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GENDER INEQUALITY.   Term Paper ID:30448 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Examines the leadership of women in the workplace and in politics.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines the leadership of women in the workplace and in politics. Comparison to male counterparts. Hostile environment created by male decisioin-makers. Gives examples of women who have achieved leadership roles: Carleton Fiorina, head of Hewlett-Packard. Katherine Hudson, head of W.H. Brady. Female political leaders in Ireland, Sri Lanka, Indira Ghandi. Paper Introduction: Introduction In spite of the massive entry of women in the workplace and the increasing numbers of women in mid-level managerial positions, gender equality at the workplace remains elusive to women today. Working in a world dominated by male decision-makers and their established practices, women encounter a variety of barriers impeding their surge to the top of their careers. One of the most significant factors is cultural stereotype. To many CEOs, women cannot compete against their male counterparts because they get pregnant and are responsible for domestic tasks. In this hostile environment, it is little wonder that women earn 75 percent of men’s wages and have only 11.2 percent of the executive jobs in FORTUNE 500 companies (Greenfield, 1999, p. 72). Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Carly Fiorinatakes over Hewlett-Packard, becoming the first woman CEO of a Dow 3 firm.Time, 154(5), 72. Furthermore, as these women politicalleaders introduce their unique perspectives in their policies, they willchange not only society's attitudes towards women, but also the society asa whole (Adler, 1997, p. In order tocentralize her authority, she authorized covert programs to underminepopularly elected state governments (Rushdie, 1984, pp. Although Brady, anindustrial firm, is a much smaller company than Kodak, Hudson recognizesthe potential in Brady for change and expansion and sees that Kodak hasbecome a stagnating giant. There are also many other women business leaders who haverelinquished the goal of reaching the top of the corporate hierarchy inlarge established corporations by creating their own businesses. Her appointment to lead HP is derived from the company's needto catch up with its competitors who have cornered the market in theInternet-dominated business. The SmallBusiness Administration states that over 33 percent of American businessesbelong to women (Adler, 1997, p. For example, Wellington (1996) highlights thefact that women CEOs at large companies have not created a female-friendlyenvironment for the female employees by building day-care centers andintroducing flextime (in Adler, 1997, p. On the other hand, female business leaders utilize the"transformational leadership" style that focuses on motivating andempowering employees to participate in the decision-making processes. 19 ). Contrary to the assertions of most women,however, Fiorina downplays the existence of a glass ceiling and assertsthat her career has advanced so far because she has never succumbed to thebeliefs of gender discrimination and gender stereotype. 189). New Zealand, a woman's land. (1984, November 26). New Statesman(1996), 13 (4531), 18, Greenfield, K.T. 181). Forexample, even though women occupy all the top positions, including thePrime Minister, in New Zealand, they have not attempted to feminize thesociety significantly. Working in aworld dominated by male decision-makers and their established practices,women encounter a variety of barriers impeding their surge to the top oftheir careers. Rushdie, S. 183). (1997). Thus, IndiraGhandi employed tactics that were not dissimilar to her male counterparts. As described before, the rapid economic and cultural changes haveproduced the impetus for establishing flatter organizations that requirefeminine leadership qualities. Thesewomen generally rise to success by conforming to the behavioral demands ofthe male-dominated environment of top management. Furthermore,because of their rarity, women political leaders have seized the attentionof the world that is interested to known how they can transform worldpolitics (Adler, 1997, p. Rosener who wrote the controversial article,"Ways Women Lead," in 199 , the above group of women business leadersbelongs to the first generation of pioneering female executives. (1999, August 2). In another part of the world, Indira Ghandi who headed the Indiangovernment utilized her authority to create friction among the minoritypopulations of her country in order to gain more power. These womenhave a tremendous passion for their jobs and embrace the hard work requiredto reach the top. Thus, Fiorina is also representative of the women who havereached the top position of major corporations and are unwilling or limitedin their ability to effect change because they are constrained by theprevalent corporate culture. Thus, they do not want tojeopardize the security of their position by changing the organizationalstructure