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Cain, Latasha Denise. "Barriers Encountered by African American Women Executives." ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/571.
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In 2014, less than 16% of executive leaders in U.S. corporations were women and less than 5.3% of executive leaders in U.S. corporations were African American women. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of 20 African American women in senior executive positions in the Southeastern region of the United States. The goal of this study was to provide business leaders with information to recognize the value of diversity and equality in the workplace. Participants were recruited using snowball sampling. The conceptual framework incorporated general systems theory, which highlights the bidirectionality between an individual and his or her environment. Data were gathered from audio-recorded semistructured interviews that were transcribed and coded for emergent themes. The findings revealed several strategies for success among African American women, such as tolerating opposition in a male-dominated work environment, and overcoming barriers such as race and gender discrimination. These findings have implications of positive social change by increasing awareness among business leaders of racial inequalities in the workplace. Such awareness may, in turn, decrease workplace discrimination to foster a more conducive environment to promote African American women into executive leadership positions. By making the issues of inequalities for African American women more visible, this research opens the opportunity to discuss the topic and seek resolutions across all organizations.
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Nevard, Jennifer. "2010: Women prepared to lead and manage." Thesis, Nevard, Jennifer (2004) 2010: Women prepared to lead and manage. Professional Doctorate thesis, Murdoch University, 2004. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/226/.
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In February 1995, the Australian Federal Government Industry Task Force on Leadership and Management, released Enterprising nation: Renewing Australia's managers to meet the challenges of the Asia-Pacific century, 1 (known as the Karpin Report). The Karpin Report defined 1995 - 2010 as a developmental period for improving Australian business practices at leader and manager level. It identified five levers for change. Australian businesses were encouraged to focus on globalisation. Life long learning was seen as a key ingredient in up skilling workers and managers for evolving work environments. Australia was advised to build an enterprise-focused culture. Managers and leaders were encouraged to value diversity in the workforce. Enterprises and education and training institutions were encouraged to implement 'best practice' procedures.
This study situated the Karpin recommendations in the literature on gender, leadership, management, and Australian social, economic and political conditions. Employing an interdisciplinary approach and using quantitative and qualitative methods, it sought the views of women in senior, middle and frontline or supervisory positions, in large, medium and small businesses.
The study concluded that, in terms of creating diversity within institutionalised leadership, recruitment practices and social circumstances still encouraged the status quo. It found that refocusing Australian business and its leaders was unlikely to provide expanded opportunities for women in leading and managing. The skills women were acknowledged to have often aligned with skills sought for lower management positions. This has been one contributing factor in confining women to lower decision-making roles except in some education and community service environments. In these areas where women often form the majority of workers and reflect the cultures of their industries very successfully, more women occupy senior positions. The study found that women's skills were comprehensive and suited to roles carrying greater responsibilities. It also discovered that not all of the existing approaches to preparing women to lead and manage served women well; however, some effective strategies were in place. It concluded that for women to be appointed to positions of high responsibility, they should successfully reflect a recognisable management approach, congruent with the company's and industry's current style and values. This tended to perpetuate existing practices of competitive individualism and self-interest.
Since the 1980s, managers have been disproportionately elevated in status, with accompanying high salaries and bonuses. There is a risk that leaders will be credited with more wisdom and vision than warranted. Australia leaders need to have a mix of vision and business acumen. While many women managers have this mix and are prepared to be leaders, they may not be appropriately connected to the senior recruitment market. As a subtext, complex levels of vested interests, ties of loyalty and forms of reciprocity often operate in the appointment of senior personnel. Women tend to operate outside these practices and may be reluctant to endorse them. This may partially account for the unchanged circumstances of a small number of women in top senior positions.
The study concluded that the current level of refocusing of Australian businesses was resistant to change and limited in responding to expertise in the marketplace. The challenge of globalisation requires decision-makers with specific skills, knowledge and experiences. It requires people who will act with morality and preferred futures in mind rather than quick returns and advanced levels of self-interest. For organisations keen to identify these kinds of leaders then selection processes will need to differ in order to be highly attuned to recruiting individuals who can help build a responsive, innovative and caring society.
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Nevard, Jennifer. "2010 : women prepared to lead and manage /." Access via Murdoch University Digital Theses Project, 2004. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20050317.140236.
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Kimberling, Carla D. "An analysis of barriers of women administrators in the Wisconsin Technical College System." Online version, 2002. http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/thesis/2002/2002kimberlingc.pdf.
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Crawford, Kevin Charles. "Men's stereotypes of women in management are women aware of how they are stereotyped? /." Thesis, Montana State University, 2006. http://etd.lib.montana.edu/etd/2006/crawford/CrawfordK0506.pdf.
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錢悅. "柔性管理 : 中國女企業家的修辭構建 = Soft management : a rhetorical construction of Chinese female entrepreneurs." HKBU Institutional Repository, 2020. https://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_oa/765.
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21世紀以來，越來越多的中國女性加入到企業管理的團隊中來，與此同時 ，她們也不能不面對世俗社會投來的疑慮和不信任的目光。在中國世俗的眼中 女性和企業家是兩種相距甚遠的角色：一個主內，一個主外；一個以陰柔見長 ，一個以陽剛取勝。對於女性的這一刻板看法在中國根深蒂固，這就為中國的 女企業家設置了一道修辭難題：她們在公眾心目中的形象將決定於她們如何有 效地協調這兩種角色或身份的衝突。本研究認為"柔性管理修辭"是認識當代中國女企業家的公共形象策略的 關鍵。這種修辭構建出的柔性管理者形象既符合了社會對女性"陰柔"的要求 ，又能適應中國文化下企業的管理需求。為了深入分析女企業家的"柔性管理 修辭"，研究選擇了20段由公眾媒體播出的女企業家訪談錄影，以此作為分析 女企業家塑造公共形象的代表性文本。本研究以肯尼斯伯克的戲劇五元理論為 基礎，圍繞企業發展、員工管理與角色定位三個敘事主題展開細緻的修辭分析 ，展現了女企業家通過修辭構建柔性管理者形象的過程。 研究提出，中國女企業家的柔性管理修辭體系包含三類修辭構建技巧：第 一類是女企業家直接表明自己女性和企業家的雙重身份；第二類是女企業家做 出符合"柔性管理"哲學規範的話語行為；第三類是女企業家用柔性化的方式 來表達管理話語。除此之外，本研究在戲劇五元理論"對子"結構的基礎上提 出了"雙對子"和"對立"兩種新結構，探討了敘事主題與特定對子的搭配可 能產生的更廣泛的修辭意義，豐富了應用戲劇五元理論分析中文修辭時的方法 和角度。With more and more women step into companies' management level, they have to face the question and doubt from society. From a mundane viewpoint in Chinese society, "females" and "entrepreneurs" are two different and even conflict roles: females are supposed to be in charge of domestic chores, and should be gentle; while entrepreneurs are working in society, and should be decisive. Such stereotype results in a tough problem for female entrepreneurs from the rhetorical perspective: their public images depend on how they can efficiently coordinate the conflicts in the mentioned two roles. This study proposes that "rhetoric of soft management" can be a key concept to learn the strategy that female entrepreneurs apply in managing their public images, which not only meet the traditional expectations on women, but also fit in the Chinese business culture. To analyze the "rhetoric of soft management", this study selects 20 talk shows, in which Chinese female entrepreneurs are interviewed on famous public media, and they are representatives in establishing the Chinese female entrepreneurs' public images. Kenneth Burke's "dramatistic pentad" is adopted as the theoretical framework in analyzing the three narrative themes: "enterprise development", "employee management" and "role orientation". This study presents three kinds of rhetorical construction technics that Chinese female entrepreneurs adopted: firstly, directly show their identities as both female and entrepreneurs; secondly, their discourse behavior conforms the rule of "soft management"; lastly, use flexible tones to express their management discourse. In addition, the study also makes theoretical contributions to the "dramatistic pantad" when using it in analyzing Chinese rhetoric. The study proposes two new relationships between the five rhetorical elements in dramatistic pantad: "double- ratio" and "reverse-ratio". The study also discusses the wider rhetoric significance of the association of narrative themes and specific ratios.
