Social movements in society lead to transformations in the companies and organizations within that society. The environmental movement led to environmentally friendly practices and processes, for example. Movements for the rights of women and minorities led to efforts by companies to promote women and diversify their workforces. While companies will face pressure from outside groups […]
Read More… from How Social Activist Roles in Companies Become Deradicalized
In November 2020, the advocacy group Women in Banking and Finance launched a four-year research program, entitled Accelerating Change Together, to address gender and diversity issues in the financial and professional services sectors. WIBF commissioned the London School of Economics The Inclusion Initiative, led by LSE Prof. Grace Lordan, to conduct research on its behalf. […]
Read More… from Diversity-Friendly Work Approaches in the Post-Pandemic Workplace
In 2008, a study led by Prof. Ashleigh Shelby Rosette of Duke showed that for Americans, Whiteness was one of the prototypical attributes of leaders. As a result, Whites, seen as more leaderly, were more likely to be promoted or recruited for leadership positions. In 2022, researchers replicated the 2008 research and found that attitudes […]
Prior research has revealed a ‘glass cliff’ phenomenon: Companies in crisis situations are more likely to appoint women top managers than companies that are not in trouble. These disproportionate crisis appointments often set up women executives to fail. Some have argued that companies in crisis appoint women as top managers because of stereotypical beliefs by […]
Read More… from How Signaling Motives Send Women Managers Towards the “Glass Cliff”
Empathy entails making the effort to understand others’ perspectives and emotions, and demonstrating that understanding through care and concern. In the workplace, leadership empathy is manifested through actions ranging from flexible work-at-home options to a concerted effort to create an inclusive environment for workers of all races, genders and sexual orientations. A study from Catalyst, […]
Drawing from a unique database of information spanning 25 years and taking a unique approach to defining work, a team of European researchers offer a mix of expected and unexpected insights into the progress of women in the workplace. The study, sponsored by the European Commission’s Joint Research Study, based its findings on an analysis […]
Read More… from Men Continue to Have the Best Tasks in the Workplace
Despite the overwhelming consensus in favour of improving career and leadership opportunities for women in business, diversity statistics continue to demonstrate that best intentions have not led to results. The London School of Economics’ Inclusion Initiative, in partnership with the advocacy organization Women in Banking and Finance (WIBF), conducted a qualitative study to identify the […]
Read More… from Success Keys for Women in the Finance Sector
More and more firms with ongoing recruitment of professionals use computer algorithms to screen job applicants. The screening process is based on past history: the algorithm compares a candidate’s profile with the profiles of past successful candidates—success in terms of being selected for an interview and success in terms of accepting an eventual job offer. […]
Read More… from Exploration Algorithms Increase Diversity of New Hires
Women leaders must manage conflicting stereotypical role expectations. Their gender role expectations are centred on what psychologists call communal attributes, such as kindness, empathy and nurturing. At the same time, their leadership role expectations involve agency attributes, such as being aggressive and self-confident. These simultaneous, contradictory expectations often trap women leaders in no-win situations. On […]
Read More… from How Women Leaders Overcome Conflicting Expectations
The world of business, and society at large, accepts the need for greater diversity at the highest levels of business, government and other domains. This general consensus, however, has not translated into full-scale change. Research into the influence of descriptive social norms on the behaviour of corporate decision makers offers some new understanding into why […]
Read More… from How Diversity Social Norms Let Companies Off the Hook
