A short piece written by partners of a leadership advisory firm, and aimed at company directors. The authors argue in favour of greater diversity on New Zealand boards, on the basis that diversity of representation will improve the quality of conversation in the boardroom. The authors examine common assumptions which prevent boards from recruiting diverse membership, and offer counter-arguments.Six "concrete suggestions" are suggested that boards can employ to encourage a move towards diversity, such as reviewing board performance from the stakeholder's perspective, reviewing the organisational constitution, measuring and publishing more organisational data to improve transparency, and tapping into the talent pool of existing women's business networks.
This bibliography is a quick reference of abstracts on ways to improve women’s career paths within organisations. We have referenced 117 items, organised them into seven topic areas, and provided a brief summary of each item. Articles covering more than one topic have been included in each relevant area.
Building on the research used on Realising the opportunity, we have included other papers which contained significant data or analysis. We have also added in reports which contain concrete proposals for action or recommendations, and information on New Zealand.
We hope Inspiring Action will make it easier for human resources practitioners and managers, Chief Executive Officers and leadership teams, to identify practical steps to take to improve women’s career pathways in organisations. To find articles, use the search function below or download the full report.
2013
Area of focus:
New Zealand
This survey is a pilot study of women's representation in the community and voluntary sector (CVS), which is traditionally a female-dominated workforce. Telephone interviews were conducted with leaders of 48 New Zealand CVS organisations, and data was collected on the proportions of women in voluntary, paid and leadership positions. Additional data is presented here on the types of boards organisations have (appointed, elected, etc.), the organisations' sectors, their sources and levels of funding, and the respondents' roles, employment status and qualifications.The study found that women formed a majority in 60 percent of organisations' boards and 80 percent of leadership teams. 75-80 percent of paid staff in the CVS are estimated to be women. While female representation is therefore high, it is noticeably less at board level than at lower levels. Non-Pakeha women were found to be less represented at leadership level than Pakeha women. The characteristics of leadership roles in the CVS are discussed, which often require managers to hold a wide range of additional responsibilities beyond those of private or public sector managers.
2014
Area of focus:
New Zealand
This review of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) assesses the degree to which women are treated equitably, achieve career progression and are safe from harassment, bullying and assault within the military professions.NZDF has higher levels of gender diversity than the military of many comparable nations, but little progress has been made recently and the number of women in the force has been declining over the past five years. Statistics are presented on women's and men's progression through all stages of the NZDF lifecycle and a cohort analysis examines pay and promotion gaps between the genders. Women's attrition rates are shown to be greater than men's at every stage of career progression.Issues surrounding family-friendly policies such as parental leave and flexible career progression are discussed in terms of the unique framework of the military. The report finds that women are not represented at senior levels as only warfare branches (from which women were previously excluded) are eligible for promotion to these levels; women are currently still under-represented in these trades. There has been a marked drop in women reporting harassment, but bullying continues to affect women more than men. The report provides recommendations of four categories of action which should be taken to recruit, retain and progress women, with individual actions listed and outcome goals set for 2015 and 2018.
2014
Area of focus:
New Zealand
Following Catalyst's 2013 census of women directors and executives at Fortune 500 companies, which found that female directors still make up only 16.9 percent of the total membership, the authors of this business study discuss the possible reasons why change has still not occurred in this area.Using New Zealand as a case study, where the proportion of female directors remains at 7.5 percent, a survey found that fewer female directors were married than males, and those who were had fewer children. Women were also twice as likely as men to hold advanced degrees. The authors hypothesise that women are paying a higher price than men for the same level of attainment. Women believed the gender gap was due to their lack of access to male networks, and lack of decision-making power on boards, while men believed the scarcity of female executives meant there was a lack of qualified female candidates.The authors believe that to create change action must be taken on the country, organisational and individual level. Using the example of a New Zealand company which recently employed a rigorous, transparent and skill-focused approach to recruiting a new board, they argue that other companies need to similarly open up their selection processes.
