What Do Men Have That Women Don't?

What do men have that women don't? What are the pros and cons of being a female in business?

Dynamics in business have changed over the last few decades for women. For years the business world has been run by men alone and to this day some of the same old habits die hard. Yes, women have come further with each passing year but we still remain in the shadows. A great example of some of the stepping stones pertaining to women and business are portrayed in the movie “Nine to Five”. (Watch a great clip below)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNnRamMk7xo

With my interest being in business I would like to know more about why or how this has not leveled out more in such a progressive field. Reading several articles and Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In,” I have come to think that it may be the networking support for men that is different than for women, and whether this is an organizational and/or individual factor, I don’t know, so I reached for a peer-review article for further enlightenment. In avoidance of limiting myself through this research, I think this is a great place to start.

I found “Barriers to Mentoring: the Female Manager’s Dilemma” written by Belle Rose Ragins at Marquette University. Her aim is to address the difference in how quickly men move up through an organization vs. their female counter-part. Ragins addresses gender differences in mentoring functions, what men do differently than women to obtain such connections, and future areas of interest pertaining to these matters.

People in general I think are creatures of habit. With that being said, I wonder if this will be a dissipating issue as younger generations from broken homes or different teachings find roles in management. You figure children from broken homes usually grew up with a different perspective of women. The mother was probably the main care giver, worker, maid, teacher, etc. which changes people’s point of view now-a-days vs. lets say people who grew up in the 50’s or 60’s because their upbringings were very different.

Obtaining a mentor for a woman can be crucial for advancement in her career, not that it does not hold any value to men but women tend to be overlooked more often. Whether this discrimination is blatantly, secretly, or unmindfully done it still happens.

Ragins looks at this problem and brings it to our attention with studies, and statistics mostly with an addition to logical thinking and experience. She finds that women are not perceived as “bona fide equals” and are therefore overlooked for protégée opportunities.

I would like to look into this matter further to see how it has progressed recently or if it has remained stagnant for a period of time with no further progression of equality. Some questions I would like to look into are:

-Is this an issue because of generational differences?

-Will it dissolve itself as older generations retire?

-Are women to blame for not communicating properly their desire for advancement in pay and/or position?

- Or are women not confident enough in themselves that they do not think they are as deserving as their male counter-part?

http://hum.sagepub.com/content/42/1/1.full.pdf+html