View Point

Women achieving at all levels of business life prove gender no longer a barrier to success

By Mary Mangan

Special to Business Today

Do I think that gender is an issue in the working world?

Of course I do. Gender will probably always be an issue in the business world; it has an affect on managerial styles, perceptions from employees, and it brings up legal issues. Gender will probably always be a challenge to some as well; people have to overcome stereotypes, employees need to be educated in dealing with this issue, and some people, both men and women alike, may not be given every deserved opportunity. However, gender, in my opinion, is no longer a barrier. I see women succeeding every day, breaking through those glass ceilings, and proving that being a woman is not a disadvantage, but an asset.

I am a 23 year old woman, in school, studying business. I am completely aware that I am young, have not been a part of the culture of the "real" working world, and have yet to have an experience in which I was discriminated against. With that being said, many people may find my opinion na¿ve; however, I feel that it is merely optimistic. I don't think that optimism is a bad thing; it fosters determination, solid relationships, and a willingness to learn and teach others. Regardless of my lack of experience, I believe my positive outlook will keep my head above water as I grow in the working world. I feel that the more positive perspectives out there, the more successes there will be.

In the past, women have been stereotyped as being too emotional or unstable to lead a company. It is because of those women who refused to stay in the kitchen and pushed their way into the working world that now women are as successful as men. Although it has been a difficult battle, women in the mid- and late 20th Century proved that they can be tough, unwavering, and strict with a business. These pioneering women paved the way for young females to become CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, start their own businesses, and reform the way the working world functions. Not only are there CEOs of Fortune 500 companies such as Sara Lee, TJX, and Avon that may require a more feminine point of view, but women are running Lucent, ADM, and eBay.

There are so many trends that allow companies to succeed through more creativity and innovation. These forward-moving companies attribute some of their success to focusing on employee empowerment, continuing education and encouraging innovative thinking. The managerial style that fosters all of those qualities needs to allow for some empathy and some maternalistic qualities; women tend to lead with these qualities.

Other improvements in the business world have to do with awareness and education. In college, students learn about discrimination and how to overcome it; current employees are trained on how to deal with stereotypes and biases. At the same time, companies are growing ever-conscious of the rules and regulations for handling gender issues. Corporations focus human resource efforts on equal employment opportunities and seek to hire the most qualified applicant despite gender. The more women hired into a company, the more chance of them being promoted. In addition to hiring and promoting based on qualifications instead of gender, other laws make it easier for a woman to be able to have a family and run a company. There are laws that support a woman if she becomes pregnant, so even if it is out of fear of a lawsuit, a company should not discriminate if a woman starts a family. The ever growing desire for a stable work-life balance allows men to help raise children and therefore allows women to be able to pursue a family and a successful career at the same time.

The business world is changing very fast; companies can communicate in a split second, the world is shrinking, and competition is fierce. There is no longer any excuse to waste time and energy on discrimination between genders, and I think that most of the working world gets that. I feel that those people, both men and women, who still feel that women should not run corporations, should be looked upon with pity as being close-minded, sexist, ignorant, and obviously stuck behind the times.

There is no doubt in my mind that a capable, strong woman can succeed. I feel that a woman will run into as many obstacles as men but every day those obstacles become less and less gender-related.

At Southeast, I am the president of a professional business-oriented student organization. This organization didn't even allow women in until 1976. Even though it is extremely small scale in comparison to a corporation, our association elects leaders based on merit and hard work. I am extremely proud to be a part of professional development that shows students that gender should not be an issue in deciding a person's capabilities.

This past summer, I attended our national Biennial Convention, which elected the organization's first woman president since the organization's founding in 1904. For the next two years, this woman will lead an organization with more than 10,000 members that focuses on developing professional business leaders. Her election was incredibly inspiring to me, and was another event that filled me with optimism. As long as young men and women are led by successful women, I feel that sexual discrimination will soon be obsolete.

Coming into college, I never viewed myself as a leader. Throughout the last few years, however, the opportunities and experiences I have received brought the leader out in me. I don't think there is anything that will ever make me feel less than a fully capable, strong, intelligent woman that can't wait to lead people I believe in and be a role to young women.

