Marketing for women in management

European Management lournal Volume 7 No 4 0 European Management lournal 1989 ISSN 0263-2373 $3.00

Marketing

for Women in Management Michel Domsch Head of Institute

An tje Hadler Research

Assisfan t

Institute of Personnel Management and Labottr Economics, University of the Federal Armed Forces, Hamburg

Participating successfully in the Single European Market as in any other competitive on an adequate supply of managerial and specialist skills.

business situation depends

Together with the issue of recognising, employing and integrating women experts and executives as a highly qualified resource, a strategic approach is established for managing personnel. Five steps towards a marketing strategy for women - as well as men - employees are discussed.

Up to now corporations have been able to chose their expert and executive staff from a large pool of highly qualified manpower. Technical advance, development of new markets and change in organisational structures will increase the demand for managerial and specialist skills, The number of graduates from higher educational institutions such as universities will remain at a high level during the next few years, but from the mid-nineties serious recruitment problems could arise due to demographic changes. According to a forecast to 1995 there will be some forty-four to fifty thousand school leavers qualified for higher education less compared to the size of 1990.(l) Estimated figures for the amount of students receiving university degrees show a decrease of eleven to seventeen thousand persons.(2) On the other side a larger group of senior executives and experienced specialists will leave the companies having reached the age of retirement. To avoid shortages in the supply of corporate manpower and to compete successfully for managerial and expert staff it is time to develop strategies today to be prepared tomorrow. The establishment of the Single European Market in 1992 is the first challenge requiring new personnel management strategy. There will be differences in the needs of each corporation

dependent on size of diversification, concentration, internationalisation or partnerships and the subsequent change in organisation. Nevertheless there are certain basic trends having an overall impact on the labour market from which all firms have to recruit. The competitive advantage of corporations in Western Germany is reinforced by the high qualifications of the labour force. But to keep, and much more to develop, high standards the traditional tasks of the personnel manager are very often not adequate. Day-to-day administrative duties hinder long-range-planning and necessary strategical approaches. Personnel managers will have to deal with a much wider field, use a variety of instruments and perform in a different way including: Recognition of changes which have an impact on personnel development, for instance, the effect of social values on educational participation or work and career commitment. Use of statistical measures analysing the actual and potential labour market as well as different forecasting methods such as scenarios. Development of new strategic concepts which enable an anticipation and coordination of

MARKETING

organisational and individual future needs. This includes the means to provide different options for employment and meeting demands by employees at different stages in their private and working lives. Building up a positive corporate image in order to attract potential staff and to remain attractive for the employed. Systematic integration of the staff by providing opportunities for active participation in personnel policies. We want to illustrate the outlined actions with an example which is a rewarding task for strategic initiative.

Personnel Management of Experts and Executives with Special Respect to Female Integration 1

Recognition

of change

To increase the pool from which executives and experts are recruited first of all it has to be considered whether certain equally qualified persons or groups have been neglected. This could be possible either because of excessive supply of traditionally-preferred groups or because of assumptions regarding the available potential or special qualification. As a matter of fact, men have mainly been chosen for the executive track although there is no evidence that women are less qualified.

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IN MANAGEMENT

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measures

Strategic personnel management first of all needs information about the existing actual potential and future supply and demand of highly qualified The analysis of labour force includes manpower. several labour-markets. Potential executives and experts can be recruited from different external and internal labour pools: external l male and female young graduates from higher educational institutions l male and female executives and experts already employed in other firms l male and female qualified labour-force unemployed due to lack of job opportunities or re-entering after a family break internal l male and female employees in a firm considered to have or to be able to acquire qualifications and abilities for executive and expert positions l male and female former employees of the firm on temporary leave Knowing the percentages of women in managerial grades and departments helps to understand the situation. Additionally planning, co-ordinating and controlling the labour-markets includes an analysis of the potential work-force quantified by different variables: l l

Managerial success and vocational expertise are not gender-dependent. Yet misconceptions about female employees still exist. Another limit to an equal employment-ratio of qualified women and men has been set by the smaller participation of women in higher education and special training, as well as in the labour-force. Participation is increasing. Also, reduced work and career commitment of women and higher turnover rates are disappearing features. Given the similarity of aptitudes there is no reason to develop special training for female experts and executives, but there are reasons to re-adjust or to replace traditional standards and instruments. Recruitment, hiring, and promotion policies have been influenced by what was thought to be male needs and orientations. But life patterns are different not only between the sexes but also within each sex and it has to be taken into account that life styles are changing, new attitudes toward family and career roles, for instance support of the partner’s career, are gaining importance. Unless special measures are taken, women, as well as men, with managerial or executive qualifications will be needlessly excluded.

