Latest Academic Research Spotlights Women at Work
Written by Elizabeth Rene Tuesday, June 05 2012
Researchers across the nation are conducting studies that unveil unfortunate but real obstacles women continue to face as entrepreneurs, business partners and leaders in corporate America. Read more about the ongoing struggle to truly break the glass ceiling in 2012.
1. Female stockbrokers on Wall Street earn 20 percent less than their male business partners according to a study by Janice F. Madden, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. The obvious gender pay gap is not exclusive to Wall Street. These inequities also have a presence on Main Street and in business offices nationwide.
2. Men in powerful positions seem to have more to say than women with equal ranking. Do the guys have something more for which to compensate? Victoria L. Brescoll, an assistant professor at Yale, conducted a study and discovered powerful women adjust the content of what they really want to say due to an innate fear of being disliked or perceived as domineering. Brescoll uses a different approach in her experiment by using men and women of the U.S. Senate to test this theory.
4. Are women more likely to be advocates for social change than men? Are men only into doing business for the financial benefit? A study by researchers at the University of Cincinnati finds that women are more likely than men to create businesses as vehicles for social change.
4. A recent study by researchers at the University of Georgia shows the gap in the gender pay gap may be smaller than reported. Men tend to over-report their earnings which causes a discrepancy in current perceptions of the gender wage gap. Researchers found the gap between earnings by men and women has closed by 22 percent since 1979.
5. Black women are less likely to receive criticism for assertive behavior in the corporate world than white women and black men according to scholars at Duke University. Participants in an experiment held certain expectations of black women over their white female coworkers and black male counterparts. Dr. Robert Livingston of Northwestern University warns that though this may seem like an advantage for black women in the workforce, “it doesn’t mean they are more likely to obtain those positions."
More studies on the ongoing fight for gender equality in the workplace:
Women are essential to a company’s financial success and longevity. Need some more evidence to show your boss? The proof is in a recent report by Catalyst and Harvard Business School.
The number of women in executive positions is slowly increasing. Learn how leading firms have expedited this process with promising strategies for diverse leadership.
The Gender Equality Project aims to decrease gender discrimination in the workplace by providing specific metrics for companies to measure their progress.
A native of Connecticut, Elizabeth Rene is currently pursuing a dual degree in public relations and international affairs as well as a minor in French at the University of Georgia.
Active in an array of organizations and activities both on-campus and off, Rene was most recently recognized as C.L.A.S.S. (Continuing the Legacy of African American Student Success) Advocate of the Year for her work in an all-girls residence hall. She is also the current public relations chair for UGA Women in Business, service project head of the UGA Rotaract Club and a newly inducted member of the National Residence Hall Honorary. As a first-generation American to parents of Haitian and Jamaican descent, she is proud of her unique culture and showcases this pride through active membership within her residence hall’s cultural auxiliary, UGA’s Caribbean Student Association and Hands on Haiti. Rene also regularly volunteers her time at the Boys and Girls Club of Athens.
