For the past fifteen years, professionals have made a lot of effort to encourage women to go for top management jobs. Research has proved that a myriad of women are unwilling to take up senor positions despite their qualifications. There has been a lot of optimism during this period. However, nothing has been forthcoming, even though this gender makes close to a half of the workforce in the world (Bauer 2011).
Why are many women then unwilling to go for the top jobs in large numbers as would be expected? There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly, stereotyping is one such that many women at the top have to face. This stereotype could be implied or outright in some cases.
Apart from deterring many women from rising through the ranks, stereotyping discourages the top crème of women from clinging to these positions as long as their male counter parts would remain. Most women in these executive positions simply give up and quit.
Others would prefer to take it out on the husband, belittling the role that the woman he has married plays in the relationship. For example, most of these stereotypes may very well claim that such women have very little to do with the way their children are raised (Bolton, 2008) As a result, the standing of an executive woman in a family set up is at stake.
In an article about a woman executive at PepsiCo in North America, we encounter a company with a strong corporate culture. The woman’s name is Brenda Barnes and she rises to the level of president in charge of North America at PepsiCo. The article presents her busy schedule, waking up as early at a half past three in the morning to start work.
The writer also narrates how she cares for her children before going off to work. There is also a vivid description of how during the day she participates actively in running the company before going back home to her family. Barnes also makes a lot of sacrifices by moving around whenever her job requires her to.
She even becomes a potential replacement for the company’s president but chooses to leave her position due to pressure to fulfill her domestic obligations (Tischler, 2004).
The paper does not mention Barnes’ husband. This shows how feminist this article is with regard to its view towards men, also, the house’s help or any other person who assisted her with taking care of the children. Instead, the paper presents her as taking the center stage and doing everything to do with family on her own.
There may also have to be some men or a man who assisted her during her stay at the top of the company even though most men are sexist. The writer goes on to tell us that Barnes is still happy with her decision to quit her job six years down the line (Tischler, 2004).
This article exposes the challenges that women encounter during the period that they are in executive positions. It gives an insight into this scenario, even though the article too much emphasis on the woman’s role both at home and work. One thing is clear though: women face a lot more challenges at the top compared to men.
References
Bauer, G. (2011). Women in Executive Power (1st edition ed.). New York: Routledge.
Bolton, M. K. (2008). The talent stampede: why executive women leave corporate America and how to retain them. Bloomington, IN: Author House.
Tischler, L. (2004). Where Are the Women? Fast Company 1-2. Web.