Why Women and Girls
A Resource Listby Jacki Zehner[1]
Sorted alphabetically by source and then by date.
85 Broads“A study finds more MBAs take the ‘Mommy Track’”, August 2, 2008
A surprising number of highly-educated MBAs are dropping out of the labor force. Associate Professor Catherine Wolfram, a member of the Haas Economic Analysis and Policy Group found MBAs are more likely than MDs and JDs to be stay-at-home mothers. Read More.
American Sociological Review
“Workplace Diversity Pays: Research Links Diversity with Increased Sales Revenue and Profits, More Customers”, March 31, 2009
http://www.asanet.org/press/diversity_pays.cfm
Workplace diversity is among the most important predictors of a business’ sales revenue, customer numbers and profitability. In one of only a few studies to empirically examine the implications of organizational diversity, sociologist Cedric Herring found that a workforce comprised of employees of both genders and varying racial backgrounds resulted in positive business outcomes.
Bloomberg
“Women on Company Boards Cut ‘Group Think,’ U.K. Lawmakers Say”, April 3, 2010
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=atULmDCqZA.E&pos=7
Increasing the number of women on the boards of U.K. financial institutions would reduce “group think” and improve scrutiny of executive decisions, a panel of lawmakers said.
The Boston Club
“Succession Planning and Diversity: A Winning Combination in Troubled Times”, 2008
http://www.thebostonclub.com/pdf/TheBostonClub2008Census.pdf
The number and percentage of women directors of the 100 largest public companies in MA have declined over the past year, and more companies now have no women on their boards. However, current economic and credit conditions provide a compelling reason to move ahead with succession planning and change in the boardroom. Diverse boards and executive suites are part of the solution to stronger, innovative and competitive companies in the future.
Catalyst, Inc.
“Women of Color In Corporate Management: Opportunities and Barriers”, July 1999
http://www.catalyst.org/publication/57/women-of-color-in-corporate-management-opportunities-and-barriers
This report, the third in Catalyst’s multi-phase study on opportunities and barriers for women of color in management, focuses on the first-hand experiences of women who identify themselves as African-American, Hispanic, and Asian-American. The report assesses the current environment and describes corporate initiatives that reduce turnover and enhance mobility.
“Women in Financial Services: The Word on the Street”, July 2001
http://www.catalyst.org/publication/90/women-in-financial-services-the-word-on-the-street
This report compares the work-related experiences, perceptions, and attitudes of women and men working in pipeline- and senior-level positions in the financial services industry.
“Clearing the Hurdles: Women Building High Growth Businesses”, 2004
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Clearing-the-Hurdles/Candida-Brush/e/9780131112018
Starting, funding, and growing a new venture are significant challenges for every entrepreneur. For women, the hurdles are even higher, due to widely held perceptions about them, their capabilities, and their businesses. Now, five leading experts on women entrepreneurs offer systematic solutions to the challenges, offering timely advice to women dedicated to achieving success and claiming the rewards.
“The Bottom Line: Connecting Corporate Performance and Gender Diversity”, 2004
http://www.catalyst.org/file/44/the%20bottom%20line%20connecting%20corporate%20performance%20and%20gender%20diversity.pdf
The business case for gender diversity asserts that organizations that develop and advance women will benefit for a number of reasons. Specifically, they will access a large part of the available talent pool, as well as employ individuals who reflect a substantial part of their consumer base. This study sets out to determine whether there is a link between gender diversity and corporate financial performance.
“2005 Catalyst Census of Women Corporate Officers and Top Earners of the Fortune 500”, 2006
http://www.catalyst.org/publication/263/2005-catalyst-census-of-women-corporate-officers-and-top-earners-of-the-fortune-500
Our census demonstrates that between 2002 and 2005, the percentage of corporate officer positions held by women increased by a total of just 0.7 percentage points to 16.4 percent. This standstill reveals that the vast majority of Fortune 500 companies have yet to understand the compelling business case for diversity or to take meaningful actions to address it. We find this particularly surprising since the economic impact of diversity in leadership has become increasingly evident.