and work environment. Lee, C. ManagementInternational Review, 37, 171-196. Thus,they are willing to share authority and information with their subordinatesin order to encourage employee involvement and commitment to theorganization (Rosener, 199 , in Lee, 1994, p. She is also instrumental in creating a flexible and female-friendly place by instituting workplace innovations, such as flexible hoursand job sharing (Segal, 1994, p. 28). The feminization of leadership has also contributed to the evolvingworking environment. Fiorina is an innovative and courageousbusinesswoman who transformed Lucent Technologies, her previouscorporation, from a small company into a global supplier of components forthe Internet. Brady in 1994, afterworking for 24 years at Eastman Kodak Company, exemplifies thecharacteristics described above. Women's equality in the workplace will no longer mean thatwomen have to behave in the same fashion as their male counterparts.Rather, women can be regarded as equal partners with men in a united effortto improve their organizations (Lee, 1994, pp. However, the second generation of women hasbecome successful in moving up the hierarchy by asserting their skills andideas that are derived from their identity as a woman. One of the most significant factors is cultural stereotype.To many CEOs, women cannot compete against their male counterparts becausethey get pregnant and are responsible for domestic tasks. Founded on femininetraits such as empathy, caring and responsiveness to the needs of others,the female leadership style emphasizes the cultivation of relationships andthe empowerment of employees at all levels of the hierarchy. Hailing hercampaign and victory as the People's Revolution, Corazon Aquino highlightedthe significance of the role of the people in the political process byconducting over 1 rallies (Adler, 1997, p. Apart from these inspiring examples of women political leaders whohave a female-centered vision, there are also women political leaders whohave not attempted to impose a feminized perspective on their society. 181-2). In a majorrole reversal, Fiorina has pursued her career while her husband retiredearly to become a househusband in support of her work (Greenfield, 1999, p.72). These women include Mary Robinson ofIreland and Sri Lanka's Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga (Adler, 1997, p.178). in Adler, 1997, pp. 189). Some companies have begun to adopt caring policiestowards their employees by nurturing their physical, social andpsychological needs. Katherine Hudson, who became the head of W. (2 1, April 2). Theseleadership qualities are important in a new world economy that has led tothe transformation of traditional hierarchical organizations intoegalitarian organizational structures that focus on self-management andempowerment (Adler, 1997, p. What glass ceiling? Dynasty and democracy: The idea ofIndia after the death of Mrs. Ghandi. 28-9). Regardless of the obstacles they have had to overcome in theirstruggle to carve a niche for themselves, these women have contributed tothe development of a feminine style of leadership. H. Similarly, the increase in women leading their nations will pave thefoundation for future female generations. In addition, they are courageous in taking on challengesand are dedicated to their work. Women who are elected political leaders of their countries exert asignificant impact on the world simply by being the first women to haveoccupied positions that were once reserved exclusively for men. Training,31(11), 25-31. More importantly, these women have redefined the essence of politicalleadership. Most of thewomen leaders are driven by their vision of achieving unity and nationalreconciliation for their conflict-ridden country. 182; Lee, 1994, p. However, when the female membership increased to 3 percent, no further change occurred because of several factors: "partyallegiance, a male backlash and social conservatism" (in Ashley, 2 1, p.18). Executive Female, 17(5), 35-42. Male businessleaders adopt a "transactional leadership" style in which rewards andpunishments are meted out to their subordinates accordingly. America's 5 most powerful womenmanagers. Thus, American corporations are acknowledging theneed to relinquish the inflexible and authoritarian male leadership stylein favor of the interactional and relationship attributes of femaleleadership. In spite of these realities, the current trend is exceedinglyfavorable for the next female generation in both the business and politicalarenas. 28). Global leadership: Women leaders. In this hostileenvironment, it is little wonder that women earn 75 percent of men's wagesand have only 11.2 percent of the executive jobs in FORTUNE 5 companies(Greenfield, 1999, p. 18). In order to cater to today's customers, amore flexible and individualized approach towards business is required(Adler, 1997, p. Instead of seeking recognition andendorsement from the traditional male-dominated hierarchy, these women haveestablished decentralized organizations that are founded on creativity,diversity and innovation. Her personal lifeis a further reflection of her defiance of gender stereotypes. 