1. Title and abstract
A Woman’s Place is in the House, the Senate, and the Boardroom: Do Women make a difference in positions of power? Ruth Ediger, Associate Professor of Political Science Denise Daniels, Professor of Management, Associate Dean SBGE Did you ever wonder if it made a difference to have a woman in power? Couldn’t a competent man do just as well? And what challenges might women in power face that men don’t? This session explores these questions focusing on power positions in government and business.

2. Does it make a difference to have a woman in power?
Woman’s Place is in the House, the Senate, and the Boardroom: Do Women make a difference in positions of power?
What challenges do women in power face that men don’t?

3. Women Hold Up Half The Sky
Who holds up the other half?
Women Hold Up Half The Sky

4. Implicit Leadership: An Exercise
In small groups come up with 5-10 characteristics, traits, or behaviors that you associate with someone who is a LEADER. Write these on the board.

5. Now write on the board approximately 5-10 characteristics, traits, or behaviors that are typically associated with WOMEN
And write on the board approximately 5-10 characteristics, traits, or behaviors that are typically associated with MEN

6. Does it make a difference to have a woman in power?
Hillary Rodham Clinton
US Secretary of State
for President Barak Obama
Does it make a difference to have a woman in power?
Angela Merkel
Chancellor of Germany
2005-present
Political Power
Condoleezza Rice
US Secretary of State
for President George W. Bush

7. Women lawmakers are more likely than their male counterparts to oppose:
overturning Roe versus Wade
government-funded school vouchers
the death penalty
a constitutional amendment to permit prayer in public schools
Eagleton Institute of Politics: Center for American Women and Politics
Gender Differences?

8. Eagleton Institute of Politics: Center for American Women and Politics
zazzle.com
Women legislators are more likely than men to favor:
Liberal or moderate positions on a variety of issues
harsher penalties for hate crimes
legally recognized civil unions for gay and lesbian couples
laws permitting minors to obtain legal abortions without parental consent
Gender Differences?
Women legislators of both parties are more likely than male legislators of either party to work on legislation specifically intended to benefit women.

9. Does it make a difference to have a woman in power?
Mary Barra CEO General Motors
Marissa Mayer
CEO of Yahoo
Business and Economic Power
Janet Yellen
15th Chair of the
US Federal Reserve

10. Companies that have at least one woman on the board of directors outperformed those that had no women at all by 26%.
Chart from Business Insider article “Companies With Women On The Board Crush Companies That Are Only Men” by Elena Holodny published September 24, 2014, accessed September 9, 2014

11. Women Matter on Company Boards of Directors

12. Women Matter at the Executive Level

13. Have you seen women face gender specific challenges or have you personally faced such challenges in your experience?

14. What challenges do women in power face that men don’t?
Political Power
What challenges do women in power face that men don’t?
Socio-economic factors – Women are more likely than men to…
Be illiterate
Not have access to adequate health care
Be living in poverty
Not have an independent source of income giving them access to the resources to run for office
Not have careers (like lawyers) that would help them develop the skills and connections needed to get into office

15. What challenges do women in power face that men don’t?
Political Power
What challenges do women in power face that men don’t?
Structural Institutional factors:
Proportional representation (often choosing from party lists)
Quotas
(Absence of the previous factors and increased funding for women candidates still leaves the US with about 18.5% of women in Congress for the 113th Congress)

16. What challenges do women in power face that men don’t?
Business and Economic Power
Women are less likely than men to…
Emerge as leaders
Negotiate their starting salary
Be rated as “effective”
Make as much money
Women make less than men – even when controlling for job, industry, tenure, etc.
Invest in social capital
Women participate in less workplace networking and socializing than men

17. What challenges do women in power face that men don’t?
Business and Economic Power
Women face different challenges than men:
Family Demands
Men with children are more successful than men without
Women with children are less successful than women without
“Double Bind” problem
When I act nice, people don’t think of me as a leader
When I act tough, I’m not ladylike

18. In your groups answer the following and write the answers on the board.
1. What can governments and/or organizations do differently to cultivate talents of both men and women?
2. What can you as an individual do to ensure that your talents as well as the talents of those around you are used fully?
Credit: stuart/iStock

19. What Can Organizations Do Differently?
Hiring and Promotion
Use open recruitment tools rather than informal networks/referrals
Need critical mass of women (not just 1-2 tokens) in executive positions
Avoid sole woman as team member
Recognize & address perceptual biases
Performance Appraisal Process
Reduce subjectivity of performance appraisals
Don’t use long hours and “face time” as proxies for performance
Recognize and address perceptual biases

20. What Can Organizations Do Differently? (Continued)
Leadership Development
Help women develop social capital
Put women into more demanding roles, job assignments (e.g., line rather than support)
Human Resource Practices
Provide family friendly benefits
Don’t penalize people for utilizing family friendly benefits
Welcome women back after they’ve taken time off for family
Encourage male participation in family friendly benefits

21. What Can Individuals Do Differently?
Demonstrate Competence (Agency)
Seek challenging opportunities
Take credit for accomplishments
Demonstrate Communal traits
Solicit participation from others
Express warmth to others
Negotiate effectively
Know your worth
Build Social Capital
Participate in networks with men and women
Find a mentor

22. Does it make a difference to have a woman in power?
Woman’s Place is in the House, the Senate, and the Boardroom: Do Women make a difference in positions of power?
What challenges do women in power face that men don’t?