Not tokens: reaching a “critical mass” of senior women managers
| Date | 01 November 2006 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01425450610704489 |
| Published date | 01 November 2006 |
| Pages | 540-552 |
| Author | Colleen Chesterman,Anne Ross‐Smith |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
Not tokens: reaching a “critical
mass” of senior women managers
Colleen Chesterman
Australian Technology Network Women’s Executive Development Program,
University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia, and
Anne Ross-Smith
School of Management, Faculty of Business, University of Technology Sydney,
Sydney, Australia
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline the findings of a research project involving five
Australian universities with over 30 per cent of their senior management positions filled by women. It
explores the factors that enabled this to happen and also discusses the responses of the universities to
the report.
Design/methodology/approach – The research was essentially qualitative, based on 81
interviews, 50 with senior women and 31 with senior men. All those interviewed were in senior
positions, from Vice-Chancellor down to Dean, Director or equivalent. 46 (24 men and 22 women) were
academics; 35 (28 women and seven men) were in administrative, support or general staff positions.
Findings – Interviewees identified as crucial for the appointment of women having a critical mass of
other women in senior positions, opportunities to network, encouragement and support from
organisational leaders, friendly and collegial environments and strong organisational commitment to
values.
Practical implications – The paper describes the actions currently being taken by the five
universities to build on the research findings and to ensure that their relative success in promoting
women is maintained and improved. It considers whether it is possible to transform hierarchical and
traditional cultures in order to establish networks of support and to raise questions about gendered
assumptions about capacity and ambition.
Originality/value – The paper presents information which draws on the findings of a large scale
empirical research project on how women reach senior positions in universities. It also discusses how
these findings have been turned into organisational action to improve the position of women.
Keywords Women executives,Gender, Academic staff, Recruitment, Promotion, Australia
Paper type Case study
Women in university management in Australia
Until recently Australia’s 38 universities have been criticised for maintaining
male-dominated management structures and for ignoring the potential of women as
managers (Burton, 1997; Probert et al., 1998). In this way they share the same problem s
as universities throughout the developed and developing world (Morley, 2006; Deem
et al., 2006; Singh, 2002). International conferences such as those organised by the
European Conference on Gender Equality in Higher Education (Fogelburg et al., 1999;
Maione, 2005) and ATN WEXDEV (Chesterman, 2006) have provided powerfu l
evidence of ongoing difficulties facing women working in universities, and in
particular lend support to allegations that women are still outsiders, particularly in
senior management (Bagilhole and White, 2006).
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0142-5455.htm
ER
28,6
540
Employee Relations
Vol. 28 No. 6, 2006
pp. 540-552
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0142-5455
DOI 10.1108/01425450610704489
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