There is an awful lot out there on the increasingly high-profile issue of women at work. On the one hand, the numbers don’t seem to be moving much in women’s favor, but the very visibility of the subject may help to change that. Let’s take a look at some of what is available on the topic in the media and by at least one premier blog author.
- Stereotypes and prejudices. Possibly the greatest amount of ink on this subject is about the daunting obstacles women face at work simply to be taken seriously. Management-Issues provides three separate items based on research by Catalyst, a women’s advocacy and research firm highlighted by Sylvia Ann Hewlett in her book reviewed here on Tuesday. The first piece robustly condemns the persistence of these traditional stereotypes in the US. But, unfortunately, the problem is worldwide, varying in detail but not substance, as the second article thoroughly explains. Finally, we have a discussion of the entrenched and pernicious “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” style of prejudice women face as they struggle to learn, to take their places in the ranks, and to contribute.
- Demographics. Hewlett provided an excellent description of the demographic trends in the general population and the labor markets, combined with the pressures on the very definition of a management career. The Economist chimes in this week with a detailed discussion of this topic, supporting similar ideas from a different, broader perspective. But Management-Issues offers an unhappy rejoinder, this time referencing research from the UK’s Equal Opportunity Commission arguing that, based on current trends, it is simply unlikely that women will reach rough gender equality at work for several generations.
- Safety nets. One element of the discussion recently has been the work-life balance issue. After all, a frequent reason that women leave work part-way through their careers is to attend to other vital issues in their lives. So it is only natural that attention be paid to considering how to balance these competing arenas. This WSJ item offers advice from successful women executives, who argue that the balance issue is a myth that women should ignore. Rather, they should understand that they can have both if they want them, and are willing to both work hard and make hard choices. The most important thing this suggests to me, though, is the need for a more extensive and diverse range of networks for women managers, a topic that Hewlett treats well in her book.
- Women at the top. As the WSJ points out, while there are new female faces in prominent positions, the overall numbers aren’t changing much. They remain a miniscule proportion of the overall male-dominated command structure in American business. But that’s not the case everywhere in the world. Also according the the WSJ, the biggest company in Vietnam has a female CEO and 2/3 of its board members are women. More than 30% of the country’s companies by stock market value are run by women.
- Why women? All of this covers important ground. But it’s difficult to find meaningful discussion of the most important of all: why, really, should we care about women at work? Is it truly only an issue of fairness, of equity? One place to start unearthing more significant insight into this question is at Dr. Ellen Weber’s Brain Based Business. She begins a recent post by asserting that most people agree “with research that shows how men and women’s brains differ.” On the one hand, as we mentioned in the Hewlett book review, Larry Summers may disagree with that, and on the other, this topic is not widely discussed in the major media, as the roundup sections above indicate. But in this piece Dr. Weber does discuss the very real differences between male and female brains at work - and what to do about that.
Women at work. We have a lot more to do in this field. And it’s well past time to get started. In addition to the links above, you may also want to check out the Women in Management category, and in particular, these posts from right here:
—
Please be sure to see, as well, all the posts in this series:
- Women at work
- Book Review: Off-Ramps and On-Ramps
- Why a women’s place is in the corner office
- Forest for the trees
- Roundup: Women at work
—
Thanks for stopping by, today. If you enjoyed your visit, please take a moment to subscribe, so you can visit again in the future from the convenience of your email client or RSS reader.
Technorati Tags: women at work, Management-Issues, Catalyst, Sylvia Ann Hewlett, labor markets, management, The Economist, work-life balance, WSJ, women executives, networks, women managers, Vietnam, CEO, board members, Ellen Weber, Brain Based Business, Larry Summers
Sphere: Related Content
6 Comments
Jim, I’ve never seen a man so thoughtfully spotlight this issue. When I was growing up, I was given the impression my place on earth was to be submissive to men. Since I was socialized this way, as are many women even today, it is very hard to overcome. I was like a doormat and I hated it. But this all changed during the process of earning my PhD.
Your blog reminds me of the hope out there for so many upcoming women.
Hi, Jim,
I realized when I was reading this that I was having a difficult time getting immersed in the issues, although I understand them. Then I read Robyn’s comment and realized this:
My mom started the first Business and Professional Women’s organization in the southern half of our state. She was a manager before anyone even discussed women in management. And she raised a family, too.
But the real long-term impact of that was that, from the get-go, my brother and I had a model that was the opposite of the one Robyn described and experienced. My wife is also a Ph.D. and had already earned it when we met.
You say: “But it’s difficult to find meaningful discussion . . .”
At some point in time, the vocal flag bearers of the movement faded from the scene and the prominence of the related issues in the media faded with them.
Is there a need for a new spotlight and vocal, articulate spokespeople? Or is the issue not a nagging one for a vocal majority of women, including working women?
I don’t know the answer, just the question.
Hello Dr. McMaster and Steve,
Thanks for your visits and comments. Regarding both your observations, I think it is difficult, even for the most well-intentioned, to see ways we may be both subtly suppressing expression of ability in others, and denying ourselves as managers the advantages of those abilities.
There is hope, because there is the inescapable need for this talent, and these unique contributions.
Steve, I certainly don’t know if the issue is one that concerns the majority of women who work or who want to, but I suspect it does. The issue may be complicated by all the confounding forces at play. Moreover, I still don’t think we’re frankly addressing all the relevant - even the most important - aspects of the subject.
Thanks again for your visits!
Very insightful post! All young women entering the workforce should check it out and get a good handle on what they might experience during their careers. Keep up the good work.
“Also according the the WSJ, the biggest company in Vietnam has a female CEO and 2/3 of its board members are women. More than 30% of the country’s companies by stock market value are run by women.”
Interesting way to measure how much of the country’s companies are run by women. I wonder how much of that 30% is represented by the one woman CEO who runs the largest company in Vietnam. Any idea?
Semper Fi!
Love the blog.
Hello Cam,
Thanks for your visit!
The board referred to has 6 directors - so 4 of them are women. But your point about the distorting effect of the stat about women in charge based on stock market capitalization is well-taken. According to Fortune Magazine, the country’s total market capitalization is 1.5 billion dollars, representing 35 companies.
That’s 450 million dollars worth run by women - but how much of that represents the one company mentioned in the article. It’s a good question, with plenty of room for diluting the impact of the implication behind the use of the stat in the article.
Thanks again for stopping by, and for your kind comments.
Semper Fi!
2 Trackbacks/Pingbacks
[...] Roundup: Women at work [...]
[...] Roundup: Women at work [...]
Post a Comment