Gender Distribution in Organizations

"Gender bilingual organizations" is a find of Avivah Wittenberg-Cox. She wrote a new book, "Because, like every author, I thought there was a book screaming to be written." (1)
The book presents seven steps to building "bilingual' organizations."

One of the questions Avivah poses on the gender issue is: "how can you be sure to have hired the best candidates when you only recruit men?"

The author(s) show the way ... large companies that want to become more gender-balanced in their approaches to both their talent (employees) and their markets (customers). (1)

In my own book about business architecture, the gender-distribution is one of the main characteristics of a company's profile. It is one of the visible structures that give evidence on what companies' value. Many people and managers talk about equal rights and multicultural or multi-gender teams, but there is often little evidence.

"This book makes it perfectly clear why the progression of women in business is an obvious 'win-win' proposition for all."

"There is a chapter called 'Figuring out Females' which summarizes what managers need to know about women in order for their companies to benefit from their obvious talents."

The book devotes a chapter on Cultural differences across the world on this issue;

• the North American approaches: "have been characterized by private sector pushes ... implemented proactive policies to get more women to the top (usually asking them to behave as much like men as possible on their way)."
• European approaches have been driven more by public policy ... has created some societies (particularly in France, the Nordics and the ex-Communist countries) where full-time, dual career couples have become acceptable social norms. Unfortunately, private sector companies have not always done their share."
• "No country has yet combined private sector pushes with public sector pulls."

Now what is missing from this source is the change management approach so that knowledge of the European Professional Women's Network can be divulged and implemented. Some resistance from the opposite sex may be expected.