Research investigating the low women representation in the formal leadership
According to the Bureau of Census that was last accessed in the year 2017, women form the majority of the U.S. population with distinguished qualifications. They have achieved higher levels of education (Case & Deaton,2017). The women in the united states earn sixty percent of the master’s degree and sixty percent of their undergraduate degree. Although they hold fifty-two percent of the professional jobs. Women are still underrepresented in terms of formal leadership positions (Appendix 1 and 2). Numerous leadership theories have emerged to explain human behavior and understanding of leadership interest. Trait theory assumes that people inherit certain traits and qualities that make them suited for leadership. For instance, characters like courage and self-confidence associates with great leaders. Researchers suggest that leadership is not all about the qualities but understanding the right balance between need and context. A great leader needs to understand the needs and behavior of their followers and adjust accordingly for the efficient operation of organizations and institutions under their leadership (Keck et al. 2018). This paper targeted to find out the low percentage of women representation in the formal leadership positions.
Throughout the investigation, I used various methods of data collection. Direct observation employed with the help of skype, targeted the general staff members of an organization. This helped in determining the close relation and interaction of staff members across the leadership positions (Durdona,2019). Multiple face to face interviews helped to get direct information from the staff members of an organization. This helped in improving the accuracy of the results (Appendix 3). Questionnaires with straightforward and straightforward questions helped in getting a specific set of data that was necessary for final findings. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Despite the larger women population, the data collected throughout the investigation showed that women representation in the top leadership positions is still low. However, there is a steady increase in the numbers, yet this will take many years to catch up with the total men representation (Holman et al., .2018). Data collected in the political field clearly showed that women representation in the senate of the United States is low compared to that of men (Appendix 2). With the close interaction of staff at a personal level during the investigation, I noticed that few women who were in the leadership positions were significantly undermined as their suggestions on the daily activities and concerns of the organization operations was not fully implemented.
In conclusion, from the analysis of collected data, I would suggest that the managers of an organization should intensively utilize the outstanding capabilities of women to ensure a smooth and fruitful performance of the organization. Regarding the great results showed by women in educational attainment, their contributions in the formal leadership positions would give a definite improvement in organizations. To eradicate women discriminations in the job sectors, organizations should take a forward step in being the ambassadors in fighting women discrimination.
References
Case, A., & Deaton, A. (2017). Mortality and morbidity in the 21st century. Brookings papers on economic activity, 2017(1), 397-476.
Durdona, K. (2019). Advantages and disadvantages of observation. Вопросы науки и образования, (7 (53)).
Holman, L., Stuart-Fox, D., & Hauser, C. E. (2018). The gender gap in science: How long until women are equally represented? PLoS biology, 16(4), e2004956.
Keck, N., Giessner, S. R., Van Quaquebeke, N., & Kruijff, E. (2018). When do followers perceive their leaders as ethical? A relational model perspective of normatively appropriate conduct. Journal of Business Ethics, 1-17.
Slade, I. (2019). An examination of the relationship between U.T. Extension Program Assistants’ use of communication technology in the workplace and their ability to successfully communicate with coworkers and the community.
Appendices
Appendix 1:Percentage of women in the CEO positions
| Year | Share of CEOs who are women |
| 1995 | 0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.2% |
| 1997 | 0.4% |
| 1998 | 0.4% |
| 1999 | 0.4% |
| 2000 | 0.4% |
| 2001 | 0.8% |
| 2002 | 1.2% |
| 2003 | 1.4% |
| 2004 | 1.6% |
| 2005 | 1.8% |
| 2006 | 2.0% |
| 2007 | 2.4% |
| 2008 | 2.4% |
| 2009 | 3.0% |
| 2010 | 3.0% |
| 2011 | 2.4% |
| 2012 | 3.6% |
| 2013 | 4.0% |
| 2014 | 4.8% |
| 2015 | 4.8% |
| 2016 | 4.2% |
| 2017 | 6.4% |
| 2018 | 4.8% |
Appendix 2:Percentage of the U.S. senators who are women
| Starting date of congressional term | Share of U.S. senators who are women |
| 1965 | 2% |
| 1967 | 1% |
| 1969 | 1% |
| 1971 | 1% |
| 1973 | 0% |
| 1975 | 0% |
| 1977 | 0% |
| 1979 | 1% |
| 1981 | 2% |
| 1983 | 2% |
| 1985 | 2% |
| 1987 | 2% |
| 1989 | 2% |
| 1991 | 2% |
| 1993 | 6% |
| 1995 | 9% |
| 1997 | 9% |
| 1999 | 9% |
| 2001 | 12% |
| 2003 | 14% |
| 2005 | 14% |
| 2007 | 16% |
| 2009 | 17% |
| 2011 | 17% |
| 2013 | 20% |
| 2015 | 20% |
| 2017 | 21% |
| 2019 | 25% |
Appendix 3 Direct interview using a questionnaire.