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Msomi, Duduzile. "Factors affecting women representation on boards of directors." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/23659.
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The objective of this report is to understand the factors that hinder and those that facilitate the representation of women on boards of directors in South African companies. The insights gained on the obstacles and facilitators in achieving greater representation of women on boards of directors will give companies and individuals actionable knowledge of the key success factors and strategies that can be applied to increase representation. A literature review was done in order to apply existing theory to the research problem. The researcher‟s objectives were to answer three research questions. The methodology for the research is then described. Qualitative research was used with the research instrument being in-depth interviews. Twenty three face-to-face interviews were held with board members, executive search companies, an organisation that trains boards of directors and a women‟s professional body, using a semi-structured questionnaire. Seven respondents completed the questionnaire only. Interviews were transcribed and content analysis performed on them to extract recurring themes related to the questions asked. The results of the interviews are then presented and interpreted. The findings are that there are no conscious or deliberate attempts to keep women out of the boardroom. The factors affecting women representation on boards of directors can be attributed to the interplay of historical and cultural factors that have resulted in women not being top of mind when appointing board members. Legislation is playing an effective facilitation role, but the extent of transforming this trend, in a meaningful way and not just to be compliant, in an equal opportunities environment in which South African companies presently operate, depends on the „natural diversity insights‟ (the natural consciousness to want to do the right thing) of the shareholders, chairpersons, CEOs and/or the nomination committees who play a huge role in either recommending or making the final decision on new board appointments.Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2006.
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
unrestricted
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Dusch, Daniel R. "Hispanic Women Business Executives' Self-Perceptions of Leadership Effectiveness." ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/295.
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Hispanics will become the majority ethnic group in the U.S. by 2060. The social and business cultural changes affected by these demographics are inevitable and will require leadership from academic and business communities in order to ensure clear direction for the future. Gender research in managerial and professional positions mostly includes White women and typically excludes those of other racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. The research problem was that there is little known about the lived experiences of Hispanic women business executives. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the self-perceptions of leadership effectiveness of Hispanic women business executives. A conceptual lens informed by the concepts of intersectionality, bicultural competence, and emotional intelligence guided this study. Purposive sampling was used to obtain 12 participants for face-to-face interviews. Research questions focused on self-perceptions of leadership style, the ways they enact leadership, and their contributions to organizational effectiveness. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyze the data and member checking helped assure trustworthiness of interpretations. The findings revealed that the participants acquired effective leadership skills through their diverse contact with other people and cultures. The potential positive social change impact includes a contribution to existing literature by increasing scholars' and business-peoples' understanding of this group's lived experiences; creating more leadership opportunities for Hispanic women; identifying areas for self-development, thereby improving leadership and decision making; and clarifying expectations for young Hispanic women considering executive leadership as a career path.
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Memela, Yoliswa Lourenda. "Women in power: the experiences of female administrators at Nelson Mandela bay Metropolitan Municipality." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021105.
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South Africa is held up internationally as a beacon of good practice in terms of its efforts to promote gender equality and, the increased number of women in leadership positions in all spheres of government is testament to this. The representation of women in all spheres of government is advocated for and promoted by legislation and policies that aim to promote a gender focus on all government procedures and programmes. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of women leaders, including their reasons for maintaining leadership positions. It also addressed the challenges these women faced on their journeys and described their definitions of successful leadership based on their experiences. The qualitative nature of the research project made it possible to tell the stories of the participants’ experiences in order to understand their career progression and how it pertained to their concept of leadership. The three participants recruited for the study were women in positions of influence within their municipality including managers, directors, and executive directors. Purposeful sampling was used so that the chosen participants would have experience with the central phenomenon being studied. All of the women contacted to participate in this study readily agreed to share their experiences. There was some level of diversity regarding the age, ethnic backgrounds, and education level of the participants. Semi-structured personal interviews were conducted to collect the data. Open-ended questions were used so the responses of the participants could guide the development of themes and the direction of the study. Once the data were collected through recorded interviews, codes were assigned to sections of the text to help identify themes. A coding table was developed to illustrate how the themes for the discussion emerged from data obtained during the interviews. The stories of the participants were interwoven based on the themes and also analyzed in terms of the existing research. A discussion of the findings incorporated the literature and provided evidence of connected concepts. Strategies including inter-coder agreement, rich description, and clarification of biases were used to strengthen the study’s findings. Ethical issues were addressed throughout each phase of the study. All participants were asked to sign an informed consent form that outlined the procedures of the study. The identity of the participants was kept confidential through the use of pseudonyms.
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Araújo, Ione Maria Santos de. "Gestão executiva feminina: inovações e permanências." Pós-graduação em Administração, 2013. http://ri.ufs.br:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/3001.
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This research aims to analyze the continuities and innovations in managing female executive in relation to the categories of process of decision making, model of leadership, personal communication and interpersonal skills. With the growth of womens presence in the world of work, women began to increasingly occupy positions high in organizations, leading to a question about the continuities and innovations arising from way of them to manage the executive. Is it possible that the women have new patterns and models of management or follow characteristic patterns of male management? To achieve the proposed objectives we decided to conduct this research with phenomenological inspiration considering the interpretation that each individual who was researched presents from the reality experienced in the management of the organizations to which they belong. This is a qualitative research, using a case study as method, based on women in positions of senior management in companies Sergipe. The data collected were analyzed using the technique of discourse analysis. From the data obtained it can be seen that the executive clearly perceives differences of management between the way of males and the females with respect to categories analyzed. For the interviewed women, for the categories chosen, women have more flexible and humanitarian characteristics, while men are considered more inflexible, objectives and in some cases more austere. It can be concluded that women consider that in their executive management uses innovative features with respect to the categories analyzed. As for permanences of male management characteristics, only a minimum number of respondents pointed to use some nuances of managing men, not as a guide but in order to merge the two modes of management in specific situations.A presente pesquisa tem o objetivo de analisar as inovações e permanências existentes na gestão executiva feminina em relação às categorias de processo de tomada de decisão, modelo de liderança, comunicação pessoal e relacionamento interpessoal. Com o crescimento da presença feminina no universo do trabalho, as mulheres começaram a ocupar cargos cada vez mais altos nas organizações, originando um questionamento acerca das inovações e permanências decorrentes do modo de gerir das executivas. Será que as mulheres dispõem de novos padrões e modelos de gerenciamento ou seguem padrões característicos da gestão masculina? Para atingir os objetivos propostos optou-se pela realização de pesquisa com inspiração fenomenológica, considerando a interpretação que cada indivíduo pesquisado apresenta da realidade vivida na gestão das organizações da qual fazem parte. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, utilizando como método o estudo de caso, baseado em mulheres que ocupam cargos de alta gestão em empresas sergipanas. As informações coletadas foram analisadas utilizando-se a técnica da análise de discurso. A partir dos dados obtidos pode-se observar que as executivas percebem claramente diferenças entre o modo de gestão masculina e feminina no que diz respeito às categorias analisadas. Para as entrevistadas, em relação às categorias eleitas, as mulheres possuem características mais flexíveis e humanitárias, enquanto os homens são considerados mais inflexíveis, objetivos e em alguns casos, mais severos. Pode-se concluir que as mulheres executivas consideram que a sua gestão utiliza características inovadoras no que diz respeito às categorias analisadas. Quanto às permanências de características da gestão masculina, apenas um número mínimo de entrevistadas apontou utilizar alguma particularidade do gerenciamento masculino, mas não como orientação e sim com a finalidade de mesclar os dois modos de gestão em situações específicas.
