Why Women mean Business

Women represent the majority of college graduates and are the principal decision-makers for 80 percent of household purchases. Yet, they remain a minority in the realm of management. Although studies show that a combination of men and women has a very positive impact on company performance, very few organizations have managed to achieve true gender balance. In this book, the authors gather economic and social data to establish the stakes of female representation in the professional sphere and feedback from companies which have successfully closed the gender gap. Although some chapters are very general in nature, others plunge right into the heart of what companies can do to take concrete action in this domain. Chapters four and five are particularly interesting, as they sequentially address how to make organizations more ""bilingual"" and what steps to follow to bring people—both men and women—to gradually accept the participation of greater numbers of women in management. They also contribute a critical point of view about what works, and what, in retrospect, appears to be less effective. This book successfully deals with a sensitive subject without becoming excessively militant or negating the differences between men and women.