Female Leadership in Europe – a driver for change ...
EWMD Regional Conference, Maribor 2009Teresa Correia de Lacerda, International President of EWMD
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Summary
1. What is the gender equality situation in Europe?
2. Why aren’t enough women on the boards?
3. Are there different leadership styles for women and men?
4. Why is change necessary?
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1. What is the gender equality situation in Europe?
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0
5
10
15
20 1816
13
86
43
11
% Women on Board in the Public Companies
Source: EC, Women in Decision-Making Positions, 2008.
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Gender equality in Europe – an impossible dream ...
Well, we at EWMD don't think so!
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2. Why aren’t enough women on the boards?
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Maternity Leave
Part-time Job
Job Stereotypes
Work-Life Balance
Wage Gap Child Care
Leadership as a Male Job
Caretaking for elderly people
The Labyrinth of Female Leadership ...
Source: McKinsey, 2007, 2008; Eagly & Carli, 2007, HBR.
Social Capital
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• Avoid discrimination
• Change the long-hours norm
• Objectively measuring performance
• Use open-recruit tools and target a fair share of talent pool
• Ensure critical mass of women in executive positions
• Help women to develop their social capital
• Implement family-friendly practices
• Requiring top-management commitment
Changing the Organizational Culture...
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Several and profound obstacles...
Urgent, a mindset change is required!
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3. Are there different leadership styles for women and men?
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Female Leadership• Cooperative and Socially Oriented
• Team Work• Willing to Share
Power• Respects the Others
• Caring
Different attitudes & behaviours ...
Male Leadership• Tough and Aggressive
• Absolute Winner• Focused in Winning
• Self Promotion• Insensitive to Critics• Enjoy Holding the
Power
Source: Evans, G., Survey from University of Emory, 2000.
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Different leadership traits...
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Different attitudes and behaviours ...
Hence, complementarity is the key!
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4. Why is change necessary?
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• positive relation between women in top level positions and a better financial performance of companies
• women have a transformational leadership style
A Factor of Competitiveness...
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• enlarged talent pool when companies also consider women for top level positions
• women are the decision-makers for 80% of consumer goods
A Factor of Competitiveness...
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• Long Term Vision
• Holistic Perspective
• Ethics of Care
• Corporate Social Responsibility
A Driver for Sustainability...
An example from Iceland ...
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Halla Tómasdóttir from Audur Capital ...
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Empowering women will change the world ...
”I alone cannot change the world,but I can cast a stone across thewaters to create many ripples.”
— Mother Teresa
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