“2006 Catalyst Census of Women Corporate Officers and Top Earners of the Fortune 500”, February 2007
http://www.catalyst.org/publication/18/2006-catalyst-census-of-women-corporate-officers-and-top-earners-of-the-fortune-500
For the first time, Catalyst presents its hallmark Census of women corporate officers and top earners as a web-only feature and in a new graphic format. This document details the percentage of corporate officer positions held by women, the percentage of top earner jobs held by women, the percentage of women and men corporate officers in line and staff positions, and the number of companies with zero, one, two, and three or more women officers.
“The Bottom Line: Corporate Performance and Women’s Representation on Boards”, 2007
http://www.catalyst.org/file/139/bottom%20line%202.pdf
This collection of figures and graphs provides a visual context for data which suggests that the representation by women on boards significantly influences corporate performance.
“Advancing Women Leaders: The Connection Between Women Board Directors and Women Corporate Officers”, 2008
http://www.catalyst.org/file/229/wco_wbd_web.pdf
This research shows that the number of women on a company’s board of directors impacts the future of women in its senior leadership. This is significant because earlier Catalyst findings show that Fortune 500 companies with the highest representation of women board directors and women corporate officers, on average, achieve higher financial performance than those with the lowest. The numbers tell the story—a gender-diverse board promotes continued success for women and for business.
“2008 Catalyst Census of Women Board Directors of the Fortune 500”, January 2009
http://www.catalyst.org/file/241/08_census_cote_jan.pdf
The 2008 Catalyst Census of Women Board Directors of the Fortune 500 details the percentage of all directorships held by women; the number of companies with zero, one, two, and three or more women directors; the percentage of committee chair positions held by women; the percentage of all directorships held by women of color and white women; the percentage of women of color directors by race/ethnicity; and the number of companies with zero, one, and two women of color directors. The appendices list companies with 25 percent or more women board directors; companies with no women board directors; and the average number and percentage of women directors by industry, geographic region, and Fortune 500 rank.
“Women in Management, Global Comparison”, April 2009
Read More.
“Engaging Men in Gender Initiatives: What Change Agents Need to Know”, May 2009
http://www.catalyst.org/publication/323/engaging-men-in-gender-initiatives-what-change-agents-need-to-know
Catalyst believes that men have a critical role to play in diversity and inclusion efforts, especially initiatives to eliminate gender bias. Yet too often men are an untapped resource in such gender initiatives. To address this gap, Catalyst has embarked on a new series of research called Engaging Men in Gender Initiatives, which offers evidence-based advice about the most effective ways to partner with men in ending gender inequalities at work.
“2009 Catalyst Census: Fortune 500”, 2009
Fact Sheet
http://www.catalyst.org/press-release/161/2009-catalyst-census-of-the-fortune-500-reveals-women-missing-from-critical-business-leadership
“U.S. Women in Business”, January 2010
Fact Sheet Read More.
“Women CEO’s of the Fortune 1000”, January 2010
Fact Sheet Read More.
“2009 Catalyst Census: Fortune 500 Women Board Directors”, March 2010
http://catalyst.org/file/320/2009_fortune_500_census_women_board_directors.pdf
Catalyst’s longitudinal project, The Promise of Future Leadership: A Research Program on Highly Talented Employees in the Pipeline, develops timely reports on the retention and advancement of high potential women and men. The project surveys graduates of leading business schools in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia, with the intent of assessing their career values, goals, and expectations, the developmental opportunities afforded them, and their strategies for managing work and family life.
CFO.com
“To Make Investors Happy, Hire a Woman as CFO?” February 9, 2009
http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/13056001/c_13090433?f=home_todayinfinance
New research suggests that certain actions by companies create more shareholder value when a woman, not a man, is at the finance helm.
Columbia Business School
“When Women Rank High, Firms Profit”, June 13, 2008
Data suggesting that firms that promote women to senior management positions have superior economic performance because of the different skills women bring to the table. Read More.