The more education and more opportunities for leadership positions given to young women, the higher the chance those women will take that knowledge and experience and go beyond anyone's expectations.

Mary Mangan is a Southeast Missouri State University student with a double major in Business and English. She is president of the Alpha Kappa Psi Omicron chapter, a student organization for business majors.

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Changes abound, but the last hurdles to equality remain a daunting challenge

By Mary Spell

Special to Business Today

Has the workplace changed for women since I began working?

Yes, no doubt, the workplace has changed, but only up to a point. I feel most businesses are very well aware today, that when women possess the same education abilities and skills as men, they deserve to have an equal shot at the job.

This wasn't the case in the 1800s and early 1900s, when very few women were allowed the privilege of even an education. During those years, men ran the country, the states, the counties, and the cities. Of course, now that it's the 2000s; but, oh, look, who is running the country, the states, the counties, and the cities? For the most part, it's still men.

To my knowledge, here in Southeast Missouri, we don't have any women in the top CEO positions or as presidents of the top businesses and industries unless women own those businesses. And, just as a point of reference, only two women have served as president of our local Chamber of Commerce since it's beginning in 1917. Kudos to Judy Wilferth and Janet Esicar.

We do have a lot more bright, educated, and capable women knocking at the door. They serve capably in all areas of business including banking, manufacturing, health care, retail, education, etc. These young women are the granddaughters and great-granddaughters of women pioneers who attended Will Mayfield College and Southeast Missouri State when they definitely were in the minority. They paid the dues for those of us who needed to have equal opportunities in the workplace. Surely, by now, women have paid their dues and deserve to govern and lead.

When some of our up and coming young businesswomen look at me with pity and ask how we, (meaning women of my advanced age), survived in the "olden" days, I wish I could accept their sympathy. But, I can't. It was the brave women like Dr. Anita Bohnsack, an Osteopathic physician, who came back home to Cape Girardeau in 1916 to practice medicine, and Dr. Marguerite Fuller, who came in the 1920s to join Dr. Bohnsack in her practice, who paved the way for women's rights and equality. In a 1980s Southeast Missourian article, Dr. Fuller talked about being shunned by local businessmen who refused to ride in the elevator in the H&H Building with "that woman doctor." Both women eventually earned the respect of all the community and were honored for their contributions before they passed away. They were just two of the women who suffered indignities from men who thought women should stay in their place, which was in the kitchen.

For those of us who needed to learn how to be professional in the work place and who wanted equal pay for equal work, we joined organizations such as the Cape Girardeau Business and Professional Women's Club or Zonta. There, we learned the value of networking and staying current with information in our fields. And, to give credit where credit is due, we learned much from watching and listening to men. Men have known how to work together for years. They know that forming solid relationships, whether it's on the golf course or in the boardroom, is necessary for success.

Women could never have gotten as far as they have in the workforce if they hadn't learned the value of working together and being prepared to meet the challenges that a fast-moving society demands. I hope our young people just coming out of high school, know that they need to move on into college or technical schools. As veterans of the workplace, we have an obligation to encourage these young people to stay in school and develop a strong work ethic. There's just no other way to succeed.

On Sundays, as I watch our young couples and their children come into church, I can see that they are truly working together to share the workload of home and work and children. So many of the dads think nothing of changing a diaper or giving a bottle. Just a few years ago, mothers struggled with the demands of a 40-hour workweek, bought groceries, took care of children, did laundry, and were expected to be the hostess with the mostest. She was expected to be Superwoman. By sharing the tasks, it gives both parents an equal opportunity to be good parents and to succeed in their respective fields.

I can honestly say that every job I held, from my high school and college job at Newberry's dime store, to teaching, to being a proofreader, reporter, editor at the Southeast Missourian, and my 20 years of working in Marketing and the Foundation at Saint Francis Medical Center, were satisfying and challenging. I never felt discriminated against because I was a woman. That is a compliment to all those organizations.

Today's workplace has seen many changes and I personally feel it often is a kinder, gentler and prettier place since women became a part of it. But don't ever think for a minute that women can't be tough. At least some of them can, like the ones who are going to be CEOs and Presidents ... one of these days.

Mary Spell is retired from a career as marketing director for Saint Francis Medical Center and a reporter at the Southeast Missourian.