Indian Women in Banking Industry: Breaking the Glass Ceiling?
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Themes: HRM \ OB
Pub Date : 2009
Countries : India
Industry : Services
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Case Code : HRM0061
Case Length : 20 Pages
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India Inc.: The Changing Gender Composition. cont...
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The role played by women in professional fields tend to be consistent with the roles they play at home - effective communication, prioritising various activities, proper planning, and utilisation of scarce resources and so on. Experts comment that businesswomen are more inclined to take measured or calculated risks and resolve issues in a novel way. Typically, women are better communicators and can easily build associations which helps in strengthening business relationships - a major component in marketing or HR function. They are natural networkers and apply creative solutions to business issues. Thus, women are no less than men and they are equally competent. However, many organisations underrate women's potential and view them as incompetent in handling top positions. For instance, "Videocon International does not employ women at their corporate headquarters even though it has a large women workforce at its factories."13 Many professionals commented, "Most of the women shy away from competition. Basically they are more risk-averse than men and more averse to receive feedback on relative performance. Twice as many men as women are likely to select a tournament setting rather than a non-competitive setting."14 |
However, with the changing macro-organisational environments, women are taking up challenging tasks and making commendable contributions to the organisations' success.
It has been observed in Singapore that the increased female workforce by 10% between 2000
and 2004 has significantly contributed to its GDP.15 According to the United Nation's Economic and
Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2007, a permanent hike in the number of working females
would have stimulated a 0.34% growth to the country's GDP.16 However, the increase in the number
of women employees was concentrated only at the clerical level and their count at the top levels was
significantly low. Globally, women held only 24% of senior management positions in 2008.17
According to Grant Thornton's International Business Report on women in management positions,
Philippines (47%) has the greatest percentage of women in senior management, followed by Russia
(42%) and Thailand (38%). The report also states that the percentage of women holding senior level
position in India increased relatively - 14% in 2007 to 15% in 2008.18 Within the country, Chennai
tops the list with 22% of women at top levels of hierarchy followed by Delhi (18%) and Bangalore
(16%). With changing horizons, Indian women have increasingly become visible in domestic and
international sphere; women at the top levels have proved their mettle by managing business operations
efficiently across industries and sectors.
13]"First Among Equals: ICICI Bank's Women Power", http://www.financialexpress.com/news/first-among-equals-icicis-womanpower/74949/0, April 19th 2003
14]"Do Women Shy Away from Competition, Even When They Can Win?", http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/
article.cfm?articleid=1308, 16th November 2005
15]Yin Jasmine, "Singapore's GDP would grow considerably if more women were in workforce", http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/271241/1/.html, April 19th 2007
16]"Singapore's GDP would grow considerably if more women were in workforce", op.cit.
17]Das Saikat, "Women hold less than a quarter of sr positions: Grant Thornton", http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ETCetera/Women-hold-less-than-25-of-sr-positions/articleshow/4235157.cms, March 6th 2009
18]"Women hold less than a quarter of sr positions: Grant Thornton", op.cit.