The Economist
“We Did It! The Rich World’s Quiet Revolution: Women are Gradually Taking over the Workplace”, December 30, 2009
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15174489
At a time when the world is short of causes for celebration, here is a candidate: within the next few months women will cross the 50% threshold and become the majority of the American workforce. Women already make up the majority of university graduates in the OECD countries and the majority of professional workers in several rich countries, including the United States. Women run many of the world’s great companies, from PepsiCo in America to Areva in France.
“We Did It! What Happens When Women are Over Half the Workforce”, January 2010
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15174418
Across the rich world more women are working than ever before. Coping with this change will be one of the great challenges of the coming decades
Ernst & Young
“Realizing Success Together, Creating Gender Equity”, 2008
http://www.flexpaths.com/files/Realizing_success_together_%20Creating_gender_equity.pdf
We know that women must be seen, and their ideas heard, to gain the exposure and experience that leads to career growth. Men and women alike champion our emerging female leaders through formal and informal programs that make a difference in each individual’s development.
“Groundbreakers”, January 2009
http://www.ey.com/groundbreakers
In January 28, 2009, Ernst & Young released Groundbreakers: Using the strength of women to rebuild the world economy. This 20-page report highlights the significant and proven contributions women make toward economic growth and serves as a tool for public and private sector partners who seek to advance gender equality on a global scale. The report prominently features an interview Vital Voices Global Partnership Co-Founder Melanne Verveer who speaks to the economic potential of investing in women, particularly within the context of today’s financial crisis.
Financial Times
“We must break the male cartel in the workplace”, April 23, 2008
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/21ce935a-1137-11dd-a93b-0000779fd2ac.html
Male dominance in the marketplace works like a cartel: it impedes proper functioning of the market by barring talented women from top jobs. The old boy network should be busted like any other cartel. But women, too, must adjust.
“Bosses must shore up diversity against downturn”, October 20, 2008
http://www.bridgepartnersllc.com/Article/Print/9/FINANCIAL-TIMES-Bosses-must-shore-up-diversity-against-downturn.ashx
Crisis and recession will put to the test many projects that were easy to pursue during the years of prosperity. Inevitably, one will be the commitment of companies to diversity in the workforce. However deep the downturn, no executives will admit their devotion to employing and promoting staff of different background, gender and mindset has ebbed.
“Why Women Managers Thrive in a Down Turn”, March 2009
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/27836d74-04e4-11de-8166-000077b07658,dwp_uuid=1d22aad4-0732-11de-9294-000077b07658.html
“Skirting the Boards”, June 14, 2009
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c6d8c8a2-5902-11de-80b3-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=d7b5a5de-07de-11de-8a33-0000779fd2ac.html
Shortly after Norway proposed a law forcing listed companies to have women as 40 per cent of their directors, Mimi Berdal’s telephone started ringing off the hook. The former corporate lawyer was contacted by many of the 500 or so companies that were scrambling to fill their boards with the requisite number of women.
Forbes
“Smart Women Equal Stronger Companies”, September 15, 2009
http://www.forbes.com/2009/09/15/wall-street-layoffs-gender-forbes-woman-leadership-management.html
Whether women are willingly leaving their jobs or being pushed out of them, a female exodus is bad for business. Examples from Intel, Ernst & Young, and Siemens.
The Glass Hammer
“Gender parity in the workplace: Is it only a matter of CEOs believing the business case for change?”, April 1, 2010
http://www.theglasshammer.com/news/2010/04/01/gender-parity-in-the-workplace-is-it-only-a-matter-of-ceos-believing-the-business-case-for-change/comment-page-1/#comment-7043
Yes and no. Yes we need all CEO’s to understand the bottom line impact of this productivity issue on their businesses. However that is only part of the solution as strategic plans must be designed and implemented with some sort of a target attached and consequences if targets are continually missed- like any other business function.
Harvard Business
“Power of Talk: Who Gets Heard and Why”, September 1995
http://hbr.org/product/power-of-talk-who-gets-heard-and-why/an/95510-PDF-ENG
Most managerial work happens through talk–discussions, meetings, presentations, negotiations. And it is through talk that managers evaluate others and are themselves judged. Using research carried out in a variety of workplace settings, linguist Deborah Tannen demonstrates how conversational style often overrides what we say, affecting who gets heard, who gets credit, and what gets done.
