A Woman Presidential Candidate: A Score for Gender Equity?

by | Jun 14, 2016 | Gender Balance, gender equality, gendered definitions of leadership, images of leadership, progress of women, women aggressive communication, Women in management, Women on boards | 0 comments

I got weepy when Hillary Clinton locked up the nomination for president, not for political reasons but because it is historical. I celebrate what it says about the progress of women and what it does to our images of leadership.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Gender

by | Jan 19, 2016 | bottom line value of gender diversity, Business Results, obstacles to gender diversity, unconscious bias, women and corporate social responsibility, women in leadership, Women in management, Women on boards | 0 comments

I don’t see gender diversity in leadership as fitting into Corporate Social Responsibility. I see gender diversity less as a moral or social issue, and more as a business or economic issue. There are, however, links between gender and CSR. Who do you think influences their companies – and their fathers—to commit more to CSR?

Unconscious Gender Bias in Workplace Feedback

by | Dec 2, 2015 | double bind, double bind, feedback, gender bias, gender communication, gender stereotypes, gendered definitions of leadership, judging difference, masculine communication style, unconscious bias, women aggressive communication, Women in management, women masculine style | 0 comments

She is “helpful” but “too assertive.” He “shows initiative” and “solves problems.” Research shows that the language used in performance reviews for men and women is very different. The language clearly reflects underlying gender bias. Can making managers more aware of their language actually uproot and change gender biases?

Women in the Workplace 2015: Is Gender Bias Part of the Story?

by | Oct 14, 2015 | comfort principal, double bind, double bind, Gender Balance, gender bias, Gender diversity, gender diversity in leadership, invisible mind-sets, Lean In, obstacles for women in business, unconscous mind-sets, Women in management, women masculine style | 0 comments

The numbers and graphs in the report by Lean In and McKinsey & Company, Women in the Workplace 2015, support some beliefs, and challenge some myths, about why women remain underrepresented at the executive level of American business. What about gender bias? The report concludes that women are more likely than men to perceive gender bias. Of course they do! One of the recommendations of the study is training to “interrupt gender bias,” including to assure men can see and understand the challenges women encounter.