The difficulty that women face in reaching the top echelons of American Corporations and Political Systems is commonly referred to as “The Glass Ceiling”. However, according to Eagly & Carli (as cited by Northouse, 2016) the challenges imparted on females in their pursuit of leadership and other executives roles do not only occur when almost to the top, they occur in every stage in the journey. For this reason, they utilize a metaphor of a Leadership Labyrinth.
This challenges faced in the Leadership Labyrinth are categorized into three dimensions: human capital, the perception of gender differences, and prejudice.
Human Capital refers to the misconception that women are less invested in education, meaning they do not have the qualifications to lead. This is used to explain what is called the “pipeline problem”, or, simply put, not enough women in the pipeline towards leadership. However, the issue is not that women are not educated. In fact, they make up more than half of undergraduate degrees and earn graduate degrees at a higher rate than their male counterparts. So it is not that the pipeline doesn’t contain enough women, but it is more that it cannot sustain enough women. Women are often sidetracked from their pursuits by the disproportionate amount of responsibility they assume in raising children and managing a home. Women do the majority of the childcare and household chores (Northouse, 2016) Often times this will influence the decision to take a leave of absence or choose a role with more flexibility and, therefore, decelerating their path to leadership. This pipeline is also drained by the fact that women are less likely to receive the same inclusion into exclusive networks or have access to mentorship (Northouse, 2016)
The perception that men and women are “just different” also stands in the way of women obtaining leadership positions. Perceptions that the leadership style of females is different and therefore less effective than that of males is another oft-cited barrier for the advancement of women. Women are perceived as being better facilitators or organizers of groups but are less likely to consider themselves leaders. (Northouse, 2016) It is found that they are also less likely to ask for what they want and to self-promote. And when they choose to do so they are seen as less socially attractive and less hirable (Northouse, 2016) These perceptions are caused by the stereotypes that “men take charge and women take care” (Northouse, 2016) These gender stereotypes are pervasive, well-documented, and highly resistant to change (Dodge et al 1995 as cited by Northouse, 2016) and unfortunately, they have a strong influence on the perceptions of women in the workplace.
Besides the importance of egalitarian opportunity, allowing women to enter the lexicon of leadership also results in other progressive changes in the workplace and our culture as a whole. Whitney Wolfe Herd is the CEO and Founder of Bumble, a dating platform in which the female, in a heterosexual exchange, must make the first attempt at contact. Wolfe Herd designed the app this way after her tumultuous experience while working at another dating app, Tinder. After leaving, she sued them for sexual harassment and began to build her Bumble empire, which now includes a platform for executive networking and developing new acquaintances. Wolfe Herd’s decision, which now has more than 20 million users and an international presence has proved that putting the power back into the hands of women is a recipe for success.
But what can happen when women do make it to the top? Magic can happen. Whitney Wolfe Herd is the founder of Bumble, Bumble BFF, and Bumble Bizz. These are networking apps that have altered the way we operate and meet new people by putting the power back into the hands of females. On every platform, it is women who have to instigate the connection, which hopes to minimize the occurrence of pervasive and bothersome interactions. Whitney Wolfe Herd started her work as a member of the Tinder dating app team but found the environment to be too male heavy and extremely misogynistic. After filing a sexual harassment suit against them, she left and started her own venture which has grown ominously in the past years. Her company, which is a majority women company, is evidence that women leaders understand the variables that affect the lives of the modern employee and how to make accommodations that work for them.
In an interview with Forbes Magazine, the Company’s Chief Operations Officer, Sarah Jones Simmer defined these accommodations as “micro-agility” as they account for the small things that get in the way of the normal workday. Events such as a pipe bursting in the home so you need to go meet the plumber or going to the doctor without having to take PTO are some ways in which they are aware of what life can bring and how to allow the freedom to deal with them. They have also challenged the corporate structure and the concept of the hierarchy which tend to penalize women. By using more a Team Leadership approach they allow for more of a collaborative environment in which the build teams where there is “a creative mind complimented by a strategic one, or an operator sitting next to a visionary” (Spencer, 2018)
Acknowledging the challenges that stand in the way of women and the top spots of industry and politics is important as we attempt to challenge and change them. This pursuit is important not only for the furthering of civil rights but it ultimately creates a better working environment and world for everyone.
