Women Executives Research Articles

Women executives: Breaking down barriers?

Women are entering high-level management positions in greater numbers, and at a younger age, than ever before. But when will they break down the wall blocking the top executive suite?

Women's Ways and Effective Management

Current knowledge about gender differences in managerial behavior as well as thinking about effective management styles suggests that the managerial style of women may be different from that of men and more effective. Findings from a study of women executives of human service agencies and their perceptions of how they approach administration support the assertion that women bring to their administrative positions a unique view and understanding of women's experience of caring and, in so doing, may be more effective managers.

Life Scripts as Sources of Reward for Women Executive Directors

Twenty-five female and twelve male executive directors of social service agencies were interviewed about their early childhoods, job histories, the current rewards obtained from their jobs, and their criteria for effective social service leadership. An exploratory analysis of these data revealed a clear resonance between values and scripts learned early in life and intrinsic rewards experienced on the job. The linkage was especially pronounced for the female executive directors in relation to the themes of service to others. The implications of this linkage are discussed for social service leadership and leadership in general.

Self‐development for Women Managers in the Retail Industry

A programme of self‐development for women managers was introduced by a major retail multiple aware of low morale among its few women executives. None of the selected group understood the concept of “development” and were taken aback by the commitment and input expected of them. Their progression from resistance and dependency to learning to take responsibility is described, and the more positive attitude they develop proves helpful in tackling difficulties in the work situation.

Networking Practices of Men & Women Managers Compared

Networking is increasingly important to women as their careers advance in a wide range of professions and occupations. However, while they are aware of its benefits, an Australian study reveals differences between men and women executives in the way they network. Men emerge as better at networking in the business, professional, and social environments. The study suggests that women could improve their skills by observing male strategies. While women's networks are of great assistance, women could benefit even more if they had more experience in the men's version of the networking game.

The Woman Executive

The Woman Executive

Executive Women in Human Services

Executive Women in Human Services

The Woman Executive

This publication contains reprint articles for which IEEE does not hold copyright. Full text is not available on IEEE Xplore for these articles.

Health Aspects of the Woman Executive

This publication contains reprint articles for which IEEE does not hold copyright. Full text is not available on IEEE Xplore for these articles.

Attitudes Toward Women Executives: A Longitudinal Approach

Attitudes Toward Women Executives: A Longitudinal Approach

ATTITUDES TOWARD WOMEN EXECUTIVES: A LONGITUDINAL APPROACH.

The article presents a longitudinal study which measured the positive and negative attitudes toward women executives in the U.S. for the 1975 to 1983 period. The Managerial Attitudes toward Women E...

Le pouvoir des cadres féminins dans l'entreprise américaine : illusion ou réalité ?

The power of women executives in the American corporation : A reality or a delusion ? The equal employment opportunity policies seemed to open up a new era for women who planned to go into managerial positions in corporations. In 1983, women executives were more affected by the effects of the economic crisis than their male counterparts. Such a trend is reflected in the promotional policies of the firms and in terms of salary differentials as well as scope of authority. Besides, hierarchies are still prejudiced against minority groups and are not willing to integrate more than token individuals at the upper echelons. The yardsticks of power are meted out by subtle discrepancies in the way an individual can control and influence decision-making processes. When power is effective, sexual discriminations are immaterial. But hierarchies are reluctant to let women break through the barriers and have access to power.

The revolution in communication technology for public relations

Describing public relations professionals as a “creative, resourceful breed”, Betsy Ann Plank, in this Foundation Lecture, issues a call to arms to her colleagues, urging them to assume the responsibility of insuring that technology will improve the quality of American life. The implications of the Information Age require informed, deliberate activities from public relations practitioners if this profession, as well as others, is to adapt and grow with rapid changes in personal and vocational lifestyles, she says. Miss Plank proposes a symposium of “interested, knowledgeable people from public relations and the social sciences… whose objective would be to minimize human dislocations in the progress toward a changing social environment.” Such a symposium, she suggests, “would help to generate the national dialogue we so urgently need”. Betsy Ann Plank is assistant vice president, corporate communications, of Illinois Bell. In 1973, she was the first woman to serve as president of the Public Relations Society of America, and was 1976 international program chairman of the triennial World Congress of Public Relations. In 1977, she received PRSA's Gold Anvil Award as the outstanding public relations professional. She is past chair (1980–81) of the 100 leading women executives in the Chicago metropolitan area, and a member of the Illinois Governor's Commission on women's issues. Miss Plank joined the Bell System in 1973. She was director of public relations planning for AT&T, New York, prior to coming to Illinois Bell in May 1974. Before joining the Bell System, she was executive vice president of Daniel J. Edelman, Inc.

Coping with the Stress of Being a Woman Executive

Recent research has shown that women managers may suffer more daily stress than their male counterparts, which adversely affects their physical well‐being but which can be controlled.

