I think women (but not all or the majority) are more interested in finding something that resembles work/life/family balance. Not all women have (or want children) but that doesn't mean they don't want a life or don't carry other responsibilities that they (may) put greater value on than exchanging time for money in cube-land.
Personally I have seen more women become successful entrepreneurs and ditch the BS of corporate ladder-climbing. I traded out that lifestyle 12 years ago and now juggle (not balance) a family, husband, and two businesses. Much better than dealing with the garbage that goes on in corporate that affects me but I have no control over.?
Thanks +Marian Mangoubi for the original share.
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Not all women want to climb the corporate ladder – Chicago Sun-Times
Women often freely choose to say “no, thanks,” sometimes after they’ve gotten to the top itself (at work). And that’s a problem, say these authors. But a problem for whom?
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I feel it may be a problem for workplace diversity. There is a lot of chatter in the last year or so about how there is a dearth of women in technology, and the article from Last week concerning Dell and their hired DJ's sexist comments to a room full of guys (And only a single woman) tends to indicate that there is a disparity.
I'd agree that, perhaps, women are less tolerant of the workplace focus mentality that requires a vast disparity between workplace success and home-life success. It is possible that women are also just a lot less tolerant of BS.
+Allen Hildebrandt I have to agree – what is good for the workforce (diversity) isn't always good for the individual.
Honestly who want 's that much resposibility for someone else's pocket I am transitioning ,I work for a family owned company and , I also have my own company.I love the challanges in my company It's gratifying ,worked for coporate at one time didn't like it at all.
Besides Men or Women should Choose whatever works well and helps make them Happy Both have very Intellegent things to add to any company
I think that men are socially more pressured to climb the corporate ladder, and so artificially end up in that sort of life far more than they would naturally. Women get so many conflicting pressures that they end up in a broader range of lives. 🙂
not all;just few of them
My female cat likes climbing ladders. Jokes aside. It is not fair to hold anyone back. That said, I hear sad stories from friends that have successful parents. One of the biggest issue, isolation. I am just blessed, my mom was there for me- to welcome me when I got home from school. So, it is not wrong for anyone to climb that ladder – just try not to have it all.
I always say juggle and not balance because, for me, it's had to do everything well all of the time.
I'm a no-thankser. I may try some ladder climbing again when my children are older, but for now, it just does not matter to me. I don't see my paid work as central to my identity like I did 20 years ago.
I would say it is not that women don't want to climb it but that we go on more than a ladder. We help our husbands to do climb it. We help our children to become the best they can get out of themselves and to do climb their ladders and still climb our owns. Maibe, it will take us more time but we get there finally and that is a great success.
All of your responses indicate that my initial assesment seems to be on the ball. I wonder if there are a great many intellectuals who don't realize that the dearth in technical fields may be a result of many women not wanting/not prioritizing success in the workplace as more important than other aspects of their lives.
The general argument is about sexism at the workplace, and I'm always hesitant to accept this as the penultimate reason why there is a disparity between men/women in the technical workplace (the STEM workplaces, Science, Technology, Engineering, Mechanics).
I think, much like all things, it is a far more complicated and nuanced reason than just sexism.
Not all men, too
actually men and women in a committed relationship who are both devoted to family both want family-work balance, usually, so this doesn't always break down on gender. demanding that only the woman pay this price is, in and of itself, somewhat unfair. However both sides should be realistic as to who can maximize income and capital return at which times.
+arthur kyriazis I don't believe I stated there was a demand, I am noting a distinct gender difference in approach which is also a result of societal socialization. Whether this socialization is fair or unfair is almost tangential to the observation.
+Voice Overs Even nowadays, men are not necessarily considered to be the ones balancing family life with work life, there are entrenched gender roles that act as barriers for men just as much as women. The rightness or wrongness isn't relevant for my observation, just to clarify. If you wish to argue that there is not such a disparaty, I'd be more than welcome to review any studies/evidence you might have to support this position.
People are people, the sex of those people is irrelevant. This story is mostly obvious to me.
+Lance Zimmerman Sex is only irrelevant when considering sociological implications of things only if the group or individual in question has never had situations that impacted or shaped their behavior that were based upon sex.
None of us exist in a vacuum.
I don't think we should see it as fair or unfair. Men role is to be head of the family, earn salary, pay bills So he has no other choice that going for it at work. The best he gets on working the best he'll be as head of his family. Women role is ti rise children, hold up her husband, make sure they get success as family so she , sometimes has to drop her chances at work to make the other side of her life go on and once she gets it goes for her other goals. It is harder, takes longer but we do make it.
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My point is +Allen (I can't tag you.), that you have missed is and I did not state clearly on purpose, people are people, not because of what sex they are, but because of outside influences, as you state.
+Cirelda gonzalez martinez I hope you are being sarcastic.
+Lance Zimmerman Then I am glad we are in agreement and apologize for the passing ships in the night.
+Allen Hildebrandt I am intrigued by your comments here. As a woman who works in technology, I can certainly tell you many stories of the rampant sexism I have encountered. I don't believe it is necessarily the diversity that keeps women from the corporate ladder climbing as much as it is the diverse roles that they play. I would be inclined to agree with +Lynette Young that it has a lot to do with the work/life/family balance, but I do not believe that is unique to women in technology.
I have many personal reasons to believe, as well as academic studies I have performed, that can explain the dearth of females in technology. Let me know if you want some info.
I think its totally a personal decision. Its about what the woman wants to give priority to according to the phases and stages of her life. I don't think any woman would like to miss out on motherhood if she decides to get married and have a family.
It has to be the woman's decision if she decides not to get married and remain focused on her career and climb the corporate ladder then hats off to her then I don't think any thing can stop her.
I will give you my example. I started my career in the late 80's working on COBOL and FORTRAN languages and in fact used to teach programming to the so called top notch engineers who were in their late 30s and 40s and I was just 23 then.At that time people were just in awe of computers and considered it to be something very hi-tech.
I was doing well and continued to work till my first child was born. The decision to leave and give full time to my family was a very conscious and a very well thought one.
My husband had just left his job and started a business so we had to take decisions and plan the financials of running the house economically too. If I would have continued working the financial flow and the corporate success would be guaranteed but taking a mutual decision to give time and attention to the baby was the priority of the moment.
After a few years (8 Years) again started to work but yes was not easy and took me many years to actually come to terms to how to bring that balance between work and home. But with constant trials and errors made have managed to establish a small company to get the best of both the worlds- Trying to get Creative and career satisfaction and being available for family whenever needed.
Again at this stage, its totally my decision to either invest more and expand the business further which means again giving more time to work or let it remain as it is and take few projects at a time and put in the best of efforts to achieve good quality results for the clients.
The point is that one should remain happy with whatever decision you take , put in your best and make the most of it.
Its important how you grow as a person in life rather than how high you climb the corporate ladder. But of course – Everyone has his own philosophy of life and success.
I would agree, my mate +Jennifer Jewell is very much a technology girl, though mostly in the way of art, as in 3D game modeling. She hopes to get a carrier doing that after she gets out of school, her kids are all grown and gone.