“A Modest Manifesto for Shattering the Glass Ceiling”, April 1, 2002
http://harvardbusiness.org/product/modest-manifesto-for-shattering-the-glass-ceiling-hbr-onpoint-enhanced-edition/an/9624-PDF-ENG
Although women have made enormous gains in the business world–they hold seats on corporate boards and run major companies–they still comprise only 10% of senior managers in Fortune 500 companies. What will it take to shatter the glass ceiling? According to Debra Meyerson and Joyce Fletcher, it’s not a revolution but a strategy of small wins–a series of incremental changes aimed at the subtle discriminatory forces that still reside in organizations.
“Do Women Lack Ambition?”, April 2004
http://hbr.org/product/do-women-lack-ambition/an/R0404B-PDF-ENG?N=4294958509%2520516172%25204294935049
For men, ambition is considered a necessary and desirable part of life. Most women, however, associate ambition with egotism, self-aggrandizement, or manipulation. Getting to the bottom of why this is so required study of what ambition consists of–for both sexes. In childhood, the research uncovered, girls are clear about their ambitions.
“Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership”, September 2007
http://hbr.org/product/women-and-the-labyrinth-of-leadership/an/R0709C-PDF-ENG?N=100004%25204294932922
Two decades ago, people began using the “glass ceiling” catchphrase to describe organizations’ failure to promote women into top leadership roles.
“Too Much Testosterone on Wall Street”, January 7, 2010
http://blogs.hbr.org/hbr/hewlett/2009/01/too_much_testosterone_on_wall.html
Finance has always been dominated by men and driven by a testosterone-enhanced culture. If women had been running our banks, might we have avoided the sub-prime mess and the resulting economic meltdown?
“The Athena Factor: Reversing the Brain Drain in Science, Engineering, and Technology”, June 2009
http://hbr.org/product/the-athena-factor-reversing-the-brain-drain-in-sci/an/10094-PDF-ENG
An estimated 2.7 million U.S. adults in 2004 had gross assets of $1.5 million or more. In total, these top wealth holders owned nearly $11.1 trillion in assets. After accounting for debts and mortgages of $850.1 billion, these individuals had a combined net worth of over $10.2 trillion. A little less than 1.6 million, or 57.0 percent, of top wealth holders were men, while just under 1.2 million were women. Overall, male top wealth holders had a higher average net worth than their female counterparts.
“The Female Economy”, September 2009
http://hbr.harvardbusiness.org/2009/09/the-female-economy/es
As a market, women represent an opportunity bigger than China and India combined. They control $20 trillion in consumer spending, and that figure could reach $28 trillion in the next five years. Women drive the world economy, in fact. Yet most companies do a remarkably poor job of serving them, a new study by the Boston Consulting Group reveals.
“The Work, Family and Equity Index – Where does the US rank globally!”
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/globalworkingfamilies/images/report.pdf
As part of the Project on Global Working Families, with the support of the Ford Foundation, the Work, Family, and Equity Index has been developed to measure governmental performance around the world. The Work, Family and Equity Index is the first venture to systematically define and measure successful public policies for working families globally.
Hedge Fund Network
“Women Hedge Fund Managers Outperform Men”, December 9, 2009
http://www.businessweek.com/careers/workingparents/blog/archives/2009/12/its_generally_k.html
It’s generally known that men are hard-wired to be bigger risk takers than women (due to all that extra testosterone they have sloshing around). Interestingly, though, in a profession that is all about risk — hedge fund manager — testosterone may not be such a good thing.
“Women Surpass Men in Returns, Study Says”, December 11, 2009
http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/women-outperform-men-in-hf-returns-study-says/
It seems that in the hedge fund industry, female fund managers come out on top — at least according to a new study from Bloomberg L.P. and the National Council for Research on Women.