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Hale, John P. "Leadership, Ascendancy, and Gender." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2001. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2897/.
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By the year 2000 women will constitute more than 50 percent of the workforce in the United States, yet their representation in top management and executive-level positions continues to hover in the single digits. This “glass ceiling,” which is conceptualized as limiting women's advancement into these roles, has been the subject of much debate and research over the last fifteen years. As both an equal rights and key competitive issue, the topic of women and leadership is gaining ever-increasing emphasis and momentum in American corporations. Although leadership skills have been advocated as a key human capital/person-centered variable leading to managerial ascendancy for women, the empirical research directly investigating this link is virtually non-existent. This longitudinal study proposed to measure the strength of this relationship using a matched sample of male and female managers. Eighty-five subjects, from the same U.S. based health-care products corporation, had previously participated in a multirater assessment process where seven different facets of their leadership skills were evaluated. Time two data were collected on four objective measures of ascendancy: percent change in salary, number of promotions (job moves) either offered or accepted, change in number of direct reports, and change in number of indirect reports. Multivariate analysis of covariance indicated that perceived leadership ability did lead to increased ascendancy, specifically in terms of percent salary change, for the female managers, but not for the males. Multiple regressions indicated that the female managers were not rewarded, necessarily, for gender congruent behavior in this organization, while male managers did appear to be rewarded more so on that particular dimension. Implications of these findings for female managers in the workplace were discussed.
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Simpson, Ruth. "Does an MBA help women? : a comparative study of the career progress and labour market position of part time male and female MBA graduates." Thesis, n.p, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/.
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Beutel, Lisa Mason. "Follow Her Lead: Understanding the Leadership Behaviors of Women Executives." University of Dayton / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1355424220.
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Madikiza, Nomvelwano Mavis. "Factors influencing the advancement of women to senior management positions in the Provincial Treasury, Province of the Eastern Cape." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018656.
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In 1998 the Department of Labour promulgated the Employment Equity Act, which aimed at ensuring that the designated groups were represented in the workplace at all levels. The designated groups that were to be given preference for appointments were women, disabled and Black people. The Department of Public Service and Administration issued a directive to all government Departments to ensure the achievement of 50/50 gender representation at Senior Management levels by 31 March 2009. However, the Provincial Treasury in the Eastern Cape did not achieve this target and is still lagging behind. There are barriers in the workplace, which pose challenges to the progression of women to management levels. These barriers are commonly referred to as ‘glass ceiling’ by some scholars.This study used a qualitative approach in gathering data. The study employed non- probability, which adopted the purposive sampling approach. Questionnaires were administered to middle management and Senior Managers were interviewed to gather empirical data. Questionnaires were administered to sixty Middle Managers, both males and female, and interviews were conducted with seven senior managers. The reason for targeting Middle Managers was that they are at a level that is next in line in the hierarchy to advance to senior management positions.The purpose of this study was to investigate factors inhibiting the advancement of women to senior management positions in the Provincial Treasury in the Province of the Eastern Cape. The problem identified was that there were numbers of females at middle management who had the required qualifications and experience, but were not considered when appointments were made to fill in vacant senior management posts. The other problem that was identified was that often senior management positions were filled by candidates who were not from within the Department. The performance of female internal candidates is not recognised, which may be indicative of the flaws with the performance management system. It emerged from the empirical survey that preference is given to men compared to their female counterparts. The study revealed that there were factors that contributed to non-advancement of females to senior management such as the existence of stereotypes and perceptions. The stereotypical beliefs view men as hard workers than their female counterparts. It was also revealed that women suffered from low self-esteem that impacted negatively on their confidence levels. This subsequently discouraged women to apply for advertised vacancies as they doubted their own capabilities. It also emerged that the Department did not empower newly appointed persons through the mentoring and coaching programmes. This study also revealed that no training was offered to newly appointed persons.
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Sung, Krystal Diane. "Are Women Executives Hurting Firm Performance? An Examination of Gender Diversity on Firm Risk, Performance, and Executive Compensation." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2019. https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/2082.
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In order to assess the continuing imbalance of top executives between genders, I examine the effects of gender diversity within top management teams on firm risk, performance, and executive compensation. Capitalizing on previous analysis, I apply three unique differentiators. First, I utilize current data from 2012 to 2017 from Compustat, CRSP, and ExecuComp. Second, I provide a unique subset view on a firm and individual performance of female CEOs to examine executive compensation. Third, my scope of analysis expands to S&P Composite 1500 companies. I use separate models to estimate the effect of gender diversity on firm risk by examining a firm’s beta and standard deviation of daily returns, on firm performance by examining a firm’s Tobin’sQ, and lastly on executive compensation by examining an executive’s natural logarithm of total compensation. My findings suggest gender diversity among executives appears to have an immaterial effect on a firm’s risk and performance. In turn, I also find that female executives continue to receive less compensation than their male colleagues. However, I find an average female CEO receives a higher level of compensation than an average male CEO. Lastly, I find as gender diversity increases among executives, specifically CEOs, the compensation differences between genders decreases.
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Bleil, Patricia. "Mentoring experiences of women executives in the pharmaceutical industry| A phenomenology." Thesis, Eastern University, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3637305.
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Women continue to be underrepresented in the top leadership positions in the largest business organizations in the United States. One of the many strategies suggested to help women overcome the challenges to their advancement is mentoring. Unfortunately, although many more women now report they have had a mentor, little progress is being made in advancing women to leadership positions. In order to understand mentoring from a woman's perspective and to investigate the impact it has on women's careers, this phenomenology study explored the mentoring experiences of eight women in leadership positions in the sales and marketing sector of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. The women in this study helped the researcher understand that mentoring for women is not substantially different than mentoring for men. Women value the same functions that help them develop skills that will lead to superior performance. They value the advice and feedback a mentor can give them and the introductions, interviews, and opportunities mentors create. What is different is the array of individuals they identify as mentors. Women define mentors broadly, with the common element being someone who helps them advance their career. A mentor may take the traditional form of someone senior to them in the organization who provides an array of mentor functions, or it may be a peer, a supervisor, or a family member who provides one or two critical functions when they are most needed. All are equally valued. Mentors have played important roles throughout their careers. Mentors helped them get started, took a chance on them, and gave them their first break. Mentors continue to help them gain and refine the skills they need to be top performers.
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Jordan, Cheryl D. "Stories of Resistance: Black Women Corporate Executives Opposing Gendered (Everyday) Racism." Antioch University / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1312461227.
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Greene, Sonia Marlene. "Barriers Encountered by African American Women Executives in Fortune 500 Companies." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7475.
