The Myth of the Ideal Worker: Does Doing All the Right Things Really Get Women Ahead? (Report)
Oct 01, 2011The Promise of Future Leadership: Highly Talented Employees in the Pipeline project surveys graduates of leading business schools in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia, with the intent of assessing their career values, goals, and expectations, the developmental opportunities afforded them, and their strategies for managing work and family life. The reports highlight the differences in women’s and men’s career experiences and satisfaction; some feature perspectives from global leaders and other experts.
The Myth of the Ideal Worker: Does Doing All the Right Things Really Get Women Ahead?, tackles persistent myths about the gender gap. Career advancement strategies used by women and men were compared to determine if using the same strategies ultimately leads to the same career outcomes. Findings revealed that:
- Men benefited more from adopting proactive strategies.
- When women did all the things they have been told will help them get ahead—using the same tactics as men—they still advanced less than their male counterparts and had slower pay growth.
The report includes a series of questions for the reader to reflect upon about why disparities in career advancement may exist and persist. The goal is to help identify opportunities for effecting change in your career and organization.
Additional Information:
- Harvard Business Review (Blog): “Study: Women Get Fewer Game-Changing Leadership Roles”
- Harvard Business Review: “High Potentials in the Downturn: Sharing the Pain?”
- Harvard Business Review: “Women in Management: Delusions of Progress”
- Harvard Business Review: “Why Men Still Get More Promotions than Women”
- Harvard Business Review (Blog): “New Research Busts Myths About the Gender Gap”
- Harvard Business Review (Blog): “Women Don’t Go After the Big Jobs with Gusto: True or False?”
- Catalyzing (The Catalyst Blog): “Be Somebody—Get Sponsored”
Sharon Allen, Retired Chairman of the Board, Deloitte LLP, shares her advice for women looking to advance.
Mentor Circle: Chevron Corporation, Deutsche Bank AG
Research Partners: Bloomberg, BMO Financial Group, Chevron Corporation, Credit Suisse, Dell Inc., Deloitte LLP, Desjardins Group, Deutsche Bank AG, Ernst & Young, General Motors Company, Hewlett-Packard Company, IBM Corporation, KeyBank, McDonald’s Corporation, Sodexo, Inc., UPS