Hewitt
“Women in Leadership at a Crossroads: Why Current Best Practices Will Not Be Enough to Shatter the Glass Ceiling”, 2008
http://www.hewittassociates.com/_MetaBasicCMAssetCache_/Assets/Articles/2008/Women_in_Leadership_at_a_Crossroads.pdf
Andrés Tapia is a Senior Diversity Executive, which includes workforce and HR transformation both inside Hewitt and with Hewitt’s clients. As Hewitt Associates’ Chief Diversity Officer/Emerging Workforce Solutions Leader, he is responsible for leading the company in its internal and external diversity vision. He develops diversity strategies hard-wired to the business strategies. He is responsible for embedding diversity implications, concepts, and strategies into Hewitt’s client solutions and services to drive organizational-wide change.
Huffington Post
“Brokenness, Hope and Women!”, December 10, 2008
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jacki-zehner/brokenness-hope-and-women_b_149983.html
So much is broken in the world that at times I just want to ball up and cry. I mean really, in a time of financial and economic crisis, can you bear to read the story of Governor Blagojevich trying to auction off Obama’s senate seat?
“Shattering the Ceilings, for Good”, June 22, 2009
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jacki-zehner/shattering-the-ceilings-f_b_219285.html
The barriers that continue to prevent women from reaching senior leadership in critical mass in the financial services industry and more generally–negative gender stereotyping, lack of women in line positions, a narrow pipeline, lack of mentoring and promotion opportunities, work/life balance challenges, limited access to powerful professional networks–are the same ones faced over a decade ago.
Interorganization Network (ION)
“Planning for Tomorrow’s Boardroom: Making Room for More Women”, March 2009
http://api.ning.com/files/MDqSwhCErxqM9nMHALSSfIklnavyOyR57iAuHxqUDaLLiAOiMCQGYdOalxb*ktnqmW14pM8S*WGmgaQ*giUqfmJezAwvUlHy/ION2009report.pdf
A consistent pattern shown by these data is that larger companies are more likely than smaller companies to have one or more women on their boards of directors, a fact that has been documented by all ION members every year.
Kauffman Foundation
“Gatekeepers of Venture Growth: A Diana Project Report on the Role and Participation of Women in the Venture Capital Industry”, 2004
http://www.kauffman.org/pdf/Diana_2004.pdf
The success of high-potential, women-led companies is critically important to the long-term prosperity of America. However, in spite of the fact that their rate of participation in new venture creation has been at an all-time high for the last fifteen years, women have received a disproportionately low share of available venture capital in the United States.
McKinsey & Company
“Women Matter: Gender Diversity, a Corporate Performance Driver”, October 2007
http://www.mckinsey.com/careers/women/making_a_difference/social_sector_impact/~/media/Reports/Women/Mckinsey_women_matter.ashx
This report posits that companies with the most women on their senior team show superior growth in equity, operational results and share price. If at least a third of the senior team is made up of women, companies outperform those with no women on 9 criteria of organizational excellence.
“Seeing Beyond the Woman: An Interview with a Pioneering Academic and Board Member”, September 2008
http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Interviews/Seeing_beyond_the_woman_An_interview_with_a_pioneering_academic_and_board_member_2194
Sandra Dawson has often surprised even herself by the jobs she has taken on throughout her career. The result has been a rich mix of UK-based academic, government, and business roles where, as a woman, she has often been one of a small minority.
“A Business Case for Women”, September 2008
http://www.cwf.ch/uploads/press/ABusinessCaseForWomen.pdf
Based on research in Europe and the United States, companies with higher percentage of women at top position perform better financially. Based on the report, “hiring and retaining women at all levels also enlarges a company’s pool of talent at a time when shortages are appearing throughout industries.”
“Centered Leadership: How Talented Women Thrive”, October 2008
http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Centered_leadership_How_talented_women_thrive_2193
A new approach to leadership can help women become more self-confident and effective business leaders. Women start careers in business and other professions with the same level of intelligence, education and commitment as men. Yet comparatively few reach the top echelons. With this in mind, the McKinsey Leadership Project, an initiative to help professional women at McKinsey and elsewhere, set our four years ago to learn what drives and sustains successful female leaders. Based on their interviews, they have distilled a leadership model compromising five broad and interrelated dimensions: meaning, managing energy, positive framing, connecting, engaging.
