Running Head: HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE

LEADERSHIP ROLES?

Writing Project 2: How is There a Difference Between Men and Women in Workplace Leadership Roles?

Maya Ressler

Arizona State University

HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
2

Abstract

This synthesis and annotated bibliography provides thorough information and statistics pertaining to

women in leadership roles within the workplace. The articles discuss the origin of the inequality and how

to move forward in the future with the information. Following the synthesis is an annotated bibliography

providing a citation, summary, evaluation, and reflection of all the sources.

Keywords: women, workplace, leadership, gender roles, inequality, executives

HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
3

Synthesis Essay

How is there a difference between men and women in leadership roles within the workplace?

Many people are aware of the gender wage gap, gender discrimination, and other gender stereotypes but

not informed of the persisting gender differences in executive positions in the work force. In this writing

project, I will be evaluating my research on different workplaces and statistics in the United States.

Through my research, I have discovered the history of women in the workplace, the root of the

differences within leadership roles, and how the situation can be addressed in the future.

As of 2011, in a study released by Catalyst, it was found that 46.7 percent of workers in the

United States were female. While 51.5 percent of women held positions of management, there were only

15.4 percent of women in corporate positions, 14.8 percent in board seats, and 2.4 percent of females

were chief executives, adding up to 6.7 percent of Fortune 500 top earners were women (Evans, 2011). In

an interview with Kimberly George, the co-founder of the Alliance of Women in Workers

Compensation, Kimberly stated that, The numbers show women are in insurance. Even at my own

company of 15,000 people 70% are female. Yet, I am the only female reporting to the CEO and even that

does not show up on the official organizational chart.

Why is there a difference in female and male gender roles in the workplace? Carlin Flora notes

that self promoting and power seeking females lead to less receptive male coworkers (Flora, 2017).

Donna Evans discusses how women often have opinions that are unfavorable to their male colleagues no

matter their type of leading skills (Evans, 2011). Flora and Evans added that stereotypes play a factor

(Flora, 2017, Evans, 2011). Many people believe that an ideal executive is a self assured man. This

contradicts societies optimal qualities of a women which include being social, kind, and understanding.

We expect men to be assertive, look out for themselves, and lobby for moreso theres little downside

when they do it. But women must be communal and collaborative, nurturing and giving, focused on the

team and not themselves, lest they be viewed as self-absorbed. So when a woman advocates for herself,
HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
4

people often see her unfavorably (Sandberg, 2016). The Rockefeller Foundation believes women are

viewed as prioritizing their family above their work and lacking the necessary leadership skills (The

Rockefeller Foundation). Sandberg also discusses that women are often given less opportunities through

difficult assignments to display their contribution to the company (Sandberg, 2016). Sandberg adds that

women are given less access to mentors of the senior level therefore receiving less feedback (Sandberg,

2016). Because of all this, women are three times more likely than men to believe that their gender has a

negative impact on their chances for a promotion or pay raise (Sandberg, 2016).

All my sources agree that there is an issue of gender inequality in leadership roles in the

workplace. The sources emphasize that the glass ceiling remains for women and that companies would

benefit from having females in executive positions. Many of the sources say that a way to help decrease

the gap is for companies to provide mentoring programs. Wolper says gender equality would be beneficial

because it helps form better businesses and that the women in executive positions will be able to mentor

other women in the company (Wolper, 2016). Many of the sources also brought up the wage gap or

gender stereotyping as a primary source of the issue. McGregor believes the reason for this issue stems

from the gender wage gap (McGregor, 2013). While my sources agree on many points, there are also

some discrepancies.

While they all agree that there is a difference in male and female gender roles in the workplace,

the sources attribute the issues to different circumstances. Evans says that the source of change will come

from the companies and that a solution would be to provide mentors, increase the awareness of different

female leadership skills, evaluating the work environment, and creating work that will help to eliminate

stereotyping (Evans, 2011). Other sources provide approaches that women can take to align with their

male counterparts. Recommendations Sandberg made in order to eliminate equality include companies

investing in gender equality training courses, reminding women to continue negotiating, and for the

companies to encourage employees to openingly discussing the different stereotypes (Sandberg, 2016).
HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
5

Some sources express that once there is equality in leadership positions, then the issue is resolved, while

other sources argue that there is a continued bias once women have achieved an executive status. Evans

argues that many women still face gender discrimination once they achieve an executive status (Evans,

2011). Colantuono discussed a story Tonya who was in a leadership role in her company, but still

remained to get passed over at work (Colantuono, 2013).