2014
Area of focus:
New Zealand
The Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) recently received acknowledgement from UN Women for its efforts to foster gender diversity in its workforce. In this report BNZ presents a case study of these efforts.The pre-requisites to taking action on diversity are outlined, and a diagram and discussion are presented of the actions BNZ have taken since initiating the project in April 2010; these include a programme targeting high-potential women for upward movement, targets and measures for women's representation in senior management, the institution of flexible work options for all roles, and training programmes to identify unconscious bias.Results of the 2012 New Zealand Census of Women's Participation (ibid) are summarised, and the business case for diversity is presented in terms of the growing female market, accessing talent pools and increased profitability. BNZ also supports community initiatives relating to diversity and skills building. The conclusion also discusses BNZ's efforts to implement ethnic diversity and accessibility initiatives
2010
Area of focus:
Leadership
This article provides a discussion of academic research on perceived differences in leadership style according to gender. The authors summarise the empirical evidence on male and female leadership styles, arguing that stereotypes associated with gender and work roles affect perceptions of leadership more than any actual differences.Three different paradigms relating to perceptions of gender and leadership are identified: "gender blind", where the leadership styles of the two genders are seen as identical; "gender conscious", where differences are perceived to exist and allowances are made to cultivate female leadership; and a "perception creates reality" perspective which sees the styles of both genders as being similar, but with perceptions altered by stereotypes.The paper discusses the impact of the three paradigms on human resource policy and practice, and presents the self-assessed perspectives and practices of two multinational corporations as illustrative case studies.
2010
Area of focus:
Leadership
This academic research paper advances the theory that women's low participation in management is the result of biased leadership assessment criteria within organisations. Assessment criteria are defined by existing management, who are predominantly male. Cited and original research from the United Kingdom is discussed, which finds that male and female perceptions of ideal leadership qualities differ significantly and are sometimes opposed, with women seeming to favour a transformational leadership style, and men favouring transactional leadership.
2014
Area of focus:
Leadership
An academic research paper examining the impact of differing levels of female membership on corporate boards, to determine whether a "critical mass" is required for positive impacts on innovation. The study surveyed CEOs of Norwegian companies and found no correlation with perceived innovation in companies with two, one, or no female board directors; however a significant positive relationship exists in boards with three or more female directors, suggesting that this represents critical mass.Certain strategic tasks are shown to function as a mediating factor on innovation, with a positive relationship existing between three or more women and increased uptake of these tasks. In cases where boards have fewer women, the authors believe women form a "token minority" suffering from performance pressure, exclusion and assimilation into stereotyped categories. The gender of the CEO also seems to correlate with levels of innovation, with male CEOs associated with lower results.
2011
Area of focus:
Leadership
This Australian report provides an analysis of progress towards equal representation in senior business leadership, and presents the results of a survey of the Australian business community on the structural and cultural issues which impede women's progress to executive management. The survey results indicate an increased belief that senior leadership supports diversity and is committing meaningful resources to realising it, and that women and men appear to share equal ambition to top roles; however a wide gap appears to exist between intention and outcome.Forty-five percent of male respondents remained unconvinced of the business case for diversity, and two schools of thought appear to exist regarding the factors at play. A predominantly male view believed that mixed work-life priorities impede women's progress, while a predominantly female view believed that differences between male and female styles of leadership exist and are rewarded differently. The survey collected data on men's and women's beliefs on the relative value of different leadership attributes, the types of leadership at which the two genders excel, and the impacts of these differences on promotion.The paper's conclusion presents a list of "acid test" questions which a board, CEO or executive committee can apply to itself to determine its commitment to diversity, and a series of recommendations for future actions the organisation can undertake.
2011
Area of focus:
Leadership
Based on their experience with designing and implementing women's leadership programmes (WLP), the authors present a wide-ranging global overview of research and theory on the subjects of leadership development as "identity work", where one creates and internalises a leader identity, and of the impediments that unconscious bias presents to women within organisations.The authors present illustrations of how a WLP can reinterpret several standard leadership topics in light of such bias, and provide strategies for aspiring female leaders. Principles are defined to guide women's leadership education, and the implications of the identified biases for leadership theory and education in general are discussed.