Abstract
Women in a collectivist society like India often make career decisions based on cultural values during career re-entry. However, these decisions depend on the type of collectivism they have experienced: vertical or horizontal. This study uses the kaleidoscope career model (KCM) to examine the impact of different types of collectivism on women’s careers. Unstructured interviews of 30 Indian mothers revealed three major themes and their subthemes. The major themes are the practices experienced by women due to the culture, experiences of collectivism and the impact of these experiences on women’s career orientation during re-entry. Results from this study reflect the influence of collectivist culture experiences on KCM parameters.