Works cited:
Spencer, E. (2019, January 13). Women Thrive At The Bumble Hive. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/erinspencer1/2018/07/03/women-thrive-at-the-bumble-hive/#76b975175741
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership; Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
mdh5581 says
Your post was very well informed with great examples such as the Tinder example where Whitney Wolf Herd went on her own way after parting with the company and becoming the CEO of Bumble. It’s very important to note that, even though women were not widely accepted to be put in leadership positions that mentality has been improved upon. “Women earn 57% of the bachelor’s degrees, 60% of the master’s degrees, and more than half of the doctoral degrees (National Center for Education Statistics, 2011)” (Northouse, 2016 page 397) making up half the U.S. labor force. You write about the pipeline problem where women are less invested or less human capital investment in education training and work experience than men that is brought up in the textbook (Northouse, 2016 page 399). I think you are correct in saying that Human Capital is a misconception on women and their leadership abilities. The fact that women are getting bachelor’s degrees faster than men and doctoral degrees almost as fast as men but are still being held back in leadership positions is quite eye opening.
However, depending on how a person wants to live their life certain things can get in the way that can take someone out of contention for obtaining a leadership opportunity in life. “Women do have somewhat less work experience and employment continuity than men, driven largely by the disproportionate responsibility women assume for child rearing and domestic duties” (Northouse, 2016 page 400). In some instances, men have increased their role in the domestic lifestyle but not enough to eclipse women in that role just yet.
In my opinion, I think a leadership position should go to someone who can do the job the best. A great leader can be a woman. The misconception that women are not fit to lead has only recently started to fade away. In the US the gender bias and inequality are not nearly as bad as the rest of the world. I do hope that in the future we see more women in elite leadership roles with greater opportunities to put women in those positions. I have been led by many women in my life and learned a lot from their leadership.
References
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
kfs5265 says
Meghan,
It was nice to read your blog post as it was very well written and informative. I found this weeks chapter to be especially important because of the ever changing and growing diversity within the workplace as our generations continue to progress in social change. I was stunned that only 6 of the Fortune 500 companies have female CEO’s. Although I believe there are various reasons for the imbalance, there is definitely favoritism for male models in the executive positions within our large companies in this country. Organizational barriers have plagued the equality within this country and take decades to overcome, even after enlightenment and equality have pervaded. One of these barriers is job performance expectations. Too often, women have a tougher time being promoted because they are not entrusted with grueling work loads or executive decisions. Along with that barrier, inhospitable corporate culture has tended to a clique of “the boys” and workplace politics taking precedence over ethics.
Traditionally, women have taken career gaps to raise their children, which statistics has shown is harmful for long term upward movement within the career. This effect is even greater for men who’ve taken time off for children. Even in studying the schematics and data of why there is a difference in our nations upper management, its rather sad how as corporations we punish family values and demand workaholics. Nonetheless, this week has been enlightening and reading your blog post only furthers the discussion. Well done!
References
Northouse, P.(2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
cue30 says
I especially enjoyed reading your perspective on the CEO of Bumble, Whitney Wolfe Herd, and telling her story. What is interesting to me is that she left Tinder to pursue an entrepreneurial endeavor of her own, which was a phenomenon that was described in Northouse (2016). As described in Northouse (2016), women benefit highly from taking their careers in their own hands and pursuing business leadership with their own creative ideas and entrepreneurial endeavors. Not only does this create opportunities for themselves, but also creates opportunity for other women who they can mentor into leadership positions. As you expressed in your post, this is something that Whitney Wolfe Herd successfully did within her own company, as the company and its culture is largely run and perpetuated by women.
The opportunity for mentorship that occurred at Bumble helps resolve the issue that women face when seeking mentorship for leadership positions. As expressed in Northouse (2016), a great deal more men than women are in leadership positions, and men in leadership positions tend to select individuals most like them to fulfill their positions. This is a detrimental aspect to career advancement opportunities and contribute to the pipeline problem that you described. While women statistically receive higher education, and have a strong desire for leadership, their career desires and educational potential do not often come to fruition. Indeed, women face the adversity of a labyrinth of challenges when attempting to pursue their career goals.
It is important to mention the gender biases and stereotypes that contribute to a lack of females fulfilling leadership roles. Women are often expected to fulfill a societal role of nurturance, motherhood, and sensitivity. In leadership positions, they are expected to act womanly, but “not too womanly” (Northouse, 2016). In light of this unfortunate societal constrain, many women have used transformational leadership to their benefit when fulfilling a leadership role, as this allows them to be nurturing and empathetic, but also inspirational and powerful in their roles (Northouse, 2016). Fortunately, transformational leadership in organizations is highly sought after, as the workforce increasingly diversifies. From the information you provided about the CEO of Bumble, she certainly uses a transformational leadership approach and is an inspiration to her staff. Transformational leadership and the team leadership approach she uses has certainly made for a successful and modern business, where women feel passionate about what they do, and cared for by their company.
Thank you for your post, it was certainly an interesting and thoughtful read! Good luck with the rest of your semester!
References
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.