Solutions To Women's Advancement Case Study

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Reading Response- Solutions to Women’s Advancement
1. Since the onset of the 1980s, women have made great strides in the workplace. In 2014, Fortune magazine reported that number of Fortune-500 women CEOs reached a historic high of 4.8% (Fairchild , "Number of Fortune 500 women CEOs reaches historic high”). In 2012, Thomas Reuters and Women of Influence collaborated with Barbara Annis & Associates to investigate this trend of women’s increasing participation in leadership roles. The Gender Intelligences Diagnostic, a custom-designed survey instrument, was used to gauge the mindset, and actions of some of North America’s most successful women. Inferences were later derived from the findings, and a report to highlight solutions to professional …show more content…

2. Most of the findings are compatible with other data related to women, leadership, and gender issues that we have examined in class. However, the results from examination of the theme Leadership Maturity are unaligned with our understanding of women and self-confidence. In addition to that, the report disempowers women’s potential for success by insinuating that speaking up against the male dominating business environment is futile. I will critically analyze the results from the Leadership Maturity theme, and the proposed drafted role model for success, and see if they can be reconciled with prevalent views of women.
3. The study’s Leadership Maturity presents results that contrast with typical perspectives of women’s confidence. The theme Leadership Maturity gauges the self-confidence of the group in their ability to lead and perform effectively. Eighty-four percent of the women surveyed scored themselves as having a high sense of self-assurance in their capabilities ("Solutions to Women 's Advancement ", 9) However, we know that women experience the “imposter syndrome” – that is the “phenomenon of capable people being plagued by self-doubt”-- more intensely then men. (Sandberg 29). …show more content…

While the lessons preached in class and elsewhere encourage women to actively engage in bettering their situation in the workplace, the report discourages such behavior. The report compiled a number of lessons and actions that women across all levels of the workforce can begin to follow. This list was compiled by conducting in-depth interviews with 2,000 senior women executives. The number two item on this list asks women to “Recognize the business environment for what it is—designed by men for men more than a century go.” It goes further to say, “Men are unaware of how their thoughts and actions can cause women to feel excluded and dismissed. There’s no gain for you in blaming them for what they don’t recognize and comes natural to them.” ("Solutions to Women 's Advancement ", 20) The subliminal tone of this clause is disempowering to all women. It sends out a message that women should simply learn to navigate the system, rather than striving for systematic changes that will make the workplace more female-friendly. The actions suggested by this particular item defies the logic and strategies taught by many other social scientists in gender studies. Gender issues at the workplace cannot be resolved until women activate their agency, and make their male colleagues aware that their actions can make women feel left out or that their voices are watered down. Initiatives such as the He for She campaign, pioneered by Emma Watson, have no relevance in the workplace until men

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