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African American women's (AAW) presence has increased in the corporate workforce, but this increase has not transferred to a comparable rise in leadership positions. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences AAW faced relating to race and gender differences that influenced their leadership development and limitations on advancement in Fortune 500 corporations. The research problem addressed in this study was the underrepresentation of AAW in senior leadership positions within Fortune 500 corporations and what can increase their representation and retention in senior level positions. The 10 participants included African American women holding senior level positions in corporate America. The concepts of race, gender, and stereotyping derived from intersectionality theory, critical race theory, black feminist theory, and racial microaggression were the foundation for the conceptual framework. The data collected through semistructured interviews were analyzed using the modified van Kaam method. Four themes emerged including race, gender, stereotyping in the workplace, and the lack of AAW led mentorship programs. The findings of this study may contribute to social change by assisting organizational leaders in policy changes to support the concerns of AAW in leadership roles around the lack of diversity and mentoring programs to increase retention and new recruitment.
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Chorney, Maria Halyna Teodora. "Stress and the professional woman /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1993. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PM/09pmc551.pdf.
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Smailes, Chanél. "Strategies to equip females for managerial positions." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1095.
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The study was concerned with identifying both organisational and personal strategies utilised by females in managerial positions within South Africa. From an analysis of both primary and secondary data, it was concluded that executive women in South Africa are utilising personal strategies more extensively than relying solely on organisational strategies to facilitate them to managerial positions and the respondents therefore deemed these personal strategies to have a greater impact than that of the organisational strategies. Both organisations and individuals would benefit from this study as the study brings to the fore the lack of organisational strategies utilised by organisations within South Africa, as well as highlighting those strategies found most beneficial by executive women as having the greatest impact on their careers. This indication would allow for organisations to efficiently invest in those strategies having the most impact on female executives’ careers. Individual women at non-management or junior management levels could integrate the personal strategies highlighted in this study as being most effective into their career development plans. By ensuring both organisations and women together are working to equip females for managerial positions, both organisational and personal performance of South African female managers will be maximized.
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Ross-Smith, Anne. "Women who manage women's experience as managers in contemporary Australian organisations : implications for the discourse of management and organisation(s) /." Phd thesis, Australia : Macquarie University, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.14/26116.
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Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, Graduate School of Management, 1999.Bibliography: leaves 353-372.
Introduction and thesis overview -- A clarification of how common terms and key concepts within managerial and organisational discourse are interpreted within the thesis -- Theoretical and philosophical concerns: gender and the discourse of management and organisation(s) -- Contextualising the research: an overview of social, political, economic/business organisational conditions in contemporary Australia and review of literature germane to the empirical research studies -- Research methodology, judgement criteria and framework for analysis and representation -- Women managers: day to day managerial work and behaviour: ethnographic/participant observation studies -- Women's perceptions of their experience as managers: the interview studies -- Conclusions and thesis summary.
This thesis investigates the managerial experience of senior women in contemporary Australian public and private sector organisations and explores the implications this investigation has in relation to the discourse of management and organisation(s). -- The thesis proposes that although women have gained a presence in the ranks of senior management in the last twenty years, they continue to remain marginal to the discourse of management and organisation(s). The reason for this, it is argued, is because of the preoccupation this discourse has with conceptions of rationality and masculinity. This proposition is elaborated in the thesis by tracing the philosophical and sociological interpretations of reason and rationality from ancient Greek philosophy to its embodiment in the contemporary discourse of management and organisation(s). -- Whether for biological, social or psychological reasons, it can be argued that men and women are 'different'. A further proposition, therefore, is that they will have a 'different' experience as managers. On the basis of this proposal, the thesis evaluates contemporary theories of gender and sexual difference, but stops short of defining 'difference' specifically with regard to women's experience as managers. Instead, it allows the empirical research to determine what it is that constitutes 'difference' in such a context. -- The empirical component of the thesis seeks to develop an understanding of how senior women managers in contemporary Australian organisations both experience and interpret their experience in management. This is achieved by the use of two different, but complementary studies. Using an ethnographic/participant observation case study approach, the first of these investigates the day to day managerial activities, over time, of two senior women managers, one from the private and one from the public sector. The second component of the empirical research involves as series of in depth interviews with forty senior women managers in Australian public and private sector organisations, together with a small number of interviews with their immediate superiors and subordinates, and observation, by the researcher, of their workplaces. The location of the empirical research in the late 20th century, some twenty years or so after women started to enter the ranks of management in Australia, allows for a reflection on women's progress in management in this country during this period. It also allows for contemporary social and organisational conditions in Australia to be a consideration in evaluating the research participant's managerial experience. The thesis, therefore, links the empirical research findings to Australian literature and research on women and management, current social trends in this country, characteristics of the Australian business culture, Australian managementand the Australian manager.
The research framework utilised in the thesis is informed by critical, feminist and postmodern approaches to organisational analysis. For this reason the Deetz (1994) schema, which defines organisational reserch from the perspective of four differing discursive spaces - dialog, critical, interpretive and normative is utilised to locate the research orientation of the empirical studies. This schema recognises that overlap between the four discursive spaces is possible and thus can accommodate insights from each of the above mentioned approaches, as well as areas of overlap between them. -- The principal research findings suggest, in summary, that women in senior management in Australia largely conform to the traditional (masculine) norms that are deeply embedded in the discourse of management and organisation(s) and in managerial practice, yet at the same time, they consider themselves to be 'different'. A feminist interpretation of Social Contract theory, together with a feminist analysis of Foucault's (1988) notion of an 'ethics' of the self and the link between this notion and non essentialist feminist theory are used in the discussion of the empirical research findings to construct an interpretation of 'difference' as it applies to women's managerial experience. -- The contribution to knowledge in the field of organisational analysis that the thesis seeks to make includes: adding new grounded empirical research whcih uses alternative approaches to organisational understanding; providing a comprehensive analysis of the philosophical and sociological underpinnings of the relationship between management, rationality and masculinity; providing a platform for future policy development and organisational practice, and adding a perspective on contemporary managerial practice and organisation conditions against which to gauge classical studies of managerial work and behaviour. -- Finally, the thesis can also be seen to provide additional insights into recent critiques of essentialist feminsit theory and the 'feminisation of management'/female advantage literature.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
x, 376, [9] leaves
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Salie, Najmiea. "The role of Muslim women in family businesses." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020171.
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The primary research objective of this treatise is to determine the role of Muslim women in family businesses. Muslim women actively participate in various private and public sectors of the economy as well as in family businesses. The literature review discusses the family business and its definitions and portrayed the advantages and disadvantages of family businesses. Furthermore, the research explored women in family business and investigated common reasons for joining the family business as well as conflict and success planning experienced by the women in the family business. Thereafter, the literature review discussed the Muslim women in family businesses and highlighted the background of the history of Muslim women in Islam. The Muslim women and their rights in Islam were presented followed by the rules of hijab. An overview of Muslim women in the history of Islam of the past and in the current economy was completed. The literature review then discussed the Muslim women in business and concluded with the Muslim women and their role in family businesses. The research methodology and research design literature lead to a qualitative research strategy being adopted to determine the role of Muslim women in family businesses. A questionnaire was designed and participants from the local Muslim business community who live in Port Elizabeth were approached to participate in the research treatise. The participants were initially contacted telephonically followed by an interview session where the questionnaire was used as a guide to the interview. The main purpose of the structured questionnaire was to determine sufficient data for adequate analysis of the research problem. The data were analysed and recommendations were made to address the primary research objective. The findings presented highlighted the role of Muslim women in family businesses. During the research further opportunities for research were presented, particularly to determine the impact of the Muslim daughter in family business is recommended for future research.
