Assignment Cover Sheet

Bachelor of Business (Talented)

Student Name Nguyen Tong Quynh Tien

Student Number 31171023638

Subject Name Academic English

Lecturer Alan J Hartnett

Title of Assignment Women in workplace

Length 1117 words

Due Date 15/11/2017

Date Submitted 15/11/2017

Declaration:

I hold a copy of this assignment if the original is lost or damaged.

I hereby certify that no part of this assignment or product has been copied from any other students
work or from any other source except where due acknowledgement is made in the assignment.
No part of the assignment/product has been written/produced for me by any other person except where
collaboration has been authorised by the subject lecturer/tutor concerned
I am aware that this work may be reproduced and submitted to plagiarism detection software programs
for the purpose of detecting possible plagiarism (which may retain a copy on its database for future
plagiarism checking)

Signature: Nguyen Tong Quynh Tien

Note: An examiner or lecturer/tutor has the right not to mark this assignment if the above declaration has not been
signed)
 Women in the workplace

Today, women on boards should be encouraged because it is a crucial need to develop an

enterprise. What is your opinion about this issue?

In the past, womens roles in the workplace were not appreciated a lot. As the tendency of

women in management position is increasing, thinking about gender stereotyping has been

influence into a better way. As Duehr, E. E., & Bono, J. E. cited (2006), in the United States,

the number of women in the managerial and professional ranks has steadily increased.

According to Catalyst, a research and advisory organization committed to advancing women

in business, women now hold 51% of managerial and professional specialty positions (Welle,

2004). Women also hold 51% of bachelor's degrees and 45% of all advanced degrees (Eagly

& Karau, 2002). Although these numbers are larger today than ever before, the progression of

women into executive positions continues to be slow. For example, among the Fortune 500

companies, only 16% of corporate officers, 14% of board directors, 5% of top earners, and

just over 1 % of CEOs are women (Welle, 2004). Although things seem brighter, everything

does not go like that. The roles of women are mentioned by many people but in their

perception still aware that gender is a barrier of promotion path of women. This essay will

show the opinion of how women on board can affect the firm in a positive way.

Women used to be not respect as man in every part of life. In the past, especially Vietnam,

prejudices did not allow women to go to school, to go to work or to receive a suitable

salary. In addition, the Australian Workplace Gender Equality Agency (Gradstats, 2012)

reported that, in 2012, the gender wage gap between male and female university graduates

starting salaries more than doubled from 2011, increasing from A$2,000 to A$5,000 per

annum. Moreover, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012a) survey of full-time adult

earnings conducted in August 2012 shows that males earned an average of A$1,490 per
week, while females earned an average of A$1,188 per week. Even now, many women have

not yet received suitable positions that match their contribution. In the last decade, an

increasing number of women obtained greater experience; more women completed relevant

education (business, law, education, science); more women have started and managed small

and medium-sized businesses and more women developed national and, in some cases,

international reputations. The government has established laws to protect the womens rights

to encourage them to go to work as well as to be on a high position of a company. Besides,

female generation nowadays is a talent generation with attainment of a large amount of

degree (Masters, J.D., M.D. or Ph.D.). In an historical reversal, female graduate graduation

rates are higher than males. From 1999-2000 to 2009-10, the percentage of undergraduate

degrees earned by females remained about the same. It was between 60 and 62 percent for

associate's degrees and between 57 and 58 percent for bachelor's degrees. In contrast, during

the same period, the percentages of both masters and doctor's degrees earned by females

increased. Women on board play an important role of company. Women nowadays has

accumulated many experience and knowledge that the reason why company should have

more women on board. Some strong evidences have show that having more women in board

positions indicates greater risk aversion. Companies that had strong female leadership

generated a Return on Equity of 10.1% per year versus 7.4% for those without (on an equal-

weighted basis). Companies lacking board diversity tend to suffer more governance-related

controversies than average. An alternative explanation for why companies might benefit from

having more women directors is that women maybe more risk averse in decision making.

