This essay, Executive Women on a Tightrope, written by Ann M. Morrison, Randall P. White, and Ellen Van Velsor is a study in the difficulty of women in the corporate world. The authors, two women and one man, point out in this essay how difficult it can be for women executives in today's corporate environment. The authors point out that intellectually, psychologically, and emotionally women are no different from men. Women can handle all aspects of the business world; however women have a double standard to compete against.
One study used in this essay showed that female managers have to "buck the system" and outperform their male counterparts. In essence these female executives need to be "better than women". In this study, characteristics of women who were successful were compared with the characteristics of those women who had "derailed". A "successful" woman was defined as those women who had attained the top position in their organizations and had reached their potential.
Mary G
Corporation: People
Corporation: PeopleDerailment for women was defined as those women who did not reach their potential, despite how far up the ladder they had gone.
Most working women have dual careers; one career is a paid position in the corporate world, and the second career is an unpaid position in the home. The skills needed to attain high positions in the business arena, and to reach her potential, are the same skills necessary to achieve success in the home. Women have the skills and the intelligence to achieve stardom in the corporate world, why then do so many women fail?
This essay shows that the top three reasons that women fail is that women overcompensate and try to act like a man, women do not take enough risks and women have trust issues.
While it is important to contradict the stereo...