“How helping women helps business”, January 2010
http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Economic_Studies/Productivity_Performance/How_helping_women_helps_business_2513
Companies whose social investments focus on women in developing economies help not only the recipients but also themselves.
“The Business of Empowering Women”, January 2010
http://www.mckinsey.com/App_Media/Reports/SSO/EmpWomen_USA4_Letter.pdf
The business of empowering women presents a case for why and how the private sector should intensify its engagement in the economic empowerment of women in developing countries. While many private sector organizations may see the economic empowerment of women as a worthy goal in itself, others also need a clear business case for investing in women. This research helps make that case, and offers a roadmap for companies to build a strategic investment portfolio in women’s issues.
Miscellaneous
“The Impact of Work Group Diversity on Performance: Large Sample Evidence from the Mutual Fund Industry”, September 2007
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1017803
This paper investigates the impact of work group diversity on performance. Analyzing a uniquely large sample of management teams from the U.S. mutual fund industry we find that the influence of diversity on performance depends on the dimension of diversity that is analyzed. Informational diversity has a positive impact on performance, which is driven by tenure diversity as well as educational diversity. Social category diversity has a negative impact on performance, which is mainly driven by gender diversity while age diversity has no strong impact. Our results have important implications for the optimal composition of work groups and for investment strategies of fund investors.
“Critical Mass: Does the Number of Women on a Corporate Board Make a Difference?”, 2008
by Sumru Erkut, Vicki W. Kramer, and Alison M. Konrad
A study on women corporate board members that demonstrate the importance of numbers in how women leaders view themselves and how others view them. Read more.
“Wall Street’s Most Powerful Woman”, April 1, 2008
http://www.entrepreneur.com/growyourbusiness/portfoliocombusinessnewsandopinion/article192032.html
Hanging high over midtown Manhattan, the executive floor of the Lehman Brothers investment bank is a curious fusion of hunting lodge and glass aquarium—only instead of bear pelts and deer antlers, one finds framed announcements of bond offerings on the walls.
“Mind the Gap: Time to Tackle Wall Street’s Diversity Problem”, January 22, 2010
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/story/print?guid=D3F78B28-C3E3-46D8-A7BD-B09AB641C0DA
Let’s face it, we’ve seen this all before. Every few years, Wall Street rides the bull, tumbles off and gets back up again. Only this time, Wall Street almost didn’t rise again. Contrite chief executives have vowed this will never happen again, pointing to tighter regulations and newer risk models. This sounds suspiciously like consensus thinking. It’s time for a deeper view.
“Women In Hedge Funds: Top 50”, February 12, 2010
http://www.marketfolly.com/2010/02/women-in-hedge-funds-top-50.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MarketFolly+%28Market+Folly%29&utm_content=Google+Reader#ixzz0hhe0f46h
The hedge fund journal has released an intriguing and comprehensive overview of the top 50 leading women in hedge funds. In a seemingly male dominated industry, it’s good to see many talented females emerging and being recognized for their talents. This is a topic we’ve regrettably been scarce in coverage on, save for a post on the future of hedge funds through women’s eyes. So, hopefully we’ll be able to talk more about the role of women in the industry as we move forward.
“Where Are All the Women on Wall Street?”, March 30, 2010
http://www.financial-planning.com/news/women-Janowski-massmutual-vanguard-2666351-1.html
A recent survey released by the Financial Women’s Association (FWA) reveals that in 2009 the presence of women at the highest levels of major corporations in New York remained flat, while the number of women in board and executive positions either increased slightly or decreased when compared to the 2008 study. The FWA study examined a cross-section of the largest public companies (ranked by revenue) in the metropolitan New York area, looking at proxy statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as other SEC filings, articles, and company websites.
National Council for Research on Women
“Women in Fund Management, A Road Map for Achieving Critical Mass – and Why it Matters”, June 2009
http://www.ncrw.org/programs/271/women-in-fund-management
The National Council for Research on Women is a network of 120 leading U.S. research, policy and advocacy centers with a growing global reach. Through our network, the Council harnesses the power of more than 2,000 experts to provide the knowledge, analysis and thought leadership necessary for fully informed debate, policies, and practices, in order to build a more inclusive, equitable, and secure world for women and girls.