This line of reasoning would posit that companies with stronger female leadership might have

enjoyed a performance benefit over the sample periods from better risk management.

companies where women made up at least 15% of senior management were 50% more

profitable than those where fewer than 10% of senior managers were female. They also do a
greater influence on co-operated social responsibility, financial decision, accounting, etc. An

alternative explanation for why companies might benefit from having more women directors

is that women maybe more risk averse in decision making. They are easy to stand in aspect of

women, easier to understand female customers, co-workers. They know how to listen to the

requirement, understand and circumspect. Numerous arguments for the recruitment of women

nonexecutive directors have been proposed. They include: increased diversity of opinions in

the boardroom, women directors bringing strategic input to the board, influence on decision

making and leadership styles of the organization, providing female role models and mentors,

improving company image with stakeholder groups, women's capabilities and availability for

director positions, insufficient competent male directors, and ensuring better boardroom

behavior. Having women in key positions is argued to be associated with long term company

success and competitive advantage , adding value through women's distinctive set of skills,

and creating cultures of inclusion through a diverse workforce . It has also been argued that

as women directors tend to be younger than their male colleagues on the board, the boards

may benefit from new ideas and strategies. The Australian Report of the Industry Task Force

on Leadership and Management (Burton and Ryall, 1995) suggested that women directors are

economically advantageous to a company. The report claimed that well-balanced boards that

include women directors reduce the likelihood of corporate failures. Homogeneous groups

tend to have homogenous ways of solving company problems: errors would be less likely to

occur with a heterogeneous board. Further research by Catalyst shows that having women on

boards leads to more women in senior management. Women in corporate leadership provide

positive role models for other women entering the workforce, giving them a goal to aspire to.

Research shows that women on the board can be good for the bottom line. Moreover,

companies with women board members outperform those with no women. Groups with more

diverse skills, knowledge and experience are likely to consider a greater range of perspectives
and make higher-quality decisions. Women may help businesses avert and solve problems

more effectively. For example, having women on boards can assist companies to manage key

constituencies including shareholders and employees. Research shows that the presence of

women at board level strengthens the companys customer base and connections to markets.

Although women should be encouraged to be a part of directorate, there is still including

some barriers because of their gender. First, it is really difficult for women to working while

pregnant. If they absent for a few week, it may be threaten their job. Womens employer may

cut her weekly hours by more than half after she was pregnant. There was not enough work

available to keep her on her previous hours, despite taking on new staff at the same time.

References

Gradstats ( 2012 ), Gradstats- Starting Salaries , Workplace Gender Equality Agency,

available at: www.wgea.gov.au/Information_Centres/Resource_Centre/Statistics/2013-01-

07_GradStats_factsheet.pdf (accessed 28 January 2013).

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) ( 2012a ), Employee Earnings, Benefits, and Trade

Union Membership. Catalogue 6310.0 , ABS, Canberra .

Duehr, E. E., & Bono, J. E. (2006). MEN, WOMEN, AND MANAGERS: ARE

STEREOTYPES FINALLY CHANGING? Personnel Psychology, 59(4), 815-846. Retrieved

from https://search.proquest.com/docview/220137779?accountid=63189

Burke, R. J. (1994). Women on corporate boards of directors: Views of canadian chief

executive officers. Women in Management Review, 9(5), 3. Retrieved from

https://search.proquest.com/docview/213185690?accountid=63189
Mellander, G. A. (2015, Apr 06). Graduate schools: A new day. The Hispanic Outlook in

Higher Education, 25, 23-24. Retrieved from

https://search.proquest.com/docview/1673351589?accountid=63189

Linda-Eling, L., Ric, M., Damion, R., & Matt, M. (2015, November). Women on board:

global trends in gender diversity on corporate boards. Retrieved from

https://www.msci.com/documents/10199/04b6f646-d638-4878-9c61-4eb91748a82b

Sarah, B. (2015, May 7). How pregnancy can cost you your job and career. Retrieved from

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-32592215