Use of statistical

FOR WOMEN

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age educational/training level vocational expertise field of (former) vocational (former) position

activity

All the statistics should be differentiated by gender. For the analysis of corporate supply recruitment, employment and development statistics are necessary. 3

Recruiting,

employment

and promotion

policies

Techniques and procedures for recruiting, employment and promotion need to be questioned regarding their appropriateness for women executives and experts. Although very often there seems to be no evidence that existing measures could exclude potential women managers, a close look at awareness of special needs is recommended. A basic way to create interest in a position is a job advertisement. Many firms consider their advertisements for vacancies to be neutral. As a matter of fact many of them use male and female forms, but only for the headlines. The following text isn’t formulated consistently. Qualifications asked should be checked whether they are important for the

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MICHEL DOMSCH

and ANTJE HADLER EXTERNAL Gender-related

statistics of

school leavers, graduates: potential junior staff Differentiation

by

w age educational/training

n

levels

-_ Gender-related

1

EXTERNAL Gender-related

EXTERNAL Gender-related

statistics of

highly qualified staff of other of other firms: potential executive and expert staff Differentiation

statistics of

highly qualified staff of own corporation

by

W age w educational/training level n vocational expertise m position B field of vocational activity

Differentiation

by

highly qualified labour force not in employment: potential executive and expert staff

Recruitment statistics n age n applications/replacements new employments n educational/training level n vocational expertise Employment statistics n business plants n field of vocational activity n positions 1 educational/training level 4 n age n turnover rates/motives

statistics of

Differentiation

by

age educational/training level n vocational expertise n former position m field of former vocational activity n n

I

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Development statistics n kind of training m age _____-_------INTERNAL Statistics of temporary leave n field of vocational activity n time-span n age = motives

Figure 1 Artalysis of the Labour Market Providing Specialist afld Executive

Applicants, not only temale, often decide that although they do not fit the specifications, they will nonetheless challenge them. If counselling at universities and organisational seminars for identifying young talent is mainly based on a small size of contacts other institutions and departments especially with high percentages of female graduates should be included. position.

Staff

It is not assumed that certain techniques keep women out of employment or promotion but the way they are handled can be discouraging. Questions regarding marriage and family plans do not need to be unfair if they are asked and evaluated in the same way for women and men, and if the firm provides opportunities to deal with problems arising, such as child-care

MARKETING

facilities, re-entry, part-time work or postponement of travel-related training. Included in special counselling it allows realistic planning on both sides. To avoid biased evaluation in performance it can be helpful to develop new methods of appraisal including larger groups of superiors as well as colleagues. Women are more likely to be placed in positions and jobs which are non-essential. To ensure commitment and to decrease turnover rates it is necessary to give equal benefits for men and women such as pensions, insurance coverage and opportunities for training and promotion. It has to be taken into account that immobility can be the result of dual-career families and therefore shouldn’t be taken as a measure of little interest in career. Along with changed life-styles it will have to become legitimate to have family or non-jobrelated goals for a certain time in life. Keeping in contact with and providing training for persons on temporary-leave, establishing special forms of seminars limited to weekends and at places close to home minimises the loss of a pool of experienced talent. Opening channels of communication is a means of making the specific policies effective. Problems will no longer be individual or especially female ones. 4

Building up

ofa

positive corporate

image

To attract candidates and potential employees it is necessary to create a positive corporate image. Publications such as the annual business report and brochures for external and internal audiences should give an impression of a supportive organisation. But not only the methods such as policies towards families, flexible working time, re-entry, training and promotion opportunities, pay and benefits give an impression of the companies’ style. The language used to describe the occupational options is of importance. Masculine attributes are neither always appropriate for women nor for men who don’t share the values of described or asked behaviour. Imagery of success differs accordingly to the wide range of new life-styles. Models featuring a variety of roles rather than portraying persons in traditional roles with gender-biased words make recruitment magazines much more appealing. Butler and Paisley have developed a socalled consciousness scale that classifies media images of women and that is helpful to examine one’s own publications: Level I is characterised as ‘put her down’; Le\.el II ‘keep her in place’; Level III ‘give her two places’; Level IV ‘acknowledge that she is equal’ and Le\rel V ‘recognise that she is non-stereotypic’ which means that women and men are able to be superior according to their own talents, interests and motivations, not according to their sex.(3) The visibility of women is not only necessary in photographs. The described image has to be found also in reality. Women executives, counsellors and referees have to take part

in seminars, universities.

