Op-Ed: Workplace Equality Has A Way To Go

by Patrick Cataldo, Associate Dean for Executive Education

Isn't it a shame that in 2008, with nearly a decade gone in the 21st century, we are still coming to terms with issues of equity in the workplace? There needs to come a day—and soon—when stories about women and underrepresented groups in business become unnecessary. This is not yet the case.

As one who has spent a career working to develop the best possible workforce for my employers and now my clients, I know this: Our nation will not be able to compete effectively in the world marketplace without taking full advantage of the skills and talents of all its works.

This topic is very much on my mind for two reasons. First, I recently heard about Gov. Ed Rendell's selection of the Top 50 Women in Business in Pennsylvania. Each year the governor selects a distinguished group of women professionals whose achievements set them apart from the crowd.

Second, at Penn State Executive Programs, our Executive Program for Women Leaders, and others like it around the nation, is growing in importance.

Recently, Danica Patrick, the well-known Indy car driver, made headlines by becoming the first female driver to win a major Indy auto race. Many of you may have also heard about her angry response to being bumped out of the Indianapolis 500 race. Had this happened to a man, the discussion would not have focused on his temper but on the real issue of fair play in pit row.

Instead, we were treated to a host of news stories on the feisty attitude of a woman who went after the guy who bumped her and was restrained by security.

Janet Guthrie, the first woman to race in the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500, summed up the event's significance this way: "Women are just as capable as men. It doesn't take broad shoulders and big muscles. It takes what's inside your head: desire, concentration, judgment, and emotional detachment. I hope this will make it more clear."

The numbers don't lie: While progress is being made with the placement of women in leadership positions in boardrooms and leadership suites, the figures still show that there is a long way to go. Scarcity of women in leadership positions is all too evident. Only 1.4 percent of Fortune 500 companies have a female CEO; just 13 percent of corporate board members are women; and 16 percent of Fortune 500 corporate officers are women.

According to a recent article in The New York Times, women are making tremendous strides in business because they are developing the skills and acquiring the education needed to succeed in global competition. And they are doing this at a fast pace. Women comprise a wide majority of college graduates the past few years and that will continue well past 2025.

"There would be more upward movement if it weren't for women's own-self-limiting beliefs, assumptions, and behaviors—the sticky floors—that hinder women in advancing their careers," said Rebecca Shambaugh, the author of the newly released book It's Not a Glass Ceiling, It's a Sticky Floor.

The book focuses on common challenges and opportunities for women in the workplace. Some of the areas of concentration included building strategic relationships, leveraging political savvy, building informal networks, and taking business risks.

University-based executive programs throughout the country are working to address this situation. Schools such as Stanford, Simmons, Smith, Dartmouth, Penn State, and others are providing programs to further female leadership potential.

Organizations like the National Association for Female Executives, Business Women's Network, and Women's Presidents' Organization are assisting women in their attempt to connect, network, share, and unleash the economic potential of women by conducting research, sharing information, and increasing knowledge about this fast-growing sector of the economy.

And throughout the country there are local meetings where executives can share their thoughts and suggestions. Bernadette Taylor, executive vice president of Fulton Financial Corp., recently addressed a gathering of some 100 people at the Salem County Chamber of Commerce in southern New Jersey.

"Women seem more inclined to take business questions, observations, and evaluation statements as personal attacks or as negative judgments on something they said or did," she noted. "When this happens, it's hard for some to control their emotions, including anger, defensiveness, and hurt."

Whatever the venue, leadership programs can, and must, help women realize their full potential as contributing members of the economy. After all, in a global economic battle, don't we want all the highly trained people we can get working for our nation's best interests?

This article originally appeared in the Centre Daily Times.