Book Reviews Section

Book reviewed in this article:Hofstede, Geert. Culture's Consequences: International Differences in Work‐Related Values.Lawler, Edward E., III. Pay and Organization Development.Evans, Paul and Bartolomé, Fernando. Must Success Cost So Much? The Human Toll of Corporate Life.Radford, K. J. Modern Managerial Decision Making.Johnstad, Trygve. Group Dynamics and Society: A Multinational Approach.Sgro, Joseph A. (Editor) Virginia Tech Symposium on Applied Behavioral Science (Volume 1).Cummings, L. L. and Staw, Barry M. (Editors) Research in Organizational Behavior: An Annual Series of Analytical Essays and Critical Reviews. Volume 3 (1981).Gruenfeld, Elaine F. Performance Appraisal: Promise and Peril.Swezey, Robert W. Individual Performance Assessment: An Approach to Criterion‐Referenced Test Development.Blake, Robert R. and Mouton, Jane Srygley. Productivity–The Human Side: A Social Dynamics Approach.Rosow, Jerome M. (Editor) Productivity; Prospects for Growth.Goble, Frank G. Productivity: Getting Employees to Care.Cascio, Wayne F. and Awad, Elias M. Human Resources Management: An Information Systems Approach.Duncan, W. Jack. Organizational Behavior. (Second Edition)Du Brin, Andrew J. Human Relations: A Job Oriented Approach. (Second Edition)Beatty, Richard W. and Schneier, Craig Eric. Personnel Administration: An Experiential'Skill‐Building Approach. (Second Edition)Herbert, Theodore T. and Lorenzi, Peter. Experiential Organizational Behavior.Dessler, Gary. Personnel Management: Modern Concepts and Techniques. (Second Ed.)Nieva, Veronica F. and Gutek, Barbara A. Women and Work: A Psychological Perspective.Adams, John D. (Editor). Understanding and Managing Stress: A Book of Readings.Fenn, Margaret. In the Spotlight: Women Executives in a Changing Environment.Bedeian, Arthur G. Organizations: Theory and Analysis.

The high cost of stress on women managers

E xecutive health is an issue of great interest over a ten-year period. This study reveals and importance to occupational health docthe costs of stress and some of the problems tors, personnel managers, and others faced by managers in general, many of responsible for the well-being of people at which may also be faced by women execuwork. But there has been very little longtives. To put into perspective the evidence term research into its nature, extent, and that we have available on female managers’ causes. One of the first major studies in this health, this article includes a brief summary field is currently being carried out by Cary of the Cooper and Melhuish study followed L. Cooper and Andrew Melhuish (a British by a review of the research on the physical, physician) among a group of nearly 500 male mental, and behavioral manifestations of executives -each subject is being studied stress among women executives.

Women executives in MNC subsidiaries. Dafna N. Izraeli, Lecturer and Moshe Banai, Research Associate and Yoram Zeira, Professor, Tel‐Aviv University. Abstract from California Management Review, Fall 1980, p. 53

Women executives in MNC subsidiaries. Dafna N. Izraeli, Lecturer and Moshe Banai, Research Associate and Yoram Zeira, Professor, Tel‐Aviv University. Abstract from California Management Review, Fall 1980, p. 53

The myth of lesbian impunity: capital laws from 1270 to 1791.

The standard history of antihomosexual legislation states that lesbian acts were not punished by medieval or later laws. This essay challenges this view by documenting capital laws since 1270 in Europe and America. A major influence was Paul's condemnation in Romans I, 26. By 1400, the lex foedissimam, an edict of the Emperors Diocletian and Maximianus, issued in 287, was interpreted to justify the death penalty. Executions took place in Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Spain. A brief survey of presently known male deaths in Europe and the Americas, which number about 400, also is included. This study draws on canon law and the commentaries of such jurists as Cino da Pistoia, Saliceto, López, Gómez, Farinacio, Cotton, Carpzow, Sinistrari, de Vouglans, and Jousse. It also discusses the records of a German trial of 1721, published elsewhere in this issue, that also led to the execution of a woman.

Women Executives in MNC Subsidiaries

The majority of 111 Host Country Organization managers state that a woman could successfully head an MNC subsidiary, but most had serious reservations. What are the major problems and the implications for MNC personnel policy in selection, training, and assignment?

Women as managers: A research symposium

In an article aptly entitled "Are Women Executives People?" Bowman, Worthy, and Greyser (1965) framed many of the questions that have concerned applied researchers in the 15 years following. What, they asked, are the views men and women executives hold of the qualifications of women as managers? And how might these views affect women, and what might be done about them? The results of the Bowman et al. (1965) survey found that 86% of male and 77% of female executives felt that men are uncomfortable working for women; a substantial proportion admitted a personally unfavorable attitude toward having women in management, and indicated that they would probably not promote a woman to the top executive slot, even when her abilities were proven and those of the hypothetical male alternative were not. In collecting their sample, the authors noted that they encountered considerable difficulty in finding women in top positions comparable to those of their male respondents. A tally of the strategies suggested for women revealed considerable disagreement on how they might overcome these problems. The articles collected in this symposium begin with the findings of Bowman et al.- women are poorly represented in most activities of importance to management and are often distrusted by those evaluating them (if not by themselves). The questions being asked from this perspective are not markedly different from those asked earlier. We are still interested in exploring the dimensions of the problem, determining the reasons for it, and suggesting solutions aimed at bringing women into management- or, at the least, finding rational reasons why some women should not enter management. The studies in this symposium, however, indicate that the state of the art has extended well beyond the scope of merely asking questions concerning suitability. New methodologies are being applied, with some researchers using archival and