Carmen B.
Which gender is known to be a better leader within the workforce, men or women? I asked myself this question and thought to myself, “Women of course” but then I wondered if that was the case, why are men the most dominate in the workforce? So I decided to research the topic.
Although women only consume a small percentage of high level positions within the workforce, for years many researchers have suggested that women’s leadership is different versus a man’s way of leadership.
According to a report on Business Week online, As Leaders: Women Rule, by Rochelle Sharpe, studies found that females throughout various companies had higher scores compared to men when measuring leadership skills in companies. Researchers found that the outcome of performance evaluations conducted by the Hagberg Consulting group in Foster City, California that women got higher ratings across the board compared to men on almost everything evaluated.
The performance evaluations of senior managers in fields such as technology, health care, financial-service, and consumer-goods companies were evaluated by about 25 people each. Out of 425 executives evaluated, women scored higher ratings on 42 of the 52 skills measured. Before men and women began their careers it has been known that women tend to be more smarter and educated than most men.
In the article, Men or Women: Who’s The Better Leader, by the Pew Research Center, stated that women make up 57% of all college students, almost half of all law and medical school students, and more than 4 in 10 students who earn masters degrees in business. They make up 46% of the total private sector workforce and 38% of all managers. Yet only 2% of women are the CEO’s of the nation’s Fortune 500 companies.
Throughout my studies I thought about how my hypothesis would be perceived since I am a woman myself. But not only do women feel that they are leaders but within my research men have studied this topic and even everyday men have stated that they believe women can be better leaders than men.
Reports show that women are more effective leaders yet there are very little women with high level positions. The reason behind this accusation is due to stereotypes that still occur within the workforce that “It’s a man’s world”. Stereotypes and false perceptions is what’s holding women back from achieving the success that should be sought more in today’s generation. Discrimination is a very serious issue and needs to be addressed more effectively.
