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News For You - March 2004We have developed this page to give our visitors the opportunity to see what's new, at a glance, in the business world and how it relates to our program. Take a moment to browse and see what's of interest to you! Volvo Turns to Women to Learn How to Make the Ideal Car
Volvo has caught on to industry studies that reveal women purchase about two-thirds of vehicles and influence 80% of all sales. The concept car it unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show on March 2 was shaped by all-female focus groups and created by an all-woman management team. The resulting design is packed with the latest gizmos which include no-touch doors and easy entry. Volvo estimates a road version would cost about $65,000 and compete with luxury coupes built by Audi and Mercedes. Business Week March 15, 2004
General Electric Wins Catalyst Award General Electric has won the 2004 Catalyst Award for promoting women. From 1998 to 2003, women in GE's top 173 posts rose from 5% to 13%--good but under the 15.7% average. Two women are now among GE's top 25 executives. Business Week February 2, 2004
Women Lose Ground in State Posts In 1999, women held 29.8% of leadership posts appointed by governors. That number rose to 35% in 2001, but then dropped to 32% two years later according to a report released by the Center for Women in Government & Civil Society at the University of Albany. Five states-Massachusetts, Oregon, Florida, Iowa and Missouri-had nearly the same percentage of women in the state population as in top policymaking jobs. The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 20, 2004
NAFE Selects Employers of Choice The National Association of Female Executives' analysis of the 2004 Top 30 Companies for Executive Women shows that few women are getting the experience they need to ascend to the top slot - that is, generating revenue for their organizations as "line" managers. So why aren't women getting P & L experience? According to the NAFE survey, there are a number of reasons. Women remain outside the informal networks which present opportunities, and companies still don't feel secure about such matters as women's commitment to their jobs, their ability to manage men and their willingness to relocate. The good news is that among this year's top companies, NAFE found programs that ensure women receive the P & L experience they need. Among these companies are Avon Products, General Mills, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Liz Claiborne, and WellPoint. Yet, even at the best companies for women executives, there is still a need by most to implement programs and training for women in order for them to move up. NAFE Magazine, First Quarter 2004
Taking Sides on the Martha Stewart Case No one sees Martha Stewart as blameless but there is controversy over whether her conviction is tied, at least somewhat, to her success. "This has been a fascinating case because I think women have been very mad at Martha Stewart for her arrogant way," said psychologist Jane Shure. On the other hand, Irene Hannan, incoming president of Philadelphia's Forum for Executive Women, said she had no doubt that women chief executives are treated differently from men, although she said she was not sure that the disparity carried over to the justice system. "In the grand scheme of things, Martha Stewart's fate is not that important," said Hannan. "Access to health care. Access to prenatal care. Infant mortality. Those are things we should be focusing on along with wage parity in the workplace, unsafe working conditions and retraining for the unemployed." Philadelphia Inquirer, March 10, 2004
Top Executives Chase Youthful Appearance While many top executives of both sexes are undergoing various types of cosmetic surgery in the belief that looking older in business now means looking vulnerable, Pat Cook, President of Cook & Co. , a Bronxville, New York executive search firm argues looking younger isn't the most crucial way to counter ageism on the job. "It's a lot less important how old someone is than whether they are young in attitude. I don't care if someone is 55, but I care a lot if he/she is passionate, enthusiastic and in touch with what is happening in the world". Managers who don't repeatedly rejuvenate their thinking-failing to stay informed about current events and popular culture-inevitably date themselves and limit their chances to advance. Wall Street Journal February 17, 2004
When it Comes to Salary, Many Women Don't Push Young professional women believe themselves to be as assertive as their male counterparts when it comes to salary negotiation. Indeed, they believe their negotiation skills set them apart from older generations of working women. However, in her book, "Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide", Sara Laschever found that women of all ages are actually far less likely than men to initiate salary negotiations. In a recent study of Carnegie Mellon graduates who had master's degrees, only 7% of the women in the survey said they had negotiated their salaries compared with 57% of the men. A 2003 study conducted with University of California students yielded similar results. Why the reluctance to ask for more? Women have been taught not to be too bossy or too aggressive and tend to wait for someone else to tell them if they deserve more rather than thinking they can have some control over it. The New York Times, February 29, 2004
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