Gender Equality: Who Needs to Change?
Many companies in the United States and abroad have embraced the need for increased gender equality over the past couple of decades. As a result, gender diversity initiatives were formed to address the issue of fairness and equality in the workplace.
Traditionally, gender diversity programs have involved setting up networks for women and specialized assertiveness training to empower their female managers. Why? Because the traditional approach to gender diversity has been to “fix women”, recognizing the fact that to be successful in a male dominant organization, women must behave and manage more like men.
A new approach to creating gender equality is gender bi-lingualism. This approach addresses the same issue as a business issue rather than one of gender. The basis of this new approach is the acceptance of the fact that it is in the company’s best interests to promote and support female leadership.
The first critical step to gender bi-lingualism is the recognition that a different language exists between the genders and that this difference can, in fact, add tremendous value to the company’s leadership and economic success. Men and women can be equal and different. Women don’t need to change to be more like men to succeed.
Gender bi-lingualism allows men and women to recognize and accept the differences between the genders and see those differences as opportunities. All managers (not just women) are trained on these differences and the adoption of a wider range of acceptable management styles that is more inclusive of women. With this new approach to gender equality, women are not trained to be more like men. They don’t need to be “fixed” in order to be successful. They are accepted for the value that they inherently bring to the organization based on their own unique leadership style.
Tomorrow’s female money (80% of consumer spending decisions are made by women) and talent will go to the companies adapted to their needs, styles and motivations. This will require leadership, conviction and language skills. Getting the best out of women – as customers, employees or shareholders- requires managers and organizations to be genuinely gender bi-lingual. Are you? ~Avivah Wittenberg-Cox and Alison Maitland, Why Women Mean Business, 2008
According to Wittenberg-Cox and Maitland in their recent book, Why Women Mean Business, CEO’s need to get serious about sex and make the decision that embracing gender bi-lingualism is in the best interests of their company. Once this decision is reached and communicated strategically throughout the organization, the difficult ongoing work begins to train all employees in the company. It is not an easy or immediate transition and requires the buy-in of all management to be successful. However, this holistic approach to gender equality is the most effective way to reach the goal.
So who needs to change? Everyone. There needs to be recognition that a male dominant organization is not well positioned for the future and once this decision is made from a business perspective, everyone in the organization needs to adapt and modify their behavior going forward, male and female alike.
The Female Advantage
I read a very interesting article recently in The Boston Globe called, “The Female Advantage. A New Reason for Businesses to Promote Women: It’s More Profitable”.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2009/05/03/the_female_advantage/
The premise of the article is that companies with more female leadership in place at the Board and executive level are more profitable. From the article,
Measured as a percent of revenues, profits at Fortune 500 firms that most aggressively promoted women were 34 percent higher by industry means, a 2001 Pepperdine University study showed.
The call for women’s advancement in business has been primarily focused thus far on gender diversity and fairness. Equal representation. Equal pay. Now there is a new perspective to consider. There is a sound business reason to promote women. It is a proven advantage that companies with more female leadership have greater profits.
Why does the correlation exist between higher profits and female leadership representation? There are several theories presented in the article.
- women have a better understanding of the consumer market
- gender diversity leads to more vigorous discussions
- women have a different leadership style
- women are more risk adverse
Though I believe that all of the above factors contribute to the success of high performing companies, I also think that organizations that are sensitive to gender issues and actively support female managers in the pipeline are more likely to be high performing companies (true meritocracies) to begin with.
As the author states about these companies,
They’re picking the best and the brightest and letting them bloom.
What are your thoughts on this topic?
Why do you think that companies with more female leadership are more profitable?
Please send me your comments.
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