http://detnews.com/article/20111020/OPINION03/110200388/Berman--Glass-ceiling-regains-strength
In this article, the bottom line is that to this day, women are still considered a risky business investment. With the turbulent economy and poor job market a rise in conservatism has been evident. One of the most telling facts of this is the statistic about how in 2003 38% of companies in the automotive, technology, and life sciences and services industries had no women on their boards. As of last week, that number is up to 64% of those companies have no women on the board.
The argument for getting more women on the board is the evidence that diversity in the board tens to add to the bottom line. Unfortunately, while research shows that diversity in leadership leads to higher profits there is still a large deficiency in women being placed in those leadership roles. This is clear evidence of uncertainty overriding good judgement. Especially when evidence suggests that a diverse board is far better for improving the bottom line. Also, an improved bottom line is better for companies as it allows them further funds to grow and expand in ways that would be beneficial to the longevity of the company.
It is sad to see that in times of economic turmoil, people will tend to revert to methods they're more comfortable with even though it may not be the best thing for everyone. What needs to happen is for the women who are in those positions of power to start pointing out all the benefits of a diverse leadership group in the different organizations. This lack of unified leadership among women is likely what is holding them back as equal members of the top rung on the corporate ladder. Once an organized group forms and starts to push the research and information about the benefits of a diverse board and executive pool then and only then will people stop viewing the promotion of women to top ranking positions as a "risk".
-Geoffrey Ali
I agree that because of the recession we are going through as a country has caused many companies to revert back to previous decades.
ReplyDeleteI feel that more change agents or leaders who push for change are needed. Much of the problem is that the baby boomers are more biased than our generation, and they are the ones at the top. So in order for some real progress to be made, the younger generation needs to start taking over. I feel this will happen within the next 5 to 10 years considering many baby boomers are retiring.
-Anna Swacker
It is very sad that there are not more women in top executive positions in the workplace. As we see from the very few women that are top executives, they have had a successful career. For example; Hilary Clinton was a junior senator of New York, became the first lady of the United States as Bill Clinton’s wife, and then almost beat out Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential campaign, and now is part of Obama’s staff as the Secretary of State. As shown through her professional career timeline, Mrs. Clinton is a very successful female leader. She is just one of the many successful women leaders in this country. I don’t know why we don’t look at women closer for female leaders in organizations. Businesses just need to do their research and look at the facts!!
ReplyDelete-Mitchell Terry