High Turnover among Female Executives

This article talks about how female executives are twice as likely to depart from their jobs voluntary or involuntary compared to their male counterparts.  This stat is a major factor when it comes to women being able to take over top positions in company's.  It is also probably why women have not received the same amount of attention when it comes to hiring them to top potions.  "Becker-Blease said research has shown that women are more likely to leave a job due to domestic or social responsibilities than men, which could explain the higher voluntary departure rate."  This makes employers job very hard when knowing that women might get up and leave earlier than any man and it affects their ability to break the labyrinth.  

“Recent research offers some intriguing evidence suggesting that while the market may seem to perceive women as less capable business leaders, the disparity isn’t really about gender, but about the experience those women bring to the table,” Becker-Blease said.  This quote shows that in order for women to really break through the labyrinth they need to find away to become more experienced in their fields whether that i through more education or through more work in their positions.  

The other main point that the article brings up is that women really do benefit from other women in top positions within the company. My opinion for this is that women that are shown to do well within the company allows the company to put more trust in them because like the article states they are shown to have more experience.  The more experience anyone shows whether it is a man or a women definitely benefits the gender within the company.  Why do you think women benefit more when women control top positions.  Also do you think that companies are being more discriminatory towards women because of their type of leadership skills or do you think it has to do with their level of experience.

http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/10/05/high-turnover-among-women-executives/19179.html

Posted By: Jim Link

Gender Discrimination Against Women: From Cradle to CEO

Although the number of women who successfully navigate the labyrinth is on the rise, women are still facing many challenges.  This article goes to show that even still women are being stereotyped from child birth to adult hood.  Many young girls still are brought up to think that they are only able to do certain jobs, and in some cases it is instilled in their minds that they are only supposed to be wives and mothers.  These constant messages may lead to false believe and some girls will grow up thinking they do not belong in high powered corporate world.  These stereotypes are particular damaging for women because agentic, as opposed to communal, tendencies are often indispensable.  According to the role congruity theory, the agentic qualities thought necessary in the leadership role are incompatible with the predominantly communal qualities stereotypically associated with women, thus resulting in prejudice against female leaders.

The article continues to state the even today elementary school teachers give more attention in math and science to the boys, and language arts with the girls.  This is because the math and science skills may be vital for many male dominate professions.  It says that in middle school years, the girls are more likely to be discouraged from playing sports and doing clubs, and more encouraged to participate in volunteer work and babysitting.  They are pushed to do more passive activities.  Many women are often encouraged to go into careers that are stereotypical female oriented jobs, like teaching, nursing, cares giving, retail, and office administration.  The book states that this helps explain on stereotyped expectation that women tae care and men take charge.  Gender stereotypes are pervasive, well documented, and highly resistant to change and this could be the reason that teachers still try to pursue the girls into thinking that the care giving jobs are best for them.

More women are starting businesses and are in the work force are man, and like the book states a majority of the women are degree holders, yet according to the department of Labor women are still only dominating in fields and industries that are seen as “female”.  Do you think that this could possibly be because even though more women are working they are still less likely to self promote and negotiate then men? Also if schools we not allowed to push certain subjects on students do you think that in general women may become more dominate then the men?

Posted By: Kayla Samolinski

For full article: http://womeninbusiness.about.com/od/challengeswomenface/a/genderdiscrim.htm

Shattering Beer's Glass Ceiling: The Rise of Women Brewers

“Women have always been involved in craft beer—but their ranks are growing, and they don't want to be like the boys” this is a quote that was used in the article by the name of Shattering Beer’s Glass Ceiling: The Rise of Women Brewers. After reading this article I was able to learn that there are some gender differences that create a glass ceiling for women in the real business world. In the last few years women have been trying to break the glass ceiling by attaining higher executive positions in many industries and the women in this article are not the exception. Last month three women from different breweries met in Cambridge, Massachusetts to “cook-up” their own beer in an industry that has been defined by being dominated by men and where women still face some challenges.

The article explains that even though women have been part of the craft beer renaissance since its beginnings in the 1980s, it was not until the last decade or so that women have been noticed more on the brewery floor.  It was not until the recent years that women were identified as brewers rather than just “one of the boys” in the industry. One of the questions that was asked was “what’s changing?” One of the women answered “more women are starting to realize there’s a place in the industry for them” (Parisi, 2011). Also, a corker in the quality control from one of the breweries said that it was only in the last two and a half years that he first met a woman brewer.

