Women in Management

Abstract

Women have only recently begun to join the ranks of managers in large numbers. The emergence of women into the work force has precipitated many discussions. This paper discusses some of the major issues surrounding women in management and proposes some organizational and individual responses to better utilize the diversity of skills and talents available within the work force.In 1970, only 15 percent of all managers were women. By 1989 this figure had risen to more than 40 percent.^ By 1995, women made up about 63 percent of the total work force.2 However, only six percent of women are classified as middle level managers.^ Currently, only three of every one hundred top jobs in the largest U.S. companies are held by women, which is about the same number as a decade ago.* Of the Fortune 50 companies, only 1.3% of corporate officers are women while 1.7% are women within the Fortune 500 companies. Among 200 of America's largest companies, women hold less than a quarter of the executive jobs and less than five percent of the vice-presidents are women.^ Some experts indicate that equality in top management positions between the genders will not balance out for another 20 to 30 years.^

Navigating Multiple Worlds: A Qualitative Study of the Lived Experiences of Hmong Women Leaders

“…In the United States, women make up 47% of the middle management positions, but drop to 17% at the executive management level (Guthrie & Roth, 1999). This clearly points to the presence of a glass ceiling that is prohibiting women from moving up the organizational ladder (Crampton & Mishra, 1999).…”

“…McMaster and Randall (1995) argued that in gender-based social traditions women are discouraged from seeking leadership positions. For bicultural women, there exists a kind of double glass ceiling, which brings a number of barriers related to sexist and cultural biased attitudes that prevent or delay advancement (Crampton & Mishra, 1999).…”

Du « bon usage » des réseaux sociaux en entreprise : le cas de figure des cadres-femmes aux Etats-Unis1

“…le déficit de socialisation professionnelle des femmes nuit à leur avancement professionnel en les incluant dans des structures d'opportunités moins avantageuses, et renforce leur ségrégation en les écartant des réseaux de socialisation informelle si importants pour la carrière (Ibarra 1992(Ibarra , 1995Tharenou, Latimer, & Conroy, 1994;Ely, 1995;Crampton et Mishra 1999;Powell, 1999;Cohen, 2002;Ruderman et al, 2002). Dans un contexte organisationnel andro-centré, l'exclusion des femmes-cadres des réseaux sociaux dominants constitue une « barrière substantielle, dommageable à leur avancement de carrière » (Marchand et al, 2007 : 34).…”

Are Women Entrepreneurs More Vulnerable Than Their Male Counterparts? – A Content Analysis

“…Access to finance is frequently investigated in entrepreneurship literature, and is particularly widely regarded as the major obstacle facing women entrepreneurs (Brush 1992;Riding and Swift 1990;Crampton and Mishra 1999;Anna et al 2000;Hisrich et al 1997;OECD 1997;Ylinenpaaand Chechurina 2000). These studies reported that the majority of women entrepreneurs face difficulties in obtaining sufficient and affordable capital to start new ventures or expand their business.…”

“…According to Crampton and Mishra (1999), a major obstacle for women is the presence of constraints imposed upon them by society, the family, and women themselves. They see women still working in a society that often does not accept them as powerful and influential business leaders (Crampton and Mishra 1999).…”