Summary of the Main Issues
The case “Global Sense” outlines a unique predicament that continues to affect many working environments. The absence of women in managerial and senior positions is something evident in many companies across the globe. Although statistics indicate that more women are currently occupying different positions in their respective firms, very few of them have been allowed to take up leadership positions (Tate & Yang, 2014). The second issue is that the efforts to deal with inequality in the workplace have not produced desirable results.
The recruitment of more women is a move that has been met with numerous obstacles. These are critical problems that amount to gender inequality in the workplace. Inequality is a malpractice capable of affecting organizational performance and profitability (Paustian-Underdahl, Walker, & Woehr, 2014). The needs of females in such companies tend to be ignored. The complexity of such challenges explains why new measures are needed to deliver tangible results.
Empirical and Theoretical Contexts
The problems described in the presented case affect different stakeholders such as community members, women, men, companies, top leaders, and customers. Past studies in gender issues have indicated that equal opportunity is a concept capable of transforming the experiences of many workers. Equal opportunity theory asserts that gender disparities influence education attainment, promotions, and competencies (Kleeman, Nunnenkamp, & Thiele, 2016).
Gender theory examines the relationship between organizational cultures and power. Any attempt to promote a woman and make her a leader can foster workplace relationships and organizational performance. Unfortunately, empirical and theoretical analyses indicate clearly that gender inequality is yet to be addressed.
The problem of gender inequality dictates the nature and quality of education available to different people. Women have been sidelined in different social structures, educational programs, and professional fields. From this theoretical and empirical analysis, it is quite clear that every stakeholder is affected in one way or the other (Tate & Yang, 2014). Companies characterized by inequality might be unable to realize their potential. Prejudiced women find it hard to achieve their ambitions. The quality of products or services available to the customers is also affected negatively.
Personal Point of View and Rival Positions
My personal point of view is that gender inequality in managerial positions is disorients the effectiveness of many companies. The issue continues to affect the effectiveness of many societies across the world. Women find it hard to receive quality education (Paustian-Underdahl et al., 2014). This barrier affects their career objectives and expectations. This situation explains why firms should identify new strategies to attract and hire more women. They can go further to give them advanced roles in management.
The move will address most of these problems and make every firm profitable. Rival positions or views have been presented by different scholars. Some experts acknowledge that gender equality is usually a mirage since women might not be able to offer desirable leadership (Tate & Yang, 2014). Different theorists have also warned corporations not to hire women simply because they want to tackle the issue of inequality (Newman, 2014). Instead, the scholars encourage corporations to recruit workers who will support their goals and objectives.
Assumptions
The selected case appears to present a number of assumptions. The first one is that successful companies (such as Fortune 500) are usually managed or led by men. This assumption has discouraged many firms to select women to take up CEO positions. The second assumption is that companies that hire more women have the potential to realize their objectives much faster (Kleeman et al., 2016). This notion is unfounded since the main goal is to promote gender parity in business organizations. Researchers and experts should therefore take these assumptions seriously and present meaningful insights to improve the current situation.
Identification and Evaluation of Evidence
Studies have indicated that more men occupy leadership positions in different corporations. In the United States, 15 percent of women in managerial positions are in senior leadership (Newman, 2014). The leading firms in the United Kingdom are led by men. In Germany, around 3 percent of management positions are held by women. This kind of inequality has also been observed different nations such as Australia, China, Thailand, Taiwan, and Japan.
This analysis clearly indicates that gender disparity is a major issue in leadership. Some corporations have implemented new measures to ensure some board seats are allocated or preserved for women (Newman, 2014). Companies such as Duetsche Telekom have decided to target and hire more women to taken up different positions. These statistics should be considered to implement new initiatives to alter the situation.
Implications and Conclusions
Many assumptions have characterized every discussion focusing on gender equality. The undeniable fact is that women have not been considered whenever hiring managers and leaders. Some people believe that equality is something impossible in the modern world. These issues should be reexamined from an evidence-based perspective in order to ensure more women are allowed to take up various leadership roles (Tate & Yang, 2014). The move will transform different areas such as education, management, and career growth. More companies will benefit from the inputs of women and eventually realize their business potential.
References
Kleeman, L., Nunnenkamp, P., & Thiele, R. (2016). Gender inequality, female leadership and aid allocation: A panel analysis of aid for education. Journal of International Development, 28(3), 376-395. Web.
Newman, C. (2014). Time to address gender discrimination and inequality n the health workforce. Human Resources for Health, 12(1), 1-11.
Paustian-Underdahl, S., Walker, L., & Woehr, D. (2014). Gender and perceptions of leadership effectiveness: A meta-analysis of contextual moderators. Journal of Applied Psychology, 99(6), 1129-1145. Web.
Tate, G., & Yang, L. (2014). Female leadership and gender equity: Evidence from plant closure. Journal of Financial Economics, 1(1), 1-21. Web.