Change Management

The business sphere has made progress in boosting gender equality and expanding the number of women in executive and C-suite leadership positions. As per the 2018 Women in the Workplace study by McKinsey, women hold 19% of senior leadership roles. Despite this modest progress toward female representation in the C-suite, women of color continue to face substantial impediments to entrance into executive positions. Based on the same McKinsey survey, just 4% of C-suite roles are held by women of color. And according to a 2019 report by the Harvard Business Review, no black women are running Fortune 500 companies. Furthermore, gender equality for all women remains elusive in middle and lower management, particularly in entry-level and medium-level leadership positions. Women make up 48% of all entry-level recruits, but just 38% of first-level managers, according to the most current McKinsey statistics (Professional Development | Harvard DCE, 2022). Organizational Mentality Adjustments Organizational mentalities may be difficult to alter. As with other components of organizational culture, the values, attitudes, behaviors, and traditional links that an organization has with male and female roles may be profound (Ely and Thomas, 2001). Organizations are able to establish gender-specific expectations for the behaviors, jobs, and career trajectories of their personnel. If not addressed, these expectations may linger for decades. Examining the mentality of an organization concerning its gender role expectations is a good beginning point. A critical step is an honest evaluation of the organizational desire for women in leadership roles (Hoyt, 2010). Not all organizations will support or be prepared for gender diversity at the executive level. If this is the case, it should be brought to light and remedied. Refusing to acknowledge this preparedness or approaching the selection of female leaders with insincerity might do more damage than good (Klettner, Clarke and Boersma, 2014). In addition to organizational attitude, unconscious prejudice is pervasive across all levels and genders. Unconscious bias may have a significant impact on our judgments, frequently with little or no justification. Similarity bias, for instance, argues that we are likely to employ or promote individuals to a leadership team whose attributes mirror those of the present leader or team. Whether this relates to appearance, color, thought habits, or gender, the similarity bias tends to reinforce sameness in thinking and behavior while minimizing the advantages that variety may provide (Randsley de Moura et al., 2018). Identify and address unconscious prejudice The descriptive and prescriptive biases that occur in the workplace are highlighted by Forbes (2018). Descriptive bias refers to the labels assigned to deeply ingrained conceptions of how the genders "should be" For instance, women are often characterized as being soft, kind, and nurturing. It is simple to recall ladies who possess these characteristics. Prescriptive prejudice relates to evaluations of how genders "should act" and the sorts of roles that are better suited to genders. These prejudices often serve as obstacles to gender equality (Seierstad et al., 2020). Imagine a woman, whose assertiveness and ambition (usually seen favorably in men) are recommended for a top leadership role or possibly the job of CEO (typical positions held by males). The descriptive and prescriptive biases may result in quick assumptions of ineptitude, poor compatibility, and poor leadership skills. These characteristics and this role do not correspond with the intuitive conception of what it is to be a woman and the roles they should play. Frequent instances of unconscious bias and stereotypical thinking have a significant impact on the judgments of others. As the last example, maternal bias is the false belief that moms are less competent and less devoted to their employment. As a consequence, women are two-thirds less likely than males to get promoted after having children (Sojo et al., 2016). In terms of bridging the gender inequality gap, it is important to note that women may possess unconscious prejudices against other women. According to the United Nations Development Programme's Gender Societal Norms Index (2020), which investigates how social beliefs impact gender equality, close to 90% of men and 90% of women hold some type of prejudice against women (Lari, Al-Ansari and El-Maghraby, 2022). To address concerns of unintentional discrimination 1) raise everyone's awareness of the presence and consequences of unconscious prejudice. 2) Consciously test and verify assumptions made about individuals inside the organization. 3) Educate employees on the advantages of diversity using examples from within the organization (Lari, 2019). Equalize the playing field Even though each organization will experience this differently, some situations affect employees differently based on their gender. Child care, caring responsibilities, financial restraints, skill upgrades, and retraining have long been connected with obstacles to advancement for female workers. Yet, as a result of the epidemic, some organizations are reconsidering the structure of their work practices. For many, the chance for flexible working, upskilling, and even leadership prospects has altered, and there is a narrative that some of the conventional hurdles that existed before the development of covid may be favorably addressed via new methods of working. This might be advantageous for both genders. The elimination of obstacles helps to level the playing field. Equal access to chances for all employees will help organizations develop their skills in many ways. Mentoring, reverse mentoring, and coaching activities inside organizations give employees supportive and demanding opportunities to enhance their critical thinking skills and talents to advance. Understanding the types of obstacles that exist inside organizations and their effects may aid in guiding strategic decisions and the development of talent. The inclusion of a representative sample of employees will aid in the management of unconscious bias while considering how to build a fair and equal workplace (Al-Qahtani et al., 2022). Recognition of Diversity "Diversity," "equality between men and women," "inclusion," and "bias-free" are all words and ideas that should be on the agendas of many companies. Yet, having these things on the ideology and trying to address the behavior, values, policies, and leadership mindset of the organization are two different things. It has been proven that while campaigns like those that bring attention to gender inequality can raise awareness, they are less effective at changing people's long-term habits. To do this, leaders, leadership teams, and everyone on staff needs to understand and agree on long-term changes in how people act (Baker, French and Ali, 2021). This could mean that the way some groups talk needs to change. Describe the true benefit of equal and diverse pay for men and women in the company. How would it change things now and in the future? What would it take to make sure that more women are in leadership roles? What needs to be different? To close the gender gap in organizational leadership, people need to talk openly and honestly about how they lead now and how they want to lead in the future. Creating a stable environment that supports female leaders should start on their first day, no matter what role they have. Making sure policies give everyone the same chances and make it easy to move up will help create a culture where women feel valued and can use their skills to improve leadership in the organization. To close the gap, the organization needs to first admit that it's there and then make plans for change. Senior Leadership Gender Diversity in Qatar When women in the Middle East smash the glass barrier and ascend to positions of power, generate greater representation, and gradually bridge the gender gap, they are often lauded by the populace. In the course of a single generation, Middle Eastern women have accomplished a great deal while continuing to struggle against a patriarchal society. Today, more of them are at the forefront of the political and economic scenes and are actively seeking to affect social changes in their respective nations. Ladies have now become examples to young girls in the area, empowering future generations of women to aim to accomplish, succeed, and get independence. Sheikha Alanoud Bint Hamad Al-Thani is an inspiring example (QFC). As one of the world's largest and fastest-growing onshore commercial and financial hubs, QFC promotes equal workplace and business opportunities (Headspring Executive Development, 2022). To achieve this goal, they've enacted key legislation in line with international best practices, such as equal employment opportunities for women and men, equitable pay for comparable work, 14 weeks of paid maternity leave following ILO Convention 183, and the restriction of dismissal for marriage and maternity. Sheikha Alanoud feels it's important to give women career alternatives, help, experience, and a chance to achieve new heights. Conclusion During the discussion, steps and ideas have been brought up that an organization can take to solve problems related to the different numbers of men and women in top positions. After making several suggestions, the expatriates were put on a list to show that there is gender diversity in senior leadership positions in Qatar and to show what other steps they have taken to promote gender diversity in leadership positions.