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Jabeen, Nasira. "Gender and management : factors affecting career advancement of women in the federal civil service of Pakistan." Thesis, University of Stirling, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/3186.
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Organisations today operate under extreme pressures to be effecient and productive to meet the challenges of globalisation. The concern for best utilisation of available human resources is at the core of the movement for effeciency and productivity. There is a growing realisation that the quality of top managers, irrespective of gender, is critical to the success and survival of organisations. This has made the advancement of women managers to the top managerial hierarchy an organisational imperative rather than merely an equity issue. Recognising this need, career advancement of women managers, in recent years, has emerged as an important area of research in the field of gender and management. A number of studies have been conducted to examine the factors affecting women's advancement in management careers. Although these studies provide a useful insight into the phenomenon of scarcity of women in top management, they are parochial in nature and are limited in focus. These studies are largely based on the experiences of women managers in the western and industrialised countries and focus only on the personal and organisational factors overlooking the broader societal context. Hence, recently, the need for incorporating systemic dimension into theoretical discourse as well as empirical research on managerial advancement of women has been recognised to explore this phenomenon across cultures. This study develops a gender-organisation-system model of managerial advancement to study the factors affecting career advancement of women. The model is applied to the federal civil service of Pakistan, the largest single employer of women in a non-western, developing and Islamic country. The data are collected using triangulation of methods, self-administered questionnaire, face-to-face interviews and documentation. A sample of 300 civil servants was randomly selected for the study. The findings are based on the analysis of the results of 138 questionnaires received and 30 interviews and examination of the status of women in Pakistani society and the civil service through documentation. The study reveals an inventory of personal, organisational and systemic factors that may facilitate or impede advancement of women civil servants in Pakistan. At the personal level, dual commitment to family and career poses a great dilemma to women civil servants. While parental encouragement, spouse's support, socioeconomic background and educational achievements facilitate women civil servants, the potential barriers to their career advancement are spouse career, time away from family and difficulty in relocation. At the organisational level, women are denied equal career opportunities through indirect and subtle forms of discriminatory practices including gender streaming, work segregation, limited opportunities of training, mentoring and networking. These covert forms of discrimination often go unnoticed and are perpetuated due to a number of organisational factors such as gender-biased selection processes, regional and military quotas, absence of lateral entry, lack of women friendly policies and absence of women from important decision making bodies. The gender and organisational factors affecting career advancement of women civil servants are the mirror images of the role and status of women in Pakistani society. The cultural norms, values, and perceptions about the role of women in society, low level of gender development and gender empowerment, and absence of legal institutional framework for addressing issues of sex discrimination at work are the major systemic factors that adversely affect women's advancement in the civil service hierarchy. The study reveals similarities as well as differences between women administrators in Pakistan and western and non-western countries. Pakistani women administrators like women managers in the other countries are not in any sense less than their counterparts in terms of career commitment, managerial ability and self-confidence. They face barriers that arise from two major forces counteracting their career aspirations, work-family conflict and institutionalised discrimination. However these constraints in Pakistan are not only different in nature and forms but are more intense due to rigid sex-role demarcation and strong family orientation compared with western and industrialised countries. Hence, coping strategies at personal, organisational and systemic levels to deal with these pressures are also different. The study makes several policy recommendations to facilitate women aspiring for managerial careers in general and women civil servants in particular, which includes institutionalised child care, anti-discrimination legislation, flexible working practices, review of recruitment, selection and promotion system, affirmative action, a balanced representation of women in decisionary bodies and gender sensitivity training. Though traditional societal values are in conflict with women's work outside the private sphere, these recommendations if adopted may bring a positive change towards gender equality in managerial careers in Pakistan including the civil service.
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PONTES, ANGELA MARIA DE. "BRAZILIAN FEMALE EXECUTIVES IN GLOBAL ORGANIZATIONS: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR WOMEN LEADERSHIP." PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DO RIO DE JANEIRO, 2017. http://www.maxwell.vrac.puc-rio.br/Busca_etds.php?strSecao=resultado&nrSeq=30607@1.
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O presente estudo tem por objetivo analisar de que modo um grupo de mulheres executivas brasileiras, líderes em organizações globais, tem identificado as oportunidades (fatores que facilitam a liderança feminina), desafios (barreiras enfrentadas) e estratégias (modos de agir adotados para maximizar as oportunidades e superar os desafios) ao longo de suas carreiras. Para tanto, foi realizada uma pesquisa de campo, de natureza qualitativa, com oito mulheres em posição de alta liderança, por meio de entrevistas em profundidade e do método de análise de conteúdo. Os resultados demonstraram os desafios que precisaram ser superados, frente à condição de líder feminina, na visão das respondentes, bem como as oportunidades que permitiram emergir suas características pessoais diferenciadas que possibilitaram a conquista de resultados expressivos. A pesquisa evidenciou, ainda, a adoção de uma identidade profissional multifacetada de feminilidades e masculinidades sugerindo uma atitude de mudança comportamental.The objective of this study is to analyze how a group of Brazilian women executives, leaders in global organizations, have identified opportunities (factors that facilitate female leadership), challenges (barriers faced) and strategies (ways of acting adopted to maximize opportunities and overcome challenges) throughout their careers. For that, a qualitative field research was conducted with eight women in a high leadership position, through in-depth interviews and the content analysis method. The results demonstrated the challenges that had to be overcome, in view of the female leader, in the respondents view, as well as the opportunities that allowed them to emerge their differentiated personal characteristics that allowed the achievement of expressive results. The research also evidenced the adoption of a multifaceted professional identity of femininities and masculinities suggesting an attitude of behavioral change.
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Moulds-Greene, Etheldria Amayah Bonnie. "Career Pathways of African-American Women Senior Executives at Predominantly White Institutions." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7827.
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Research studies have revealed that African-American women are disproportionately underrepresented in senior and executive leadership positions compared to European-American female and male counterparts at public and private predominantly White institutions, despite their increased representation in university senior leadership positions. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to discover the meaning and understanding of African-American women's career pathway experiences ascending to executive positions at these institutions. Critical race theory and Black feminist thought lenses were used as frameworks to understand participants' career pathways, barriers, and facilitating factors advancing toward leadership. LinkedIn recruitment and snowball sampling led to 9 participants who self-identified as African American/Black multi-ethnic women currently or previously worked in senior and executive-level roles. Each participant's interview was analyzed for codes and themes. Seven themes that emerged suggested that although participants experienced barriers and challenges as impediments, facilitating factors of a strong support system of mentors, role models, and faith enabled them to persevere. The participants reported having inherited a legacy of self-determination, self-reliance, resilience, family, community, and church preparing them for their career pathways. This empowered them to navigate barriers and challenges while taking advantage of facilitating factors into leadership. The positive social change implications of this study provide recommendations to both prospective African-American women aspiring career pathways in senior and executive leaders and the institutions themselves that may increase such leadership at higher education institutions.
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Norris, Dwayne G. "Leadership perceptions of men and women : a leadership categorization view /." Thesis, This resource online, 1992. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-06162009-063014/.
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Grosvold, Johanne. "Where are all the women? : institutional context and the prevalence of women on the corporate board of directors." Thesis, University of Bath, 2009. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.507230.
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Mayeko, Ncedisa. "Coping strategies of African women middle managers in the manufacturing industry." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1071.
