A Social Cognitive Career Theory Approach for Understanding the Career Implications of Caregiving in Academics

Women academics have achieved unprecedented heights, but issues of career development, representation in leadership positions persists because of structural and socio-cultural barriers. There is a growing attention to gender disparities in academics but limited research explains how care burden translates into career barriers through cognitive mechanisms. This study utilizes Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) to examine the mediating roles of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and work-family conflict alongside moderating contextual factors as bridges or hurdles in their career advancement. Theory-driven integrative review approach was adopted, the study combines research on gender, career development, and work-family to build a conceptual model. The findings indicate that care responsibilities create a ripple effect: it lowers self-efficacy and creates negative outcome expectations, while increasing work-family conflict. These effects are further reinforced by institutional and structural barriers. By addressing the missing cognitive link, the study extends SCCT and offers a detailed explanation of persistent gender inequalities, mentioning the need for gender-responsive institutional reforms.