Bold action can help reverse the shrinking leadership
pipeline
ARMONK, N.Y., March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new IBM Institute
for Business Value (IBV) (NYSE: IBM) study reveals that
despite heightened awareness of the challenges facing women in the
workplace driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, gender equity is still
not a top priority for 70 percent of global businesses, according
to business professionals surveyed. The study also shares the
actions that can help drive bold and sustainable change in
business, with learnings from companies who rank gender
inclusivity as a top business priority.
The global study "Women, leadership, and missed opportunities,"
which follows similar research published in 2019, also shows that
gender equity may be at a crossroads, with the leadership pipeline
for women shrinking. Fewer women surveyed hold senior vice
president, vice president, director and manager roles in 2021 than
they did in 2019.
"The data show that many women leaders are experiencing
challenges at this moment. If these issues are not addressed more
deeply than in prior years, there is a risk of progress backsliding
further," said Bridget van
Kralingen, senior vice president, global markets, IBM and
senior executive sponsor of the IBM Women's Community. "We should
seize creative solutions now and redouble our efforts to make
meaningful, lasting change that can help all women reach their full
potential."
In addition, the study indicates employees surveyed feel fatigue
and waning optimism over ineffective programmatic efforts to
address gender equity. Only 62% of women surveyed (down 9
percentage points from 2019) and 60% of men surveyed (down 7
percentage points from 2019) expect their organization will
significantly improve gender parity over the next five years.
More programs don't mean more progress
According to the study, more organizations are instituting more
programs to help improve gender equity and inclusion compared to
2019, like gender-blind job screenings and parental leave for
women. However, the study suggests that has not translated to
better outcomes in part because mindsets and cultures have not
changed enough alongside the programs.
Compared to 2019, for example, fewer survey respondents from
repeat* organizations agreed that senior executives openly
challenge gender-biased behaviors and language.
The "First Mover" advantage
The study identified a group (11%) of survey respondents
referred to as "First Movers" who designate the advancement of
women as a formal business priority, view gender-inclusivity as a
driver of financial performance and are highly motivated to take
action. First Movers self-reported stronger financial performance –
as much as a 61% higher mean rate of revenue growth compared to the
mean reported by other organizations in our study – as well as
stronger innovation and stronger customer and employee
satisfaction.
A roadmap for sustainable progress
According to the study, there are specific, bold steps
organizations can take, following the example of First Movers, to
help accelerate progress in gender equity in the workplace.
- Pair bold thinking with big commitments. For example,
make gender equity a top five formal business priority, and create
pathways for women to re-enter the workforce. IBM offers a
six-month paid 'returnship' for technical professionals who have
been out of the workforce for 12 months, which provides training,
access to tools and technology, mentorship and work assignments on
technical projects that are matched to their expertise.
- Apply specific crisis-related interventions. For
example, additional benefits like backup childcare support and
access to mental health resources can be key. Other recent IBV
research found that the best performing CEOs say they are committed
to supporting the wellbeing of their employees, even at the cost of
profitability or budget.
- Create a culture of intention, and insist on making
room. Focus on empathetic leadership and enabling middle
managers to be advocates for positive cultural change. People
leaders can intentionally champion inclusive team cultures, with
flexibility aligned to individuals' personal and professional
needs, and set accountability into business and individual goals to
sponsor the future pipeline of women leaders.
- Use technology to accelerate performance. Organizations
can use technologies like AI to help reduce bias in the candidate
screening process, provide cloud-based digital tools for
communication and feedback to surface what's working and what's not
in supporting women in the workplace, and invest in collaborative
tools and teaming practices that allow women and men to engage
effectively in physical and remote environments even after the
pandemic abates.
Methodology
The global study, conducted by the IBM
Institute for Business Value in cooperation with Oxford Economics,
surveyed more than 2,600 executives, middle managers and
professionals—an equal number of women and men—across 10 industries
and nine geographic regions. It follows a 2019 study that surveyed
2,300 respondents representing the same range of roles, industries
and regions to allow for longitudinal analysis.
*Repeat organizations refers to organizations who had survey
respondents in 2019 as well as 2021's studies.
About the IBM Institute for Business Value
The IBM
Institute for Business Value (IBV) delivers trusted business
insights from our position at the intersection of technology and
business, combining expertise from industry thinkers, leading
academics, and subject matter experts with global research and
performance data. The IBV thought leadership portfolio includes
research deep dives, benchmarking and performance comparisons, and
data visualizations that support business decision making across
regions, industries and technologies. Follow @IBMIBV on Twitter,
and to receive the latest insights by email, visit:
www.ibm.com/ibv.
Media Contact:
Michelle
Mattelson
IBM External Relations
morrison@us.ibm.com
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