Megan Parisi, also explains that the culture of the industry is changing in America. She states that more women are drinking beer on their own, which is creating more awareness. But all three women also explain that there are still many differences they are facing within the industry. For example, all three women say they felt welcomed at their breweries, but they do have challenges when it comes to dealing with suppliers, distributors, and customers. Laura Ulrich, who is one of the brewers, explains about the time when she is with a group of men brewers; most people would walk up to the men and never acknowledge her presence. It seems that in fact women do face gender differences and, therefore, a glass ceiling in the beer industry. According to chapter 13^th of our textbook, women face significant gender biases and social disincentives when they self-promote for leadership positions.  This industry is not the exception. The article states that women involved in brewing are still small, particularly because they exclude office staff, sales teams, and bartenders and wait staffs, which are seen more as facilitator or organizer roles rather than leadership roles. I believe the women in this article are self-promoting themselves for a leadership position and therefore making women more socially attractive and more hirable within the industry. Also, another difference is that women are trying to overcome the traits necessary to work in the industry. For example, our text book explains that men are more likely than women to have the ability to persuade and in the article it does tells us that these woman are facing problems when dealing with suppliers, distributors, and customers because women are less likely to negotiate.

I believe if women can overcome the problems dealing with their suppliers and distributors they will be able to break the glass ceiling within the industry because, as the article states, the American culture is changing and more women are trading mixed drinks for beer. I believe these three women brewers are breaking the glass ceiling by trying to show the industry that women do have what it takes to play in this “boy’s game”. Do you think we will be seeing more companies within the beer industry hiring more women as leaders? Do you think the American culture is changing within this industry?

Posted By: Hugo Sanchez

To read more go to http://www.theatlantic.com/life/archive/2011/03/shattering-beers-glass-ceiling-the-rise-of-women-brewers/72156/ 

Women Lag Further in Reaching Executive Ranks

            Women throughout the years have significantly attained higher executive positions in a variety of jobs, but according to this article it seems this rise is beginning to plateau.  Although women exceed men in educational achievement, they are more likely to lag in pay and be in poverty and the current recession may have hindered them even more.   It also seems to hold true that the stereotypes on women as “caretakers” as opposed to strong leaders might be another reason for the labyrinth women seem to encounter.  According to studies, this is not completely true.  Most women are indeed effective leaders and it is supported in empirical research.  The research shows that women are more likely to use transformational leadership behaviors, which are concerned with improving the performance of followers and developing followers to their fullest potential, and contingent rewards, which is an exchange process in which the follower’s effort is rewarded by the leader.  Women’s commitment and motivation for leadership roles also is just as equal as men’s.  So why do you believe this plateau is occurring? 

It seems some firms, such as PricewaterhouseCoopers are trying to increase the number of women leaders in their company by allowing more flexible schedules to attend to family matters and this should strongly increase women’s ability to move up on the ladder.  Child rearing and domestic duties seem to be a large responsibility women are held mostly accountable for and is one extent to why the leadership labyrinth seems to exist.  If companies pursue more flexible schedules, women would be able to balance their work and families much more effectively increasing the number of possible job opportunities for women.  Accenture is another firm which proactively tries to give women equal opportunities as men.  They have found setting an internal gender diversity target every year to increase the amount of women receiving promotions has proven successful.  Do you think if more organizations implemented these ideas; it may help women get over the plateau they are encountering?  How do you think organizations can be more proactive in promoting and hiring women in elite leadership positions?

Posted by: Amanda Goetz

Read the full article at: http://bx.businessweek.com/women-in-leadership/view?url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052748704444604576173323004406818.html%3Fmod%3Ddist_smartbrief

Does Female Ambition Require Sacrifice?

After reading the article “Does Female Ambition Require Sacrifice?”, I am able to better understand how women stereotypes can happen in Hollywood as well as in the real work world.  Natalie Portman is breaking the glass ceiling or the “Labyrinth” by having a baby, getting married, and winning all of these awards.  When looking at the Labyrinth, Portman is overcoming the stereotypes that are placed on women in the work force. 

There is also a prejudice that women take care and men take charge.  It is also said that people are expected to avoid behaviors that are incompatible with the stereotype.  This means that if women are stereotyped to be caring, warm, and sensitive, then they should act that way.  Portman is not steering away from these stereotypes and is still boldering right past the barrier to the top.  She has the ambition and has a hungry need to succeed.  However, she has proven that she has not had to sacrifice or give up any of her personal life to succeed.

Although Natalie Portman is not a business women becoming a CEO, she is an example and an inspiration to many women.  This story shows how any women can still be married and raise a family, as well as still rise in the business world.  Women must work past their stereotypes and not let them get in the way.  Usually when people adhere to their stereotypes, they don’t ever break past them.  Do you believe that in order for women to succeed in the business world and break past the glass ceiling, they will have to sacrifice traditional “norms” of womanhood?  In other words, will being ambitious and power hungry cost a women her family or her “outside of work” life?

To read more of the article click here 

Posted By: Laura Whisenhunt