Women in Leadership
Women on Boards: The Superheros of tomorrow?
August 1, 2016 • Women in Leadership
Introduction The number of women on boards is not shifting according to Catalyst whose census indicates that 19.9% of board seats were held by women last year, compared with 19.2% the year prior. Meanwhile, a new research paper by Adams suggests the number is smaller than we think. In her paper, she questions the evidence that corporations with female directors on their boards perform better, citing what we know from studies by Catalyst, McKinsey and others. Summary Because these studies are not held to the same rigorous research standards expected in academic settings, causal effects can and do affect results and conclusions. In particular, Adams highlights… » Read More
Underestimating one’s leadership impact: Are women leaders more susceptible?
July 1, 2016 • Women in Leadership
Summary While 50% of supervisory and management positions are held by women, female representation drops to less than 5% when it comes to the c-suite. In this paper. the researchers argue that while women self-rate similarly to men on multi-source feedback (i.e. through their own and others feedback ratings), they under-estimate how they are seen by others. Through a series of studies, the researchers set out to assess whether women are less aware of their leadership capabilities than their male counterparts and whether they are failing to appreciate their talents and leadership impact. They found evidence that women under-predicted their… » Read More
Leading at the top: Understanding women’s challenges above the glass ceiling
June 1, 2016 • Women in Leadership
What Is the The Glass Cliff? While most of us are familiar with the “Glass Ceiling”, the “Glass Cliff” phenomena is less well known and/or understood. The term was introduced by Michelle Ryan and Alexander Haslam, psychology professors at the University of Exeter. In their 2004 study, they found evidence that women are more likely than men to find themselves on a ‘glass cliff’, in positions that are risky or precarious. Summary In this latest study, Glass & Cook collected information on the career trajectories of 52 female Fortune 500 CEOs along with structured interviews with 12 of those CEOs. They explored the circumstances under which women are promoted to… » Read More