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African women in South Africa have for decades, if not centuries, been marginalized in the workplace. With the dawn of the new South Africa came Affirmative Action and subsequently, the Employment Equity Act. These policies offered African women opportunities to enter the workplace. The review of the literature shows that the psychological functioning of African women managers has received minimal research attention. In addition, the literature review on coping focused on the individual and communal coping strategies which indicated that individual and systemic strategies have been neglected in both the theories of coping and extant empirical literature. The current study addresses this through the conceptualisation of coping from a systemic perspective. The current study aimed to explore and describe the coping strategies of African women middle managers in the manufacturing industry in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan area. The study was conducted within a qualitative research paradigm and took the form of exploratory research. Non-probability snowball sampling was utilized to identify participants for the study. The sample consisted of three African women managers who held middle management positions in the manufacturing industry in the Nelson Mandela metropolitan area. Semi-structured interviewing was utilised to collect the data. In order to analyse the data, Tesch’s (1990) qualitative analysis steps were utilised. The study showed that African women middle managers relied on individual strategies such as assertiveness, spirituality and, positive attitude to cope. These individual strategies were not used in isolation, as the participants relied on various subsystems within which they were embedded to cope with the demands they faced.
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Summers-Ewing, Dora. "The personal and career histories of women in senior management positions /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 1996. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p9737871.
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Johnson, Jacqueline M. "Leadership styles and behaviors of African American women executives from different economic sectors." Thesis, Pepperdine University, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3731993.
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The leadership styles and behaviors of African American women executives across multiple economic sectors were studied using an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach. Senior leaders from six of the following sectors Academia, Business, Government, Law, Military, and Nonprofit were surveyed using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) to quantitatively assess their leadership styles and behaviors. A subset of survey respondents from each sector were interviewed one-on-one to provide contextual details regarding their MLQ results, and to elicit additional perspectives on leadership styles in general and the development of their individual style in particular.
The preponderance of the relatively limited published studies on the leadership attributes of African American women have involved one or more of the following design methodologies: (a) use of qualitative methods, (b) focus on a single sector of the economy, (c) inclusion of a range of leadership positions from middle to senior management within their sample size, and (d) exploration of the obstacles and barriers encountered by the women during their journey to leadership.
The purpose of the present research augmented the scope and results of the previous work. MLQ data from a numerically significant sample of executives, coupled with the interview narratives, potentially provided the necessary quantitative and qualitative underpinnings to support and/or reshape findings from the past studies. Expanding the scope to include leaders from different sectors furnished insight into potential sector-specific influences on leadership styles; and tightening of the sampling process to include only senior-level leaders in organizations reduced experimental variability and insured a pool of participants with extensive leadership experience. The obstacles and barriers facing African American women leaders received the most attention in prior studies and therefore is not a key focus of this work. However, salient information gleaned from interviews concerning their impact on leadership styles have been reported.
It is expected that the data and information from this study has yielded a more comprehensive evaluation of the leadership styles and behaviors of these African American women executives in particular, and potentially enabled meaningful comparisons with previously published findings on such leadership characteristics in general.
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Tomkoria, Amita. "Parallel networks and opportunities for women directors." Diss., Connect to the thesis, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10066/589.
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Vitsitsi, Gladys. "Barriers to women’s upward mobility in the public sector: a case study of Malawian women chief executives." Thesis, Nelson Mandela University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/13469.
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Women representation in management positions is described as a fundamental human right and an important means of fair democratic representation. This study intended to investigate the factors determining women upward mobility and their promotion to management positions. Included as variables were traditional gender roles, access to education and lack of mentoring and role models. The study followed the qualitative approach using snowball sampling and conducting semi structured interviews with ten Controlling Officers from different ministries and department of the Malawi Public Service to find out whether the variables under investigation indeed affect women upward mobility. Empirical evidence shows that traditional gender roles e.g. being mothers affect women upward mobility. Similarly, limited access to education is another factor that limits women access to managerial positions. Lack of mentoring and role models, especially where there are already few women at the top also affects women’s upward mobility. The study recommended that Malawi government should help women get scholarships that provide for their children. Furthermore, the government should provide flexible working hours especially for mothers. Women themselves should meet for a cup of tea where they can empower each other on the most important aspects of their job as chief executives; that is delivering a speech, making presentations and forming networks.
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Luthar, Harsh K. "The two-way gender bias in management evaluations and decision making : evaluations of managers vs. evaluations of grievants /." Diss., This resource online, 1993. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-02022007-133642/.
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Peters, Carole C. "The micropolitics of gender at work: Leading women in education rocking the boat and moving on." Thesis, Peters, Carole C. (2004) The micropolitics of gender at work: Leading women in education rocking the boat and moving on. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2004. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/257/.
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This thesis investigates the experiences of 21 women in leadership and management who chose to leave their positions in the central office of a large state education department in Australia between 1991 and 2001, despite a record of high achievement and, for most, many years of loyal service. In particular, I identified why the women left and elements of the organisational culture that altered their career directions. The study adds to existing knowledge about women in management in Australia and the phenomenon of 'the glass ceiling' (generally understood to refer to an invisible barrier which prevents women, because they are women, from advancing beyond low to middle levels of organisational management). It demonstrates that the few women who do make it into senior management positions often encounter resistance to their acceptance at that level where the predominantly male managers exclude those who are different.
Using a qualitative research approach with in-depth, open-ended interviewing techniques drawn from a critical feminist perspective, I worked with the interviewees to explore their experiences as women in organisational management. In combining a phenomenological approach with critical reflection I aimed to create a dialogue on lived experiences while at the same time using theory to inform and reflect on those experiences. My focus shifts back and forth from the women's stories, related in their own voices, to my critical interpretation through a feminist lens, of their life-worlds.
The sample ranged from women leading projects and special programs to directors, executive directors and chief executives. All, with one or two exceptions, encountered barriers and described gendered micropolitical processes at work. The loss of talent is central to the research. The findings suggest that more could be done to retain women of high potential and, more broadly, to value talented and 'different' individuals who may disrupt the traditional understanding of 'manager' or 'leader'.
In a profound questioning of the corporate culture the research participants identified the micropolitical processes at work that often blocked career progress. They questioned political game playing, factional politics, unwritten rules, gatekeeping, the exclusiveness of the boys' club, positional power, and the hierarchical and bureaucratic management structure. They observed that relational, inclusive and interactive management styles were not valued in a corporate culture that defined merit in masculinist terms. Many challenged excessive self-promotion and careerist politics; recognised techniques that excluded and marginalised women; and asked why men with mediocre performance records got promotions, often ahead of more qualified, experienced and talented women who worked passionately for 'the good of education'.
Yet these female leaders recognised that behaviours cannot be divided neatly along gender lines. Many of the interviewees cited examples of a new wave of women they considered had become honorary males, responsible for perpetuating rather than resisting deeply entrenched practices, and not supportive of other women. One experienced CEO, who had worked in a wide range of public sector positions, distanced herself from gender debates and rejected feminist arguments that identified leadership as gendered. Adding to the complexity of the stories, other women at executive level talked of survival, the exhaustion of the lone female, the overwhelming weight of expectations from others (both male and female) and the ethical dimension of working in an 'alien' environment. As the 90s progressed, social justice discourses were lost in the neoliberal agendas of managerialism and economic rationalism and feminist voices were submerged.
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Peters, Carole C. "The micropolitics of gender at work : leading women in education rocking the boat and moving on /." Access via Murdoch University Digital Theses Project, 2004. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20050705.105434.