72).Women as Business Leaders Nonetheless, there are women who have triumphed within the male-dominated system to reach the top echelons of their career. In her presidential acceptancespeech, Mary Robinson, Ireland's first female president, illuminates thepolitical power of Irish women "who instead of rocking the cradle rockedthe system, and who came out massively to make their mark on the ballotpaper, and on a new Ireland" (qtd. (1994, November). 188). The New Republic, 191, 17-2 . Although Fiorina's disregard for the existence of the glass ceilingdemonstrates her strength, it also undermines the reality that oppressesmany women in the workplace who lead a relatively more conventionallifestyle. Inmany ways, these female political leaders resemble their male counterpartsin their movement up the political hierarchy via the support of politicalmentors, both male and female, instead of through the support of women(Ashley, 2 1, p. A prominent representative of a woman who has risen to the pinnacleof her career is Carleton Fiorina, who has become the head of Hewlett-Packard-the first woman to lead one of the thirty companies in the DowJones industrial average. Unlike the ambitious men who participate in politics in orderto gain power and authority, women political leaders are impassioned by analtruistic vision that goes beyond their self-aggrandizement. Ashley, J. The comparison betweenthe male and female leadership styles will illuminate the relevance offemale leadership style to the contemporary organizations. Segal, T. 41). 28). The factthat the women have defied the odds and the others' expectations that womencan attain the positions conveys a powerful message of change andpossibilities for societies and the world. In order to unify herdivided country and heal the scars of the people, Corazon Aquino of thePhilippines selected her Cabinet from members of her own party and theopposition party, despite being ridiculed by the press for her naiveté(Adler, 1997, pp. Introduction In spite of the massive entry of women in the workplace and theincreasing numbers of women in mid-level managerial positions, genderequality at the workplace remains elusive to women today. References Adler, N.J. 4 ). 186-8). 27). The celebration of diversity in the workplace has alsocontributed to the elevation of the status of feminine attributes byilluminating them as differences, rather than weaknesses (Lee, 1994, p.28).Women as Political Leaders Over the last decade, an increasing number of women has becomepresidents or prime ministers of their countries. According to Dr. Sandra Grey who analyzed thepolitical phenomenon in New Zealand, the feminization of New Zealand'spolitical agenda occurred when women represented 15 percent of the House ofRepresentatives. 186). In their opinion, they attribute theirsuccess to their constant performance above and beyond what is expected.However, they are also expected to modify their behavior in order toaccommodate their male counterparts. Essentially, they feel compelled tosuppress their identity as a woman in order to compete successfully withtheir male counterparts (Lee, 1994, p. During the 199 s, 21women attained the position of the highest political post of their nations,compared to eight women in the 198 s. The election of these women tothe top posts sends an important message to girls and young women thatwomen can become presidents and prime ministers, thus triggering theirinterest in political participation. The emphasis on mass production in earlycapitalism has given way to the production of customized and sophisticatedproducts of the 21st century. 17-8). (1994, September-October). According to Judy B. During her long association with EastmanKodak, she distinguished herself by inventing a new idea of "outsourcing"operations to computer companies in 1989, thus cutting costs for Kodak by$1 billion over ten years (Segal, 1994, p. Therefore, it is evident that women political leaders, as with theirmale counterparts, are also constrained by the dynamics of politics. The feminization of management. Unencumbered by the corporate structure, thesewomen-led organizations forge intimate relationships with their customersby being highly responsive to the latter's needs (Adler, 1997, p. Essentially,they derive their power and authority from their position in the corporatehierarchy. Hudson's willingness to take risks and passionfor her work are demonstrated by her plans to expand Brady's businessoverseas. Thus, these women political leaders have also transcended thepolitical rivalry of the party system by appealing to the people directly.For example, Mary Robinson gained the attention of her party and theopposition only after garnering support in small communities. In fact, they helpto transform the organizational environment when they reach the top of thecorporate hierarchy in order to improve the conditions of women and otheremployees (in Lee, 1994, p. 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