References

References Al-Qahtani, M., Fekih Zguir, M., Al-Fagih, L. and Koç, M. (2022). Women Entrepreneurship for Sustainability: Investigations on Status, Challenges, Drivers, and Potentials in Qatar. Sustainability, 14(7), p.4091. doi:10.3390/su14074091. Baker, M., French, E. and Ali, M. (2021). Insights into Ineffectiveness of Gender Equality and Diversity Initiatives in Project-Based Organizations. Journal of Management in Engineering, 37(3), p.04021013. doi:10.1061/(asce)me.1943-5479.0000893. Ely, R.J. and Thomas, D.A. (2001). Cultural Diversity at Work: The Effects of Diversity Perspectives on Work Group Processes and Outcomes. Administrative Science Quarterly, 46(2), pp.229–273. doi:10.2307/2667087. Headspring Executive Development. (2022). Arab women in leadership: creating a more inclusive workplace. [online] Available at: https://www.headspringexecutive.com/arab-women-in-leadership-creating-a-more-inclusive-workplace/ [Accessed 8 Sep. 2022]. Hoyt, C.L. (2010). Women, Men, and Leadership: Exploring the Gender Gap at the Top. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 4(7), pp.484–498. doi:10.1111/j.1751-9004.2010.00274.x. Klettner, A., Clarke, T. and Boersma, M. (2014). Strategic and Regulatory Approaches to Increasing Women in Leadership: Multilevel Targets and Mandatory Quotas as Levers for Cultural Change. Journal of Business Ethics, 133(3), pp.395–419. doi:10.1007/s10551-014-2069-z. Lari, N., Al-Ansari, M. and El-Maghraby, E. (2022). Challenging gender norms: women’s leadership, political authority, and autonomy. Gender in Management: An International Journal, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print). doi:10.1108/gm-06-2021-0159. Lari, N.A. (2019). QATARI FEMALE MANAGERS IN A WORLD OF PATRIARCHY. Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews, 7(5), pp.215–225. doi:10.18510/hssr.2019.7527. Professional Development | Harvard DCE. (2022). The Benefits of Promoting Gender Diversity in Leadership. [online] Available at: https://professional.dce.harvard.edu/blog/benefits-of-promoting-gender-diversity-in-leadership/. Randsley de Moura, G., Leicht, C., Leite, A.C., Crisp, R.J. and Gocłowska, M.A. (2018). Leadership Diversity: Effects of Counterstereotypical Thinking on the Support for Women Leaders under Uncertainty. Journal of Social Issues, 74(1), pp.165–183. doi:10.1111/josi.12262. Seierstad, C., Tatli, A., Aldossari, M. and Huse, M. (2020). Broadening of the Field of Corporate Boards and Legitimate Capitals: An Investigation into the Use of Gender Quotas in Corporate Boards in Norway. Work, Employment and Society, 35(4), p.095001701989283. doi:10.1177/0950017019892835. Sojo, V.E., Wood, R.E., Wood, S.A. and Wheeler, M.A. (2016). Reporting requirements, targets, and quotas for women in leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 27(3), pp.519–536. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2015.12.003.

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