New York Magazine
“What If Women Ran Wall Street?”, March 21, 2010
http://nymag.com/news/businessfinance/64950/
Early in the morning on a typical weekday, men can be seen resolutely streaming down lower Broadway, braced against a pulverizing wind. They are preparing to enter their office buildings, put on their headsets, flick on their Bloombergs, and go to war. And if they look miserable—or weary, frustrated, angry, or petrified—it’s because they have one of the most emotionally taxing jobs in the world. Playing the market is a constant ricochet between panic and euphoria. There’s a reason the burnout rate is high. But the formula for succeeding in a high-stress financial environment is simpler than you might think.
New York Times
“Mistresses of the Universe”, February 7, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/08/opinion/08kristof.html?_r=1%20
Banks around the world desperately want bailouts of billions of dollars, but they also have another need they’re unaware of: women, women and women.
“The Mismeasure of Women”, October 24, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/24/opinion/24lipman.html
For the first time, women make up half the work force. The Shriver Report, out just last week, found that mothers are the major breadwinners in 40 percent of families. We have a female speaker of the House and a female secretary of state. Thirty-two women have served as governors. Thirty-eight have served as senators. Four out of eight Ivy League presidents are women.
“Getting Women into Boardrooms, by Law”, January 27, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/28/world/europe/28iht-quota.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Arni Hole remembers the shock wave that went through Norway’s business community in 2002 when the country’s trade and industry minister, Ansgar Gabrielsen, proposed a law requiring that 40 percent of all company board members be women.
“Looking for Women in Wall Street’s Top Ranks”, January 29, 2010
http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/looking-for-women-in-wall-streets-top-ranks/
When Sallie Krawcheck was hired six months ago as president of global wealth and investment management at Bank of America, she was besieged with e-mail messages from current and former Wall Street women celebrating her return to the fray.
“Does Wall Street Need an Estrogen Injection?”, April 1, 2010
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/does-wall-street-need-an-estrogen-injection/?dbk
One of the more intriguing — yet unanswerable — questions that has arisen in the wake of the financial crisis is whether all that alpha-male testosterone at the top of Wall Street firms helped to ratchet up the excessive risk-taking, inflating the housing and securitization bubbles, the bursting of which led to a credit freeze and the worst recession in generations.
The Shriver Report
“A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything”, October 2009
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/10/pdf/awn/a_womans_nation.pdf
Trader Monthly
“Wonder Women”, October, 2008
http://www.txwsw.com/wonder_women.php
Meet some of money management’s leading lights: Battling markets, taking profits and shattering stereotypes, they’re the 10 top female fund managers on earth.
University of Cologne
“The Impact of Work Group Diversity on Performance: Large Sample Evidence from the Mutual Fund Industry”, 2007
http://www.cfr-cologne.de/download/workingpaper/cfr-07-16.pdf
This paper investigates the impact of work group diversity on performance. Analyzing a uniquely large sample of management teams from the U.S. mutual fund industry we and that the influence of diversity on performance depends on the dimension of diversity that is analyzed. Informational diversity has a positive impact on performance, which is driven by tenure diversity as well as educational diversity.
U.S. Department of Labor
“Employment Status of Women and Men in 2007”, 2007
http://www.dol.gov/wb/factsheets/Qf-ESWM07_txt.htm%20
Wall Street Journal
“Why Diversity Can Backfire On Company Boards”, January 25, 2010
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703558004574581851089027682.html
Too often, it can lead to personal battles and inhibited discussions. Here’s how to make it work. When it comes to corporate boards and diversity, the conventional wisdom is simple: Diversity is good.
Wellesley Center for Women
“Inside Women’s Power: Learning from Leaders”, 2001
http://www.wcwonline.org/component/page,shop.product_details/flypage,shop.flypage/product_id,784/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,175/vmcchk,1/
This book is based on an analysis of 60 interviews with prominent U.S. women regarding their leadership practices. Using a life course developmental perspective, the study places the leadership experiences of these prominent Caucasian leaders and leaders of color in a socio-historical context. The results show the progress to date, and what remains to be accomplished to achieve gender equity in leadership.
