Presentation at the International Women's Day Conference, Manama, 2013

1. Through the labyrinth of leadership:
overcoming challenges for
women in the workplace
Parsa Zoqaqi
Director, Centre for General Studies

2. 1 Overview
Statistics
Sticky Floor
Glass Ceiling
The Leadership Labyrinth
Navigating the Labyrinth
Thursday, April
11, 2013

3. 2
Women take care
and men take charge!
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11, 2013

4. 3 Education
Higher performance
Better transferable skills
More opt for education
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11, 2013

5. 4 Holding Board Seats in Fortune 500
Companies
90.00% 84.80%
80.00%
70.00%
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00% 15.20%
10.00%
0.00%
Famale Male Thursday, April
11, 2013

6. 5 CEOs in Fortune 500 Companies
120%
100% 97%
80%
60%
40%
20%
3%
0%
Female Male Thursday, April
11, 2013

7. 6 Members of Parliament
100%
90% 87%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20% 13%
10%
0%
Female Male Thursday, April
11, 2013

8. 7 Sticky Floor
Societal stereotypes
Women’s own decisions
Harder choices
Perceived less capable and reliable
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9. 8 Glass Ceiling
Elite positions visible
Elite positions not accessible
Inequity and discrimination
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10. 9 The Leadership Labyrinth
Factors faced throughout career:
Family expectations
Society norms
Discrimination
Inequity
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11, 2013

11. 10 Problems
Quit jobs for family-related
Don’t promote themselves for leadership
positions
Serve as social facilitators
Decision-makers influenced by
homosocial reproduction
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11, 2013

12. 11 Problems cont’d.
Don’t ask for what they want
Don’t negotiate (persuasive skills)
Are put in situations associated with
greater risk and criticism
Popularity versus Competence
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11, 2013

13. 12 Positive Changes
Organizational culture
Gendered Stereotypes
Leader diversity
Parity in domestic responsibilities
Negotiating for positions & resources
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11, 2013

14. 13 Myths
Eagly & Johnson (1990)found:
Not more interpersonally oriented
Not less task oriented
But are
More participative or democratic
More transformational Thursday, April
11, 2013

15. 14 Navigating Through the Labyrinth
Societal Level
Break gender stereotypes
Encourage sharing
Personal level
Negotiate 7%
Be visible
Compete
Tap yourself on the shoulder Thursday, April
11, 2013

16. 15 Refrences
 Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice (6th ed.).
Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage.
 Eagly, A. H., & Carli, L. L. (2007). Through the Labyrinth: The Truth About How
Women Become Leaders. Boston, Massa, USA: Harvard Business School
Publishing Corporation.
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11, 2013

17. Thank you!
Parsa Zoqaqi
16 Director, Centre for General Studies
pzoqaqi@ruw.edu.bh
Thursday, April
11, 2013