What needs to happen in the future for equality in the workplace? Donna Evans believes that it is

important for companies to diminish the gender stereotypes and provide mentoring (Evans, 2011). Many

of my sources believed that through mentoring, equality can be obtained. Colantuono and Sandberg

suggests that companies employ different training surrounding gender bias and encouraging all workers in

a company to publicly discussing and evaluate the stereotypes they currently think of (Sandberg, 2016,

Colantuono, 2013). Sandberg also debates that if companies start tracking the progress made of the

different genders they hire and promote, it will be easier to set a goal of equality (Sandberg, 2016). Evans

believes that to resolve this issue, companies should provide mentors, increase the awareness of different

female leadership skills, evaluating the work environment, and creating work that will help to eliminate

stereotyping (Evans, 2011). Kimberly George mentioned that there are different programs including

Business Insurances Women to Watch, which highlights the gender gap and aims to improve

organizational and leadership understanding of the gender gap and different ways companies in insurance

are addressing it.

Annotated Bibliography
HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
6

APA citation: Colantuono, S. Ted Talks. (2013). The career advice you probably didnt get. Podcast

received from https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_colantuono_the_career_advice_you_probably_didn_t_get

Summary: This was a ted talk by Susan Colantuono. Colantuono discussed a story Tonya who was in a

leadership role in her company, but still remained to get passed over at work. Colantuono gave an

explanation as to why Tonya and other women continue to be passed over at work. The ted talked

continued with statistics of women in corporate positions. Advice was given on what companies could do

to increase equality. For example, mentoring and changing mindsets and considering the missing 33

percent. In seeking and identifying employees with high potential, the potential to go to the top of

organizations,the skills and competencies that relate to that green box are rated twice as heavily as those

in the other two elements of leadership. These skills and competencies can be summarized as business,

strategic, and financial acumen. In other words, this skill set has to do with understanding where the

organization is going, what its strategy is, what financial targets it has in place, and understanding your

role in moving the organization forward. This is that missing 33 percent of the career success equation for

women, not because it's missing in our capabilities or abilities, but because it's missing in the advice that

we're given (Colantuono, 2013). Colantuono describes how mentoring will benefit the difference in

leadership roles. In the end, Tonya was able to gain a corporate position. Using Tonya as an example,

helps the audience understand how to apply everything that was discussed in Colantuonos presentation.

Colantuono discusses how to eliminate the inequality saying, In other words, this skill set has to do with

understanding where the organization is going, what its strategy is, what financial targets it has in place,

and understanding your role in moving the organization forward. This is that missing 33 percent of the

career success equation for women, not because it's missing in our capabilities or abilities, but because it's

missing in the advice that we're given (Colantuono, 2013).

Evaluation: This source will be useful for me to understand everything I have learned. Applying the

information to a real life event and situation helps me comprehend the material more. After
HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
7

comprehending it, I will be able to better relay the information to my audience. The bias in this ted talk

was that women as corporate leaders should be equal to men. Susan Colantuono is a reliable source

because she is the CEO and founder of Leading Women. Susan works to reveal the gender bias and make

companies aware of the inequality at work. The source of the talk, Ted Talks, is also a very reliable

popular source.

Reflect: I can use the statistic in the source in my writing project. This also fits into my research for

background knowledge for me to keep in mind while creating my project. The ted talk can also be used to

help apply different topics and provide a more detailed explanation of ways to eliminate the gender bias. I

can use Tonyas story in my project if I want to give the audience a real life example of the gender bias in

the workplace. Since it helped me apply the information it would also help my audience understand the

information clearer.
HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
8

APA citation: Evans, D. (2011). Room at the top: Advancement and equity for women in the business

world. National Civic Review. EBSCO Host. Retrieved from

http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=11&sid=efe9b1da-ef05-471e-97d

2-5247779eaf59%40sessionmgr4006&hid=4106&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2Z