“Critical Mass on Corporate Boards: Why Three or More Women Enhance Governance”, 2006
http://www.wcwonline.org/pdf/CriticalMassExecSummary.pdf
To study the effect on boardroom dynamics of increasing women’s presence, Kramer, Konrad, and Erkut interviewed 50 women directors, 12 CEOs (9 male), and 7 corporate secretaries at Fortune 1000 companies. The results showed that the benefits of having women on a corporate board are more likely to be realized when three or more women serve on a board.
The White House Project
“Benchmarking Women’s Leadership”, November 2009
http://thewhitehouseproject.org/documents/Report.pdf
Much of the general public believes that women’s fight for parity in the workplace has already been won. After all, women are solidly entrenched in the workforce. Today, women receive the majority of all college degrees and are well represented in entry- and mid-level positions in most sectors of the economy. But equality still remains out of reach. In fact, women have made strikingly little progress in advancing to the boardrooms and the executive suites; in some sectors of the economy, their progress has been stalled for several years. Today women account for only 18 percent of our top leaders and make 78.7 cents to every dollar earned by a man—a wage gap that increases with age.
Womenomics
“’Girl Power’: Female Participation in Top Management and Firm Performance”, August 2008
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1088182
Scholars and practitioners have long argued that females exhibit a distinctive and particularly effective managerial style. Yet, less than a third of the largest U.S. corporations have a single female senior executive, raising the question of whether women are in fact effective as senior managers, and, if so, under what circumstances.
“Gender diverse boards are better monitors”, October 2008
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1107721
Based on this report, female directors have a significant impact on board inputs and firm outcomes. In a sample of US firms, the report finds that female directors have better attendance records than male directors, male directors have fewer attendance problems the more gender-diverse the board is, and women are more likely to join monitoring committees.
“Why Women Mean Business”, 2008
Link to book review: http://www.women-omics.com/429-0-book-review-why-women-mean-business.html
Why Women Mean Business takes the economic arguments for change to the heart of the corporate world. This book analyses the opportunities available to companies that understand what motivates women in the workplace and the marketplace. The authors compare policies and approaches in countries around the world that offer surprising results.
“Ever Increasing Majority of Women Graduates”, March 2009
http://www.women-omics.com/778-0-trend-of-women-as-the-majority-of-talent-will-continue.html
According to a recent OECD report, Higher Education to 2030, women will become an even larger majority of the graduate talent pool in only one decade. Companies are already having to ensure that they don’t swing the gender balance too far in favor of women. However, it must be noted that women primarily study the social sciences, while men study engineering.
BOOKS (by title)
Getting to 50/50
-How working couples can have it all by sharing it all
By Sharon Meers and Joanna Strober
Half the Sky
-Turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide
By Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
Influence
-How women’s soaring economic power will transform our world for the better
By Maddy Dychtwald w/ Christine Larson
Leadership and the Sexes
-Using gender science to create success in business
By Michael Gurian w/ Barbara Annis
Men are from North Dakota, Women are From South Dakota
-Framing Sex Differences and Similarities
By Kathryn Dindia
Necessary Dreams
-Ambition in women’s changing lives
By Anna Fels
Talking Leadership: Conversations with Powerful Women
By Mary S. Hartman
The Future of Management
By Gary Hamel w/ Bill Breen
The Loudest Duck
-Moving beyond diversity while embracing differences to achieve success at work
By Laura Liswood
The She Spot
-Why Women are the market for changing the world – and how to reach them
By Lisa Witter and Lisa Chen
When Everything Changed
-The amazing journey of American women from 1960 to the present
By Gail Collins
Why Women Mean Business
By Avivah Wittenberg-Cox and Alison Maitland
Women Lead the Way
-Your guide to stepping up to leadership and changing the world
By Linda Tarr-Whelan
Womenomics
-Write your own rules for success, stop juggling and struggling and finally start living and working the way you really want
By Claire Shipman and Katty Kay
[1] With contributions by Laura Liswood, Secretary General & Co-Founder, Council of Women World Leaders.
