In the past few decades, public universities have undergone significant changes, which have reshaped academic work and workplaces (Bentley et al. 2013; Teichler et al. 2013). Technological advancements, globalization etc underline the changing role of universities in the society. The career development systems based on linear male models are no longer relevant to meet the needs of today’s society in diverse contexts. Although there has been an ongoing debate about the impacts of this global shift on the career development of academics (Bentley et al. 2013), in certain countries the linear model of an academic career persists.

When examining the careers of academics, particular attention is paid to factors influencing leaving the academia or the university. The findings underline the career age, career stage, tenure status and scientific field as the strongest predictors of intention to exit academia (White-Lewis, D.K., O’Meara, K. & Mathews, K., 2023). Nontenured academics and academics in early stages of the career report lower job satisfaction than senior academics. Focusing on the group of young academics in the beginning of their professional path in the Czech Republic brings also the focus on the position of women in the Czech republic. Women increase the number of graduates on the level of doctoral programmes in contrary to the representation of women in the number of professors and associate professors in the country in the last two decades (Cidlonská & Vohlídalová, 2015).
Quality or success in academic career from the neoliberal perspective can be linked to the H-index, number of published articles or solved grants or to the linear concept of career, i.e. the gradual acquisition of academic degrees or functions. However, the rather new theory called the Kaleidoscope Career Model (as it is rooted in social cognitive career theory) explains the phenomenon of women’s careers through three career parameters: authenticity, balance, and challenge.

To address the outlined issue, the following main research question has been set: How do the female academics in social sciences understand success in their career?

This research focuses on successful careers, rather than on constraints and barriers, which is the feature of much previous research. Purposive sampling in terms of career stages, academic experience and life roles has been used. More specifically to address the main research question, female academics were contacted based on the following criteria: a) Woman in academia - social sciences; b) R2 or R3 research career stage; c) Experience from several scientific workplaces; d) Experience from abroad; e) Permanent effort to contribute to the improvement of the quality of the field through research (a changemaker that has a demonstrable positive impact); f) Woman in more reflected life roles (academia, mother, wife/partner, daughter). The criteria were applied when searching in databases and public documents (CV´s). Out of six women contacted, four agreed to participate in research using the narrative design. Narrative interviews in a number of rounds have been carried out and all transcribed interviews are analyzed being through three dimensions of KCM (still in process). When analysiong the narratives, the attention is paid to the sujet and fabula (what and how in the story), key milestones of the story (epizodes) and turning points of the story. Coding is preformed by two researchers as a support for the reflection of the emotions, attitudes, and opinions of the main researcher.

The issue of career development in academia is connected to the promotion of diversity and inclusion. High sense of autonomy and professional identity as well as diverse perseption of quality work and job satisfaction frame the academic career and call for different possible trajectories. The prelliminary resuts show that KCM has brought new perspectives on career success eventhough as the research is still running. They bring impulses for revisiting conditions in Czech academia: influencing the organizations in terms of creating appropriate conditions for different career paths and patterns of women who often experience success and quality differently and who are generally perceived as successful. These bring along challenges for current conditions: Disparities in gender diversity (particulary in leadership roles), underrepresented minority groups (compared to their proportion in the general population), implicit bias, microaggressions, unequal access to resources and opportunities. Findings of this research so far indicate that decision-makers in academia should pay more attention to understanding the unique ways in which authenticity in particular is understood by female academics in social sciences and how this is connected to their understanding success in their career. This may from the longterm perspective encourage universities to look more closely and deeply at their organizational cultures to be more supportive to women and their career paths and patterns.

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