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Pelkey-Landes, Fortana M. "Exploring and advancing female leadership in nonprofit organizations and private corporations." Instructions for remote access. Click here to access this electronic resource. Access available to Kutztown University faculty, staff, and students only, 2002. http://www.kutztown.edu/library/services/remote_access.asp.
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Thesis (M.P.A.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 2002.Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2994. Typescript. Abstract precedes thesis as preliminary leaf. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-71).
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O'Neil, Mary Ann. "The underrepresentation of women executives in Major League Sports| A qualitative sequential phenomenological study." University of Phoenix, 2013.
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Mackenzie, Caleigh Simone. "A skills profile of female managers in the construction and engineering industry of Nelson Mandela Bay." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/2824.
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The male-dominated nature of the construction and engineering industries is a well-known phenomenon. This research provides insight into the skills required by female managers in order to manage successfully in these industries dominated by males. The primary purpose of this research is to identify the skills profile of female managers in the construction and engineering industry of Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB). Even though the number of female managers in senior management positions is increasing, South Africa still has a long way to go before men and women are considered equal with regard to the roles that they play and the positions that they occupy in the work-place (Mail & Guardian Online, 2012: 1). Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify the skills needed by female managers in the construction and engineering industry of NMB. This study attempts to provide answers to the following research questions: What are the management skills a manager should have? What is the skills profile of female managers in the construction and engineering sector of NMB? Is there a skills gap in the current literature? The literature overview was conducted on roles, functions and skills of managers as well as female managers in male-dominated industries from journals and books published between 2000 and 2014. Topics researched included the roles and functions of managers, generic management skills and industry-specific management skills, females as managers and leaders, barriers to managerial success for females, and the nature of the construction and engineering industries. Chapter four discusses the research design and methodology used in this study. The quantitative research approach was used in order to solve the main problem of this study. A non-probability sampling method was used for this study. Purposive sampling and snowball sampling methods were used. These methods seemed most appropriate given the small sample size, the fact that self-completion questionnaires were used to gather data from female managers, and the fact that the researcher investigated only the skills exhibited data. The Master Builders’ Association was contacted in order to identify respondents in construction. Respondents in engineering were identified using snowball sampling, which forms part of non-probability sampling. A questionnaire was developed based on the management skills identified in the literature study conducted. Primary data was collected through e-mail distribution of a cover letter requesting the respondent to complete the attached questionnaire. The data was then loaded on an Excel data base for further use and analysis. Once primary data had been collected, it was analysed using appropriate statistical methods. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data to determine the skills’ profile of female managers in the construction and engineering industry of NMB, as reflected in the collected data. These results were then used to identify areas for further research. The analysis revealed that the majority of the sample was between the ages of 29 and 38 years old and employed in the construction industry. The sample mainly consisted of top level managers with a Masters as their highest educational qualification (41 per cent). The majority of the respondents agreed that conceptual, technical, political, analytic, administrative, and diagnostic skills are required to effectively manage an organisation. Based on the findings, the majority of the respondents strongly agreed that leadership, planning, organising, conflict management, and project management skills are industry-specific management skills required to manage effectively in the construction and engineering industry. The majority of respondents indicated that they had learned these skills through workplace training and experience. The majority of the respondents agree that female managers excel in certain managerial skills and even believe that female managers possess different skills to those of male managers. The results of this study are expected to create awareness of the current state of the construction and engineering industry in NMB. The information will enable employers as well as FET institutions to create interventions and equip females with the necessary skills to become engineering and construction professionals.
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Govender, Vanisha. "Linking the advancement of women to senior management positions and gender barriers." Unisa, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/147.
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Look at the challenge of gender equity and global trends and its impact on EskomWomen form 52 percent of the adult population in South Africa, the majority of the population, but their status in the workplace is marginalized. The Commission of Employment Equity 2003 report revealed that women represent only 37% of the total workforce and 21% of all senior management positions and only 14% of top management positions. The study firstly investigates if gender barriers are creating obstacles for the advancement of women to senior management positions. The evidence of the research indicates that barriers do exist and the most prominent of these barriers included organizational culture, men not supporting women in the organization, division of labour, lack of after care facilities and women not supporting each other. Organizations need to admit that barriers do exist before any meaningful change can be made to the working environment of women. Secondly the study investigates the impact of gender equity targets as some organizations are attempting to increase the number of women in their business. Although gender targets results in an increase of women in the workplace it has negatively impacted the morale of men. Lastly the effectiveness of some of the strategies like mentorship, training and development, networking, flexible work policies are examined. These strategies will only be effective if the organizations are committed in ensuring a balanced workforce. Organizations needs to realize that diversity should be seen as a great opportunity to be encouraged and nurtured.
Graduate School of Business Leadership
MBL
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Coslett, Caitlin G. "Can women have it all? gender differences in the relationship between career and family for top corporate executives /." Diss., Connect to the thesis, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10066/594.
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Dlamini, Patricia Dollane. "Strategies for advancing women into executive management positions." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/15005.
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Problem: In South Africa, women have not always had opportunities in society or the workplace due to historical discriminatory political and socio-economic policies and practices, including apartheid (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, 2011). Gender disparity at the top echelons of organisations is still prevalent, and the South African business landscape is not different despite progressive legislation promulgated in the late 90s when the democratic government took over. Aim of the study: The aim was to identify challenges faced by women when attempting to advance into executive positions and strategies that could assist them in this respect. Method: A literature study was conducted to establish what work had already been done in the field of gender studies and advancement of women in the corporate world. For the empirical study an interpretivist paradigm with a qualitative research approach was adopted. Interviews were conducted with ten women who were members of the Port Elizabeth branch of the Businesswomen's Association of South Africa (BWASA) and who were categorised as hopeful, emerging or already in executive positions. They were asked about the challenges they were facing or had experienced and the strategies that assisted or could assist them in advancing to an executive position. They were also asked to provide critical incidents with the view of enriching the data and gaining a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. Results: Gender-insensitive organisational policies, an unsupportive organisational culture and unknown barriers in selection emerged as key challenges experienced by the participants. Facilitative strategies that emerged included a supportive corporate culture, family support, an enabling supervisor and affiliation to professional bodies. Conclusion: Whilst a large pool of work has been done on the advancement of women, gender equality in corporate South Africa remained a challenge. This challenge should be addressed from a corporate, personal and professional perspective. Recommendations: An integrated organisational approach to this phenomenon is required which should include appropriate company policies, a supportive organisational culture and enabling supervisors. In addition, women should garner the support that their families provide and they could greatly benefit from affiliating to professional bodies.
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Kashner, Patricia Anne. "A profile of female leadership." Instructions for remote access. Click here to access this electronic resource. Access available to Kutztown University faculty, staff, and students only, 1991. http://www.kutztown.edu/library/services/remote_access.asp.
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Thesis (M.P.A.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 1991.Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2993. Abstract precedes thesis as [3] preliminary leaves. Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-114).
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Lawrence, Ebrahim. "Leadership qualities of women in project management in a selected local government department in the Western Cape, South Africa." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2801.