Q%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=64116422

Summarize: This academic journal talks about role of women in the workplace. It focuses on executive

and leadership roles and acknowledges that many women still face gender discrimination once they

achieve an executive status. Women often have opinions that are unfavorable to their male colleagues no

matter their type of leading skills. The author attributes the issue to the prominent gender stereotyping in

companies. Men are still being viewed as the leaders as they have traditionally been. When women in

leadership roles exhibit similar leadership qualities as their male counterparts, they are often scolded or

disliked for those qualities. Men are still viewed as default leaders and women as atypical leaders,

with the perception that they violate accepted norms of leadership, no matter what the leadership

behavior. Thus, the studies say, the masculine leadership norm shows that women leaders are perceived as

never just right. They are considered too soft or too tough. Women leaders also face higher standards

than male leaders and are rewarded with less, always having to prove they can lead. Last, when women

exhibit traditionally valued leadership behaviors such as assertiveness, they tend to be seen as competent

but not well liked (Evans, 2011). According to Evans, to resolve this issue companies should provide

mentors, increase the awareness of different female leadership skills, evaluating the work environment,

and creating work that will help to eliminate stereotyping. Assess: This is a useful source

because it helps describe ways that a company can help to eliminate the gender inequality. The solutions

in this journal focuses on ways the company can change, while many of my other sources provide

feedback on how the women can change to better suit the needs of the company. This information is

reliable because it is an academic journal that has been peer reviewed. Donna Evans, the author is the
HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
9

president and chief executive officer of the Colorado Womens Chamber of Commerce. The goal of this

source is to show companies what they can do to decrease the gender stereotyping and present the

importance of having female leaders. Evans suggests, In todays social and economical environment, it

will be critical for companies to develop or partner with organizations with programs that support the

development of women. Programs that alleviate gender stereotyping and emphasize flexibility,

opportunities, recognition, and mentoring need to be key areas of focus (Evans, 2011).

Reflect: I can use many of the statistics in this journal in my own project. The statistics discuss women in

the labor force and women in management positions in the United States. Having statistical evidence will

help me become a more reliable source because it further supports my argument. This journal helps shape

my argument by providing different reasons why the issue occurs and how it can be fixed. This also helps

contribute more ways on how the issue can be resolved. This source has helped me understand that it is

not just the women who must adapt to the workplace, but the workplace must also adapt to the women.
HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
10

APA citation: Flora, C. (2017). View from the top. Psychology Today. EBSCOhost. Retrieved from

http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=03ae5465-0659-4789-a5f

0-3199b7ff008d%40sessionmgr102&hid=101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3

d%3d#AN=120086523&db=aph

Summarize: This is an article that discusses the increasing number of women in leadership roles in the

workplace. With the slow increase of equality in executive positions, the gender inequality still persists.

The author, Carlin Flora, discusses the gender bias toward women in the workplace. Flora also discusses

that once women reach an executive level in a company, there is still a specific attitude given to the

women that is different from their male counterparts. Men are less receptive to female bosses when

theyre seen as self-promoting and power seeking (Flora, 2017). There is also an argument that having

more gender equality in the c-suite will help eliminate some of the stereotypes of male and female gender

roles. Flora uses different womens stories in order to make her point that gender differences at work still

remain.

Assess: This is a very useful source because it provides an abundance of information on the topic. This

has more information than many of my other sources. It provides lots of examples, and explains the

information by relating it to real life events. This information is reliable because it was posted in

Psychology Today. The main goal of this article is to bring awareness that there is still a lot of gender

inequality and different ways that it can be eliminated. The goal is also to motivate women to have more

confidence in the workplace and provide examples on how a women can achieve an executive status.

"Parity hasn't been achieved yet, but we could be on the cusp of significant change," Kanter says. "There

are many younger women emerging as leaders, and with these growing numbers, they believe that they

can do nearly anything because someone, somewhere, is in fact already doing it. Confidence is an

expectation that success is possible, which then motivates people to put in the effort to make the
HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
11

self-fulfilling prophecy come true (Flora, 2017). The information is biased toward women, and that there

should be equality within companies.

Reflect: This source was very helpful because it provided a wide range of information on my topic. The

article really focuses on how to close the gender gap, which I can use in my project when describing

solutions to the issue. Rather than settling on the news of gender inequality in the workplace, this article

encourages me to talk about the future of the issue and where to go from here. This source has changed

my opinion on the topic because I now have a better understanding of the different attitudes given to

women who do make it to the executive roles, and how there is never an end to the discrimination. Even

though there is a bias, I am more aware of positive changes that can be made to help solve this issue.
HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
12

APA Citation: McGregor, J. (2013). "Women executives earn less than their male counterparts."

Greenhaven Press. Retrieved from

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010851212/OVIC?u=asuniv&xid=c2565626.

