Past research reveals that fewer women than men possess top management positions and statistics imply that in Sweden only 24 percent of all board members are women (European Commission, 2008). Gender differences are even more obvious in the private sector and this is the reality facing today’s graduates, regardless of the fact that the number of female and males taking a business degree in Sweden is approximately the same (SCB, 2006). The purpose of this study is to examine if networking can influence women’s career development. Networking and social capital is argued to be a vital tool for career development (Yukl, 2006), and former studies present information that men and women take advantage of their networks rather differently (Burke, Rothstein and Bristor, 1995). However, as the researchers approached the subject, supplementary factors for advancing up the corporate ladder were identified. Theories regarding female leadership, female career progression and the glass ceiling are therefore taken into consideration as vital factors for career development. In order to carry out this study a qualitative approach was chosen, and five business women were interviewed, all considered proficient of the subject. The main conclusion derived from the interviews demonstrates that formal networks were less important than informal networks in order to overcome career obstacles and advance professionally. The networks that were considered most beneficial for the interviewees were the ones that evolved naturally and were reciprocal. Moreover, pure female networks were not considered as valuable as mixed networks since men more often possess access to important information than women. Having a mentor was considered vital at top positions since it provides support and further enhances information sharing. However, the results led to conclude that an additional key success factor for female career development was connected to leadership style; and having a transformational leadership style with transactional characteristics was concluded as most beneficial. Furthermore, the interviewees highlighted the importance of possessing the right personal traits and also to share the responsibilities for home and family life with one’s partner. This study is assumed to be interesting for women in their career with ambitions to reach the top of the corporate ladder. It is also assumed to be interesting for network organisations to use as a benchmark tool.

<p> </p><p>Past research reveals that fewer women than men possess top management positions and statistics imply that in Sweden only 24 percent of all board members are women (European Commission, 2008). Gender differences are even more obvious in the private sector and this is the reality facing today’s graduates, regardless of the fact that the number of female and males taking a business degree in Sweden is approximately the same (SCB, 2006).</p><p>The purpose of this study is to examine if networking can influence women’s career development. Networking and social capital is argued to be a vital tool for career development (Yukl, 2006), and former studies present information that men and women take advantage of their networks rather differently (Burke, Rothstein and Bristor, 1995). However, as the researchers approached the subject, supplementary factors for advancing up the corporate ladder were identified. Theories regarding female leadership, female career progression and the glass ceiling are therefore taken into consideration as vital factors for career development. In order to carry out this study a qualitative approach was chosen, and five business women were interviewed, all considered proficient of the subject.</p><p>The main conclusion derived from the interviews demonstrates that formal networks were less important than informal networks in order to overcome career obstacles and advance professionally. The networks that were considered most beneficial for the interviewees were the ones that evolved naturally and were reciprocal. Moreover, pure female networks were not considered as valuable as mixed networks since men more often possess access to important information than women. Having a mentor was considered vital at top positions since it provides support and further enhances information sharing. However, the results led to conclude that an additional key success factor for female career development was connected to leadership style; and having a transformational leadership style with transactional characteristics was concluded as most beneficial. Furthermore, the interviewees highlighted the importance of possessing the right personal traits and also to share the responsibilities for home and family life with one’s partner.</p><p>This study is assumed to be interesting for women in their career with ambitions to reach the top of the corporate ladder. It is also assumed to be interesting for network organisations to use as a benchmark tool.</p><p> </p>

This thesis investigates how an organizational change can lead to an increased share of women at top management positions. Based on interviews at Sandvik, an organization that has received extensive attention for its efforts to increase the share of female executives, the study aims to understand how an organizational culture is changed in a way that will lead to more women at top management positions. The study also aims to give an answer to how the change process is implemented and what kinds of changes in content that are needed. The empirical findings are analyzed using a theoretical framework based on change management literature and female leadership literature. The results of the study indicate that actions to increase gender diversity should be integrated in the overarching company strategy. There are further indications that it can be enough to have a personal conviction from a prominent leader within the organization to start the change process. Commitment and support from top management is thereafter vital. A final indication is that the changes in content should be aimed at changing the mindset of the employees throughout the organization.