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Thesis (MTech (Business Administration in Project Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Much debate has been going on about the ability of women to lead in the large organisations around the country. The call for women to be given senior leadership positions appears to have run global as more and more women seek to get into powerful positions. Whilst the population of women is generally higher than that of men, women still remain in small numbers relative to men getting the positions. Research findings do not seem to have agreed on generalisations as to why women remain in few numbers even where they are in the majority. The hotel industry, the nursing field, etc. even in such establishments the number of women in leadership has remained low. Many theories have been advanced, including the allegation that men prefer male leaders to female leaders, women cannot stand pressure in the boardroom, and men stand on the progress of women in organisations. The researcher decided on getting information from subordinates in the organisation on their perception of good leadership as perceived by them. The questions were derived from existing theory on women leaders’ characteristics and standard behaviour for effective leadership. The respondents measured from the Likert scale their perception about certain characteristics deemed to be the strengths of women. This was done to avoid using gender as this would influence some responses to the questions. The findings indicate that not all ‘feminine’ positive attributes are necessarily accepted as leading competencies with some of the male characteristics considered ‘abhor able.’ Convenience sampling, which is a non-probabilistic sampling method, was used in this research study. The benefits of this method are that the individuals are readily available and are easy to recruit. It was easier to distribute the questionnaires to the sample by means of e-mails and clarify issues as they arose.
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Wirz, Monica. "The practices within leadership selection : a gender analysis." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2015. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.709337.
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Abramovitz, Alexandra M. "Are Women Impact Players? The Effect of Female Executives on Firm Performance and Capital Structure." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2012. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/407.
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This paper examines the relationship between female participation in top management and firm performance and capital structure. Additionally, we assess whether this relationship differs at Female Friendly versus Non-Female Friendly firms. Today, women account for nearly half of the total labor force, but constitute less than one tenth of Fortune 500 Top Earners. This warrants further exploration, and thus, we hope to understand the impact gender has on firm value. After controlling for industry, size, age, leverage, and other firm specific measures, we find that female participation in top management is associated with a higher interest coverage ratio. We then investigate the difference between firm classifications and find that Female Friendly firms tend to outperform their Non-Female Friendly counterparts on the basis of operating profit margin and tend to carry a more levered capital structure. This exploration offers foundational evidence to fuel a new direction for this conversation—enacting corporate policies that better accommodate the female talent pool may allow firms to access a source of competitive advantage.
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Easley, Brian Gerard. "Developmental Networks, Black Feminist Thought, and Black Women Federal Senior Executives: A Case Study Approach." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/27666.
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Private and public sector organizations have become increasingly interested in promoting diversity. Due to barriers attributed to race and gender, women and minorities often find it hard to break through the glass ceiling. Mentoring is a tool to assist with breaking through the glass ceiling. This interest has led to extensive growth in mentoring research and the design of a more expanded concept, developmental networks. Little empirical research informs our understanding of Black women in developmental networks and their political identities within those networks.
This qualitative study, within the framework of grounded theory method and of case study research, examines two research questions:
(1)What do Black women federal senior executives value within their developmental networks?
(2)How do Black women federal senior executives construct political identity within their developmental networks?
Applying the conceptual framework of Black feminist thought and developmental network support theories the study examined the developmental relationships of three Black women senior executives. This research highlights the development of a group of high achievers and the contributions of their self-identified support systems.
Data analysis from unstructured person-to-person interviews, a questionnaire, and researcher theoretical memos identified the themes support network, self-definition and self-determination, and ecology of life. The most visible codes were significant friendship, workplace behavior, social network composition, and Black woman.
In conclusion, the women valued relationships that produced psychosocial outcomes such as friendship, trust, honesty, direct feedback, and reciprocity. They also valued relationships where they received workplace guidance and career exposure from mentor, friend, sponsor, and ally developers within or outside of the workplace. The women developed networks that provided closeness and consisted of developers from different social arenas. They defined their political identities, roles, coping strategies for life challenges and fostered relationships that recognized the importance of ethnic/racial respect, and understanding personal strength. In addition, the women preferred informal developmental relationships with Black and male developers of different ages.
Due to a small sample size, self-reported data and the application of grounded theory method, the findings of this study were interpreted with caution. Provided were recommendations for future research and practice.Ph. D.
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Motsa, Zanele. "The advancement of female executives in corporate South Africa : gender balance and women in leadership." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/59887.
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Society, business and academic literature continue to highlight the increased demand
for women in leadership. Despite this, the rate at which women are advancing into
executive and senior roles in corporate organisations remains slow. Academic literature
has shown that gendered forces operate to inhibit the progression of women into
executive and senior roles at societal, organisational and individual levels. There is
very little empirical evidence that society and business have considered that these
factors, operate in combination, to influence the advancement of women into executive
roles in a South African context. The aim of this research study was to investigate the
factors that influence the advancement of women executives into senior leadership
roles.
An exploratory qualitative study was adopted to gain insights into the extent to which
organisations have progressed towards the advancement of women executives in
corporate South Africa. The approaches currently being adopted by organisations to
advance women were investigated. In addition, factors that slow down the rate of
progression for women executives were identified; the potential benefits and
drawbacks to women as well as the potential benefits and implications for corporate
organisations were assessed. To this end, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten
senior executives from eight different industries. The insights obtained from the
interviews formed the basis of the data that was analysed by means of thematic
content analysis to produce the findings of this study.
The findings of the research indicate that mentorship programmes, support networks,
leadership development and training, career growth and exposure, and the provision of
a flexible working environment were key approaches that provided benefits for
organisations. In addition, the research findings point towards gender stereotyping,
male domination and self-limiting beliefs as some of the factors that inhibit the
progression of women into executive roles. The model for the advancement of women
was devised using these research findings. The model depicts the interdependence of
societal, organisational and individual level factors towards influencing the
advancement of female executives.Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2017.
vn2017
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
MBA
Unrestricted
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Broadbridge, Adelina. "Window dressing? : women, careers and retail management." Thesis, University of Stirling, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/3029.
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Via the submission of six published papers, this thesis draws together the body of work by Broadbridge on retail management and women’s careers. It reveals the factors that continue to be problematic for women’s careers and why in 2010 they continue to be under-represented in the retail management hierarchy. A contextual background to the selected papers is provided in three chapters which summarise some wider issues for the non specialist reader: an introduction to career development models, the gendered processes in management and a contemporary overview of retail employment in the UK. Of the six papers presented, each adopts a different theoretical perspective and so cumulatively a comprehensive understanding of the reasons for women’s continued under-representation in retail management positions is gained. The overall findings from the papers indicated that the main reasons for women’s and men’s differential experience in the retail management hierarchy can be located in issues of male control. Retail management is male dominated, male identified and male centred. This can present itself in a variety of different ways, and through overt or covert means of behaviour and underlying organisational cultures. Key theoretical contributions to the thesis are located in three sets of theory: the sexual division of labour and the organisation of retail work; the gendered retail career, and work-life balance and multiple role demands. Empirical and methodological contributions come from the corpus of data and the use and refinement of a mixed methods approach to understanding the subject area.
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Alexander, Carol Jennings. "A Study of the Business Communication Needs and Problems of Women in Entry-Level, Middle, and Upper Management Positions in Texas." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1992. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc332570/.
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The purpose of this study was to determine the business communication needs and problems of women in entry-level, middle, and upper management positions in Texas. A questionnaire was completed by sixty-eight female managers (twenty-one entry-level; forty middle; and seven upper). Female managers were asked to indicate the frequency of use and the importance of fourteen types of written and seven types of oral business communication, the importance of twenty-seven skills or knowledge, and the frequency with which they consider thirty-two skills or knowledge as problem areas. Data were also collected for the same number of male managers and were used to further interpret and complement the data on female managers. Results for female managers as a total group and male managers as a total group were evaluated by performing chi-square tests.
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Carlson, Heidi B. "A study of a minority woman business owner in a non-traditional field." Online version, 1998. http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/thesis/1998/1998carlsonh.pdf.
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