Summary: This source discusses how women who do make it into the C Suite, remain to have lower

salaries than their male counterparts. The gap is the widest for female CEOs of the largest companies,

who make less than two thirds of their male counterparts(McGregor, 2013). While many CEOs who are

women have higher salaries than men, when it comes to larger companies, the male CEOs have higher

salaries. The author takes into account bonuses, perks, and compensations. Which are more likely to go to

the male executives. The article also includes many different statistics on the gender gap between CEOs.

That said, one place you wouldn't think a gap would still exist is among CEOs, where pay for

performance should eliminate any such bias According to the latest findings from The Corporate

Library's CEO Pay Survey: CEO Pay 2008, female CEO pay packages are only about 85% of male total

actual pay (which includes stock option profits and other realized equity) at the median: $1,746,000

compared to $2,049,000 (McGregor, 2013). A study is used and referenced throughout. The wage gap is

attributed to women being undervalued by themselves as well as other people in their company.

Assess: This is a useful source because it provides information on the gender wage gap. The gender wage

gap is strongly related to the gender roles in the workplace because of the commonality through gender

discrimination in companies. None of my other sources focus on the issue of the wage gap, so this will be

an important source when discussing this topic. This information is reliable because it was originally

posted by the Greenhaven Press. This article is also a scholarly article retrieved from an online database

which requires subscription. The primary goal of this source is to make aware the issue of a gender gap

among CEOs.

Reflect: This fits into my research because it provides information that I can relate to my specific topic of

gender differences in leadership roles in companies. Not only does this source discuss a gender wage gap,
HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
13

but it also focuses specifically on people in executive positions. This relates to my research because I am

focusing my project on people in executive positions. By discussing the wage gap in my project, I will

further my research on the difference in gender roles in the workplace. This source just provides more

evidence on how there are is a long way to go until equality. This helps shape my argument by

broadening the intensity on the issue.

HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
14

APA citation: The Rockefeller Foundation. Women in leadership: why it matters. Retrieved from

https://assets.rockefellerfoundation.org/app/uploads/20160512082818/Women-in-Leadership-Why-It-Mat

ters.pdf

Summary: This is an article that discusses the continuing differences in the roles of men in women in the

workplace. Different statistics, studies, and graphics are used to portray the differences. Its no secret

that women have historically faced greater barriers than men when it comes to fully participating in the

economy. Across geographies and income levels, disparities between men and women persist in the form

of pay gaps, uneven opportunities for advancement, and unbalanced representation in important

decision-making (Rockefeller Foundation). The Rockefeller foundation also discusses that stereotyping

has lead to the inequality. Nine in ten (92%) say that traditions of, and expectations for, male leadership

in workplace cultures contributes at least somewhat to womens lack of representation in top

positionsincluding 69%, who say it contributes highly. Other preconceptions also play a role, including

women being seen as prioritizing family over career (89%), and the perception that women are less e

ective leaders than men (78%) (The Rockefeller Foundation). The authors also show how the lack of

inequality in the workplace goes against the morals of the United States. They discuss that without

mentoring, women arent as likely to succeed. The Foundation claims that more roles need to be made for

women. The article also describes a companys benefits with more women in leadership roles. This article

speaks specifically about how America is impacted by the equality or lack there of in the workplace.

Evaluation: This source will be useful for providing statistical evidence in my project. One-quarter of

Americans (24%) say there are no women in leadership positions at all within their companies, and only

one-third (34%) say their workplace puts a high priority in having women in leadership positions (The

Rockefeller Foundation). The source is reliable because it is from the Rockefeller Foundation. The

Rockefeller Foundation focuses on humanity. The Global Strategy Group also helped publish this

powerpoint. The Global Strategy Group helped provide the research for the article. The powerpoint was
HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
15

provided on a website that is an organization (.org). The source is biased toward women having equal

opportunities for leadership roles in the workplace. Although it is biased, it is the most neutral of the

sources.

Reflect: This source fits into my research perfectly. It contains many different statistics I will be able to

take into account in this writing project. Because I am focusing in the United States, it will be very useful

to contain some of the information the powerpoint discussed on how the inequality affects the country.

The clear graphics in this powerpoint have helped me understand my topic a lot more. I can use this

source to show inequality in many different aspects of a workplace. I can also use this source to explain

how companies can move forward with the information given.

HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
16

APA citation: Sandberg, S. (2016). Sheryl Sandberg: Women are leaning inbut they face pushback.

Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from

https://www.wsj.com/articles/sheryl-sandberg-women-are-leaning-inbut-they-face-pushback-1474963980

Summary: This article is from the Wall Street Journal. The author, Sheryl Sandberg, discusses how there

is inequality in the C suite. Sandberg provides background information and statistics on the gender gap

in leadership roles of the workplace. Last years report concluded that we were 100 years away from

gender equality in the C-suite. A year later, were not much closerand that is not just bad for women,

its bad for our companies and our economy. Women are still underrepresented at every corporate level

and hold less than 30% of roles in senior management (Sandberg, 2016). Some reasons for pushback in

the increase in women in leadership positions include gender stereotypes and the worry of women being

thought of as too aggressive. As one might expect, these challenges are more pronounced for women of

color: They make up the most underrepresented group in the corporate pipeline and experience the

deepest drop-offs in middle and senior managementdespite the fact that women of color are more likely

than white women to say they want to be top executives (Sandberg, 2016). Some recommendations

Sandberg made in order to eliminate equality include companies investing in gender equality training

courses, reminding women to continue negotiating, and for the companies to encourage employees to

openingly discussing the different stereotypes.

Evaluation: This is a reliable source because it was found on the Wall Street Journal. The author, Sheryl

Sandberg, is the chief operating officer of Facebook Inc. and the founder of LeanIn.Org. Sandbergs

credentials make her a reliable author. Sandberg is very biased toward the position that women should

hold roles in the C suite and encourages companies to work toward equality. The goal of this article is

to bring to attention the gender gap in leadership roles in the workforce, give a brief history of women in

corporate roles, provide statistics to prove a point, and offer suggestions on how to diminish the

difference in gender roles in a company.

HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
17

Reaction: This source was very useful for my topic. I learned a lot about my topic from the different

statistics stated in this article. Through gaining more knowledge from this article, I will better be able to

understand future sources I read and portray more of my knowledge to my audience. I can include some

of the statistic from this article to help prove my points in my essay. I can also use the background

information to provide my audience with background information as well. I could use this source as a

viewpoint from a very biased perspective. This is a good source coming from the promotion of women in

leadership roles at work.

HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
18

APA Citation: Schieman, S. (2013). When leaning in doesn't pay off. New York Times. Retrieved from

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A339319356/OVIC?u=asuniv&xid=c797dac6.

Summary: This article discusses different reasons as to why women are not gaining the same roles in the

workplace as their male counterparts. Collectively, these findings tell us something about the experience

of the work and its connection with gender inequality. Men tend to perceive more intrinsic rewards either

from feeling influential or from having authority. For women, by contrast, both conditions seem to be

necessary to get this reward. This matters. For women, just having authority may not be enough (as it

seems to be for many men). And so even when women do occupy the ''corner suite,'' so to speak, they

aren't guaranteed the personal and professional rewards men garner (Schieman, 2013). This article

bounces off the idea of leaning in. While leaning in could be beneficial to a womens success in the

workplace, this article provides a further explanation of what needs to happen. This article also

emphasizes the connections between experience and inequality. While being viewed as authoritative is

enough for men in the workplace, women must go beyond that and have a perception of themselves that

they truly hold importance at work. The author also attributes the wage gap to tokenism. A final thought

about the psychosocial rewards gap draws upon what some have called tokenism. Some women with

authority might be viewed by co-workers as having gained authority because of factors other than their

abilities, which might make it harder to express influence and feel good about doing so. Perceived

tokenism may therefore be another reason for the psychosocial rewards gap, especially among women

who have achieved higher positions of authority but don't feel as influential, autonomous or intrinsically

rewarded for it (Scheiman, 2013).

Assess: This is a useful source because it provides lots of background information as to why the gap

exists. This source is connected to my other source by Sheryl Sandberg. This source works off of the

ideas of Sheryl Sandberg, who says that the way for women to gain access into the C Suite is to lean

in. This source is reliable because it is originally published by the New York Times. This source remains
HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
19

objective and solely provides background information on the situation. The author never states his opinion

as to whether or not women are deserving of holding the leadership roles.

Reflect: This fits into my research by providing lots of background information to use in my project. I can

use this information to describe the lack of inequality in executive positives throughout companies. This

source can also be used as a base on why the situation is occurring and then provide the information on

how women can break the glass ceiling from my other sources. I can also use this source when using

information from Sandbergs article to provide a more in depth evaluation. Also, because most of my

articles are biased, I can use this source when in need of unbiased information.
HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
20

APA Citation: Trumball, M. (2008). The glass ceiling still exists for women in the workplace.

