Timmy
white swans need love too
- Joined
- 30 September 2007
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Thanks for the discussion Julia.
I have to say I thought the article you linked to was pretty low quality. Although the author seemed to take the well-researched Northwestern University study as a jumping off point, the rest of his article seemed to be just full of personal anecdotes and his own perceptions. The women leaders he referenced were outstanding examples of what a human can achieve and I don't think necessarily representative of female managers. For example, using a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and saint (Mother Theresa), as an example of a female manager is extreme and is hardly representative of female managers as a group, is it? Referencing Ricky Gervais chararacter in The Office (pictured at the top of the article) as perhaps representative of male managers is probably a little extreme in the other direction too.
Maybe an argument can be made that using outstanding/extreme examples such as Anita Roddick and Mother Theresa is needed to redress the prejudices that exist against female managers (which I believe to be generally true), but I think such an argument is weak and unnecessary.
I found an article that discussed the Northwestern University study in a more balanced fashion: (http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/publications/newsletter/iprn0312/eagly.html). I couldn't find the original article online to reference it. This article is a much better read, a much better article, and makes its points in a more balanced fashion.
Just for the record, the author of "The best man for the job is ... a woman" asks:
"When was the last time you heard of a female public leader involved in a sex scandal?". Cheryl Kernot.
I have to say I thought the article you linked to was pretty low quality. Although the author seemed to take the well-researched Northwestern University study as a jumping off point, the rest of his article seemed to be just full of personal anecdotes and his own perceptions. The women leaders he referenced were outstanding examples of what a human can achieve and I don't think necessarily representative of female managers. For example, using a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and saint (Mother Theresa), as an example of a female manager is extreme and is hardly representative of female managers as a group, is it? Referencing Ricky Gervais chararacter in The Office (pictured at the top of the article) as perhaps representative of male managers is probably a little extreme in the other direction too.
Maybe an argument can be made that using outstanding/extreme examples such as Anita Roddick and Mother Theresa is needed to redress the prejudices that exist against female managers (which I believe to be generally true), but I think such an argument is weak and unnecessary.
I found an article that discussed the Northwestern University study in a more balanced fashion: (http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/publications/newsletter/iprn0312/eagly.html). I couldn't find the original article online to reference it. This article is a much better read, a much better article, and makes its points in a more balanced fashion.
Just for the record, the author of "The best man for the job is ... a woman" asks:
"When was the last time you heard of a female public leader involved in a sex scandal?". Cheryl Kernot.