The present study examined the influences of gender-role stereotypes, gender-role congruity, and the sex-typing of the professor job on performance evaluations of university educators in actual classroom settings. Participants used the Schein Descriptive Index (Schein, 1973) to define gender-role stereotypes, characteristics of their professor/instructor, and the characteristics of an "Effective Professor." Participants used a behavior summary scale (BSS) formatted student assessment of instruction to evaluate their professors/instructors performance after a full semester of class participation. It was hypothesized that a pro-male bias would exist in the sex-typing of the professor job, and that combined with the gender-role stereotypes of participants and the gender-role congruity of professors/instructors, would influence performance evaluations. In support of hypothesized relationships, results demonstrated that male and female participants hold different gender-role stereotypes of Men and Women, that the professor job is sex-typed in favor of men for male participants, and that gender-role stereotypes and the gender-role congruity of actual professors/instructors can influence performance evaluation ratings. Contrary to previous research and hypothesized relationships, the sex-typing of the professor job was not significantly related to performance evaluation scores. Additionally, results of regression analyses revealed no gender differences in performance evaluation ratings; however, age differences were found, in favor of older professors/instructors. Possible explanations for obtained results, as well as study limitations, are discussed.

Problemdiskussion: Allt fler arbetar för en mer jämställd arbetsplats, på EY har antalet kvinnliga delägare ökat från 13 procent till 16 procent, vilket är ett resultat av ett aktivt jämställdhetsarbete som började för fem år sedan. Även på Deloitte har andelen kvinnliga delägare ökat från 17 procent till 20 procent. Avsaknaden av kompetenta kvinnor sägs inte vara en förklaring till varför det är få kvinnliga delägare, en förklaring som ofta används är att rekrytering till de högre positionerna ofta sammanfaller med tidpunkten då många skaffar barn. Andra menar att glastaket kan vara en förklaring till den ojämna fördelningen. Syfte: Syftet är att undersöka vilka faktorer som påverkar kvinnors möjlighet att bli delägare. Även se om dessa faktorer kan vara förklaringar till varför det är få kvinnliga delägare inom redovisning- och revisionsbranschen. Metod: Empirin i studien består av intervjuer med tio respondenter. Empirin har analyserats mot den teoretiska referensramen som består av teorier om glastaket, föräldraledighet och organisatoriska faktorer. Analys och slutsats: De faktorer som har identifierats i studien är att föräldraledigheten har en negativ påverkan och stödet från chefen har positiv påverkan på möjligheten att bli delägare. Dock visade studien att viljan hos de kvinnliga respondenterna att bli delägare är låg. Respondenternas upplevelser gällande glastaket varierade och därför kunde ingen klar slutsats dras om glastakets existens. / Background: More and more people are working to get a more equal workplace. The numbers of female partners has increased from 13 percent to 16 percent at EY, which are the results of an active equality work that began five years ago. While at Deloitte the proportion of female partners has increased from 17 percent to 20 percent. The problem is not considered that there is an absence of competent women, it is said to be that recruitment to the higher positions often coincides with the time when many women have children. Others mean that the glass ceiling may be an explanation for the uneven distribution. Purpose: The purpose is to examine what factors affect women’s opportunity to become partners. Also see if these factors may explain why there are few female partners in the accounting and auditing industry. Method: The empirical study consists of interviews with ten respondents. The empirical data were then analyzed against the theoretical framework that consists of theories about the glass ceiling, parental leave and organizational factors. Analysis and conclusion: The factors that have been identified in this study is that parental leave has a negative impact and the support of the manager has a positive impact on the possibility to become a partner. However, the study also showed that the will of the female respondents to become partners is low. The respondents' experiences varied regarding the glass ceiling and because of that, a clear conclusion could not be drawn about the glass ceiling's existence.

This master thesis deals with the gender perception in leaderships positions. Starting from our awareness of a gendered leadership gap, this thesis aims to show our development towards our understanding of reality as socially constructed. We apply the Discourse in order to see how oppression works on women. In the course of our master thesis, we came across poststructuralists, like Foucault, Derrida and Lacan, philosopher and psychoanalysts, like Freud, Beauvoir, Irigaray, Kristeva and Butler, as well as sociolinguists, like Cameron, Miller, Baxter and Tannen. Their ideas have enriched our gendered Discourses. Furthermore, by dealing with their ideas, we were able to understand how powerful words can be. Words have the power to create identities, our reality and oppress certain groups of people. The group of people we have focussed on are women. Although the category “women” is fragmented and gender is one of many features of persons, there is something that all women share – oppression through language. Thus, women are less likely to move in the corporate ladder and lead. In two Discourse Analysis based on job advertisements for leadership positions offered in Germany and Italy, we see how language-in-use may cause a reason for a gendered leadership gap. The Discourses available to us influence how we understand the reality around us, construct our identities and negotiate our roles. With this thesis, we hope contribute to today’s Discourses and raise people’s awareness of how our language keeps women from entering leadership positions.

Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of national culture on female’s career advancement and different barriers that females may confront in University of Gävle and GuizhouUniversity   Method: Both qualitative and quantitative methods are employed in the current study. Qualitative data is collected by sixteen interviews including ten participants from University of Gävle and six participants from GuizhouUniversity. And the quantitative data is collected by one hundred questionnaires in the two universities.   Result and Conclusions: The study finds out that Hofstede’s six cultural dimensions: power distance, collectivism vs. individualism, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity vs. femininity, long-term orientation vs. short-term orientation and indulgence vs. restraint could affect female’s career advancement in varying degree in which power distance and masculinity vs. femininity differentiate the two universities to a large extent. Moreover, the study shows gender stereotyping, lack of networking, and lack of mentorship are most obvious barriers for female’s career advancement while the impact of glass ceiling, opportunities and self-confidence is relatively.   Suggestion for further studies: Future studies could take more cultural models into consideration. Bigger samples in two countries should be collected to view a whole picture of female’s situation in Swedish and Chinese tertiary education field.   Contribution of the thesis: The model of relationship between national culture and female’s career advancement provides a framework for the further studies relating to female’s under-representation in tertiary field. Barriers identified by the authors remind the universities to improve their organizational management.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2008. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 162-168). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, 2009. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references (p.155-191).

Abstrakt Titel: Glasbubblan - En studie om kvinnliga ledare och deras avancemang i den svenska musikbranschen Författare: Lisa Andersson, Alexandra Björn och Jennifer Stensson Institution: Linnéuniversitetet, Ekonomihögskolan Program: Music &amp; Event Management Kurs: Företagsekonomi III - Organisation, Examensarbete (kandidat) Handledare: Mathias Karlsson Examinator: Hans Wessblad Problemformulering: Vilka hinder upplever kvinnor på sin väg till de ledande positionerna inom den svenska musikbranschen? Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att göra en kartläggning av vilka hinder kvinnliga ledare upplevt på sin väg uppåt i musikbranschen. Metod och teoretisk referensram: Rapporten består av en kvalitativ studie med en deduktiv ansats. Vi har samlat in empiri genom nio semistrukturerade intervjuer med kvinnor på ledande positioner verksamma inom musikbranschen. Den teoretiska referensram vi använt oss av innefattar glastakets möjlighetsstruktur, maktstruktur samt könsstruktur. Slutdiskussion: I slutdiskussionen presenterar vi de hinder vi lyckats kartlägga att kvinnor upplever, samt hinder de utsatts för rent omedvetet. Vi presenterar också vårt bidrag till den redan befintliga forskningen i form av en ny glasmetafor; glasbubblan. / Abstract Title: The glass bubble - A study about female leaders and their advancement in the Swedish music business. Authors: Lisa Andersson, Alexandra Björn and Jennifer Stensson Institution: Linnaeus University, School of Business and Economics Program: Music &amp; Event Management Course: Business Administration III - Organization, Bachelor Thesis Supervisor: Mathias Karlsson Examiner: Hans Wessblad Problem statement: What obstacles do women experience on their way to the leading positions in the Swedish music industry? Purpose: The purpose of this study is to map out the obstacles that female leaders experienced on their way up in the Swedish music business. Method and theoretical reference framework: This thesis consists of a qualitative research with a deductive approach. We have collected empirical data that consists of nine semi structured interviews with female leaders in the music business. The theoretical referensframe we have used contains the glass ceilings structures of possibilities, power and gender. Discussion: In the discussion, we present the obstacles that we have mapped out from the womens experience. But we also present the obstacles that women have been exposed to unconsciously. We also present our contribution to the already existing research in the shape of a new glass metaphor; the glass bubble.