Greenhaven Press. Retrieved from

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010175237/OVIC?u=asuniv&xid=12fc35e8.

Summary: This source discusses a case with Wal-Mart connected to gender discrimination in the

workplace. This source emphasizes that the glass ceiling remains for women. The issue matters not just

for women but the whole economy, because the underlying question is whether businesses are making the

most productive use of the talent available. Gender discrimination represents a failure involving nearly

half the workforce (Trumball, 2008). The article makes it aware that even though there are several large

companies with lawsuits on this topic, most of the cases come back as not guilty. The article begins with a

discussion on wage differences. The author also talks about how there is still a present wage and

promotion gender gap. Their data covered 3,500 employers in four US cities. The study found that 10.6

percent of men had received promotions during a four-year period versus 7.6 percent of womena gap of

3 percentage points. Even after sifting out a range of possible explanations, including education, skills,

and seniority, that gap narrowed a bit, but the promotion rate remained 2.2 percentage points apart

(Trumball, 2008). The Wal-Mart case was more closely related to the wage gap although lack of

executives and employees in the company was also a major concern. The author also relates the Wal-Mart

case with all of the current gender issues discussed.

Assess: This is a useful source because it connects the issue to an actual situation, which makes it more

tangible as a reader. This article provides concrete evidence that big name corporations are struggling to

minimize the gender inequality. Because many of my other sources lack examples, I can use this as

evidence in my project. This information is reliable because it is a scholarly article and was originally

printed in the Greenhaven Press. This source is biased because it has strong feelings that a gender gap in

the workplace continues to exist. The goal of this source is to inform the readers of the pressing issue.
HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
21

Reflect: This source fits into my research by providing information on how the gender gap continues to

exist. This source helps me shape my argument because I can use the example of the lawsuit against

Wal-Mart as further evidence in my own project. Providing lots of evidence in my essay will help prove a

point. Because I have evidence to back up my claims, I will therefore be a more reliable source. This has

helped change the way I view the topic because after learning about an actual lawsuit related to female

discrimination in the workplace, I will better be able to understand my topic.

HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
22

APA citation: Wolper, J. (2016). Still missing: gender diversity in the c-suite. Talent Development.

EMBSCOhost. Retrieved from

http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/ehost/detail/detail?sid=ca7e6195-9e8c-481b-a

9f6-ac2f2b906da3%40sessionmgr4008&vid=0&hid=4106&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ

%3d%3d#AN=119089667&db=aph

Summarize: The article discusses the continuing and increasing gender discrimination in executive roles

in the workplace. The author, Jon Wolper, how gender equality would benefit the workplace. Wolper says

gender equality would be beneficial because it helps form better businesses. Women in executive

positions will be able to mentor other women in the company. A study from the Harvard business school

is used to gender gap at work. Meanwhile, a recent Korn Ferry study pegged women's representation in

the C-suite at around 24 percent. But at the absolute highest levelCEOonly one in 20 is a woman

(Wolper, 2016). Wolper discusses the present situation of gender inequality in companies, the benefits of

having equality, and how people should move forward in the future. Having women in leadership

positions to mentor and serve as role models is one important component of creating a culture where

women contribute at all levels," Moehlenkamp says. "Many of our senior women started as junior-level

employees and have risen through the ranks to leadership roles for the organization, including regional

leadership positions, managing global practice areas, and running large client accountsall while

balancing the demands of their personal lives and work (Wolper, 2016). In all the different industries

assessed in the article, all of them are in need of more equality in executive positions.

Assess: This source is useful because it provides reasons as to why women should hold more executive

roles. It sides with my personal argument on the need for more gender equality in the C Suite. This

compares to my other sources in a way that it shares similar viewpoints, but provides different examples

and evidence. This information is reliable because Wolper a writer and editor for the Association for

Talent Management. He uses work from Peggy Hazard who specializes in executive coaching and gender
HOW IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP
ROLES?
23

equality at senior levels. T he goal of this source is to make people aware of the gender inequality and

show the audience why this issue is of importance.

Reflect: This fits into my research because it has the same goals that I have in my project. The source is

helpful because it gave information on how to move forward with the information and what needs to

happen in the future. This source has the same bias that I will portray in my project and will help me

shape my argument by providing more evidence to backup my claims. I can also use the information on

the Harvard business school study to further my claims in my own research. This source hasnt changed

my opinion on the topic, but has helped my understanding on the material.