BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y., Feb. 27, 2019 – In advance of International Women’s Day on March 8 and Women’s History Month, the Academy of Management (AOM), the largest global organization devoted to management and organization research, shares academic studies exploring workplace gender equality and women in leadership.
The research informs the current state of workplace gender equality and women in leadership, and reveals the need for organizations across the world to improve workplace gender equity.
The Current State of Workplace Gender Equality
The following research studies, conducted independently, help reveal the current state of gender equality and women in leadership across global business organizations.
Multiple studies found that all too often women are not offered top leadership roles when the opportunity arises.
When Women or Minorities Check in as CEOs, White men Check out
Of the best performing companies in the world, the odds of a woman succeeding another woman as CEO were found to be small.
Three Recipes for Success for Female CEOs
How does gender inequality impact female venture capital firm owners? Research revealed more disproportionate findings.
How Female Entrepreneurs can Beat the VC Funding Bias
In instances where women leadership is present, AOM research found that this could be attributed to what is called “token diversity.”
‘Twokenism’: Why top U.S. Firms’ Boards Have Two Women
These studies present a stark reality, reaffirming that there is significant progress to be made by the world’s organizations to achieve greater gender equality and women in leadership.
AOM Serves as an Example of Gender Equality and Women in Leadership
In tandem with research findings, AOM as a member-led organization is an example of the value of gender equality. AOM’s leadership is elected by its 20,000 members, who have consistently elected women in leadership.
Spanning the last 20 years, the four most recent AOM member presidents have been women with the next president, Villanova University management professor Quinetta Roberson, continuing the tradition. Additionally, four of five current AOM Board of Governors officers are women and six of nine current Board of Governors representatives-at-large are women. Further, all of AOM’s editorial teams and Division and Interest Group leadership teams have proportionate representation of women.
“Gender equality and women in leadership are hugely important topics that have a significant impact on an organization’s success,” current AOM member president, California State University, San Bernardino professor Jacqueline Coyle-Shapiro noted. “Our 20,000 members have elected women in leadership positions who have helped create gender equity across our organization and in corresponding research.”
“As a result of an inclusive member organization and diverse leadership structure, we’ve created a culture that combines academic rigor and excellence with notions of inclusion, cohesion, volunteerism, collective consensus and creative scholarly imagination,” Coyle-Shapiro continued. “We’re proud to provide the world with published journals that inform how businesses and organizations can operate smarter, more equitably and effectively.”
Research on Creating Gender Equality
AOM scholar research concluded that organization-wide policies and programs that promote gender equality are needed. Research showed individual managers are largely incapable of creating a workplace culture that supports gender equality and women in leadership positions. Successful initiatives must have buy-in from the entire organization.
The following research concluded that evidence-based studies could better level the playing field.
Women’s Career Self-Help Books: Pros and Cons
As the research shows, creating gender equality must be a unified commitment across the organization. It is the responsibility of entire companies, from the CEO down, to commit necessary resources to create workplaces that are more equitable.
Understanding the need for an organizational commitment to accomplishing gender equality, Roberson, AOM’s next president, seeks to continue AOM’s legacy of gender equality amongst its 20,000 members.
“24 years ago, I became an AOM member. Each year, I experienced the value of an organization that is comprised of diverse perspectives, insights and academic leadership. From mentorship to exposure to new worldviews and academic research, women in leadership helped pave the way for personal and professional growth for thousands of the world’s top academic scholars,” Roberson commented. “It will be an honor to help build onto AOM’s existing legacy in supporting gender equality while scholar members continue their valuable research that will help create more inclusive workplaces across the world.”
Media may request copies of the aforementioned research and interviews with the authors by contacting press@aom.org.
About the Academy of Management
The Academy of Management is the largest global association devoted to management and organization research, with 20,000 members from more than 120 countries across six continents. In addition to Insights, an online magazine with easy-to-read, evidence-based research for managers and business leaders, AOM publishes six top-rated journals with the most authoritative and diverse management research findings. For more information, visit www.aom.org.