based on recall of significant events that have shaped my singular experience. It attempts to capture the experience of an immigrant female novice navigating not only a foreign culture but also a very male-dominant discipline.FindingsWhile times have changed and gender barriers are lower today, challenges remain. In addition, the set of choices faced by women with partners in the same discipline differ significantly and complicate the family-work balance decisions. There is no one set of path that can be followed.Practical implicationsWhile there is a professional cost to deviating from the mainstream, pursuing alternatives to the dominant topics is vital to advancing the health and relevance of the marketing discipline. The relationships between marketing and development have been an important topic for me; however, these macromarketing topics continue to be neglected. Given the current socio-economic-political conditions globally, perhaps future marketing scholars will devote greater attention to these topics.Originality/valueThis is purely the author’s personal reflection of a journey that began accidentally. It also occurred in the 1970s when women were rare in the business world, particularly business academia. It offers a retrospective comparison to male peers who, aside from their individual talents and history (Belk, 2017; Firat, 2014; Holbrook, 2017), were achieving their professional goals at a similar period. It also provides some historical context that can be compared to experiences of other female pioneers in marketing academia and marketing practice (Bolton, 2017; Tadajewski and Maclaran, 2013; Zeithaml, 2017). http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Historical Research in Marketing Emerald Publishing

Ruby Roy Dholakia: autobiographical reflections of a female marketing academic

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Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN
1755-750X
DOI
10.1108/JHRM-12-2018-0062
Publisher site
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Abstract

PurposeIn a very personal reflection, this paper aims to trace the academic trajectory of a female marketing academic in a very male-dominated discipline. It also highlights the struggle balancing work and family, as well as protecting an immigrant identity in a foreign culture.Design/methodology/approachGiven the period and unique conditions of the author’s academic journey, this highly personal retrospective account is based on recall of significant events that have shaped my singular experience. It attempts to capture the experience of an immigrant female novice navigating not only a foreign culture but also a very male-dominant discipline.FindingsWhile times have changed and gender barriers are lower today, challenges remain. In addition, the set of choices faced by women with partners in the same discipline differ significantly and complicate the family-work balance decisions. There is no one set of path that can be followed.Practical implicationsWhile there is a professional cost to deviating from the mainstream, pursuing alternatives to the dominant topics is vital to advancing the health and relevance of the marketing discipline. The relationships between marketing and development have been an important topic for me; however, these macromarketing topics continue to be neglected. Given the current socio-economic-political conditions globally, perhaps future marketing scholars will devote greater attention to these topics.Originality/valueThis is purely the author’s personal reflection of a journey that began accidentally. It also occurred in the 1970s when women were rare in the business world, particularly business academia. It offers a retrospective comparison to male peers who, aside from their individual talents and history (Belk, 2017; Firat, 2014; Holbrook, 2017), were achieving their professional goals at a similar period. It also provides some historical context that can be compared to experiences of other female pioneers in marketing academia and marketing practice (Bolton, 2017; Tadajewski and Maclaran, 2013; Zeithaml, 2017).

Journal

Journal of Historical Research in Marketing – Emerald Publishing

Published: Nov 18, 2019

References

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