FOR WOMEN

conferences

IN MANAGEMENT

and recruitment

talks

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at

(To check the organisational attitudes and measures taken toward executive and expert women, at the end of the article we have included a questionnaire which can be answered by employers as well as by employees, see Figure 2.) The personnel management strategies outlined correspond better to the female group due to existing role-distribution. Nevertheless people who are taken into account and who benefit are not necessarily to be identified by sex but rather by taking over sex-role related female tasks such as bringing up children or by showing sex-related attributes such as less overt career-drive. All developing strategies are a form of positive action to further both sexes and to provide the options for a development appropriate to different interests and abilities. The basic necessity is to be aware of special needs according to stage of career or family planning. 5

integration

Some of the techniques described are expensive in one way or another. The executive board, representatives of managers and personnel managers should participate. It is not a task for women only. Methods and techniques lose importance if they are not supported and institutionalised by the executive board. On the other side good intentions or lip-service are not sufficient. Certainly it is not easy to overcome engrained attitudes, to tackle sub-conscious fear of losing comfortable jobs or job security, especially in times of social and organisatonal change. There is also an uncertainty about sex-roles and self-identity. Some senior executives claim that the problem of small female integration in qualified positions will diminish by itself over the years. They are only willing to support the very young women in starting a career. Men feel easier with a “father-daughter” relationship. But the under-utilisation of experienced female employees is a waste of valuable organisational resources. It is not a task for bad times. They have to be integrated today in order to succeed in competing for qualified labour.

The Future The approach discussed can be used as a tool to handle other issues leading to an extension of a qualified labour pool. A very important task, for instance, is to re-examine and determine important future qualifications. Structures and organisations of corporations will change rapidly during the next decade. Along with the establishment of smaller units, profit centres etc,

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MICHEL

DOMSCH

and ANTJE HADLER

Organizational

Attitudes

toward Female Executives

and Specialists

This statement fits very often

fits often

rarely fits

fits not at all

fits totally

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,A A. Awareness

of the problem

1. Our firm is aware of the subject. 2. We are discussing

the issue from all points of view.

3. As the issue is regarded to be very important, to act.

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there is a strong will

B. Image of the corporation 1. In our annual reports and business brochures we are taking position on the subject. 2. We are expressing our point of view publicly, the issue is part of our conferences, seminars and media contributions. 3. It is known at universities and higher education institutions that we are providing employment and promotion opportunities for female specialists and executives.

C. Recruitment

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policies

1. Our analysis of the actual and potential labour market includes gender-related specifications. 2. Our advertisements of vacancies for expert and executive positions addressed to both men and women. 3. We pay special attention to the re-integration of former female executives and experts.

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Copyright:

Prof. Dr Michel

different managerial skills will be necessary. Intensity of information flows, interdisciplinary work and international engagement ask for flexible, creative executives. The high emphasis on interpersonal skills and group working abilities may necessitate looking at

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different vocational qualifications. People engaged in educational or volunteer work might have valuable managerial abilities. This issue includes the question of age barriers as well, since social skills very often depend on experience in work-life. Altogether, women

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MARKETING

IN MANAGEMENT

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Organizational Attitudes toward Female Executives and Specialists This statement

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fits not at all

rarely fits

fits often

fits very often

fits totally

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D. Education and training 1. Female and male executives and experts get equal treatment in counselling and training offers (methods and extent). 2. In seminars for specialists and executives we stress the significance of equal treatment and possibly discuss attitudes, behaviour and means. 3. Our corporation is keeping in contact with women on maternity and family leaves, and is offering special training opportunities.

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E. Employment and promotion 1. We are recording statistically the employment and promotion figures of female and male experts and executives. 2. In our firm female and male experts and executives get equal employment and promotion opportunities. 3. Our senior officers and the immediate superiors are asked to employ and promote female experts and executives:

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F. Organization 1. We have

instituted a special coordination of information and activities regarding the subject. 2. Special support groups and discussion circles have been constituted by female experts and executives. 3. Executive groups and representatives of managerial employees are engaged in the topic.

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Copyright:

Prof. Dr Michel Domsch

F.G.H.

-too may profit by a more open minded search for relevant experience since they are the ones who are graduating on an increasing scale in social sciences. Notes (1) Helberger

Christof,

Palamidis

Helene,

“Schuler-

rind

A&so~v~t~~ro~no~~ his zum f&-r 2000”, MittAB,

pp. 519-535,

4, 1986,

(2) Same as (1). (3) Butler, Matilda, Paisley, William, Women and the Mass Media: Sourcebook for Research and Action, Human Science Press, USA, 1980, Chapt. 10, pp. 148-149.