1. Case Study - Women on the Right Track at Cp Rail

"In 1950 about one in three women participated in the labor force. By 1998, nearly three of every five women of working age were in the labor force" (Heatherfield, n.d., para. 4). In 2008, the U.S. Department of labor estimates that women will make up 48% of the workforce (Heatherfield, n.d., para. 6). As the number of women in the workforce rises so do the numbers of women who hold higher titles such as Chairman, CEO, Vice Chairman, President, Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President, and Executive Vice President. This number has increased from 7.3% in 2000 to 9.9% in 2002 (Diversity statistics, 2006).

Findings and Conclusion: This research shows that women are still unrepresented in top management globally. The difference in performance of the companies in the same country and same industry implies that diversity serves a competitive differentiator. Certain companies focus on gender diversity and others focus on ethnic and racial diversity but no company in the top quartile focus on both. Companies which have greater diversity are able to attract top talent, improve internal and external customer satisfaction, improve decision making and hence improve

In the United States, study after study continues to show that women have fewer opportunities to advance in the workplace than men. These disadvantages are a result of society’s views of women in leadership positions and how women may view themselves in these roles. Women have been making progress in terms of equality in pay and job positions, but significant gaps remain. Women who strive to be promoted into higher levels of responsibility in their companies often meet resistance that prevents them from achieving the goal of a senior or executive level of management. This barrier is referred to as the “glass ceiling” and it is a controversial issue in our country today. The glass ceiling called this because women are able to see the higher level positions, but can reach them because of an intangible barrier. One can look at the Fortune 500 companies, which are the most successful companies in the U.S. in terms of revenue to see how few women are in leadership positions. Clearly, women are significantly underrepresented in these companies, as less than 5 percent of these companies have female chief executive officers (CEO) today (Dockterman 105). Providing the opportunity for women to move into management positions, like CEOs, would bring a unique talent and a new perspective on how the company can operate to perform better (Buckalew 147). The “glass ceiling” is a real obstacle that creates an intangible barrier that puts women at a disadvantage in advancing in a company.

This case study involves Deborah Westman and her work at the Bank of Montreal (BMO) as a junior employee. Deborah has aspirations of progressing within the bank to higher levels of leadership, but is concerned about possible barriers due to her gender that have prevented other women from advancing. The bank is actively seeking to provide better opportunities for women to attain key leadership positions through the use of a task force and new policies. Deborah is uncertain if she can take advantage of the increased awareness of women in the bank, and if the barriers to higher leadership will actually be removed. Possible strategies will be recommended for Deborah in order to assist in her career.

The single most important component associated with managing a successful organization, entails the empowerment of employees. People that are empowered are able to make smart decisions without always having to rely on authority, to point them in the right direction. Creating an empowered organization involves interest in the workplace; minimal absence from work, high retention rates; loyal and motivated team members; as well as efficient results and effective communication amongst team members. In the book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

This myth has been perpetuated throughout history and in result; we have barriers such as the glass ceiling in existence. If we were to pull up a list of the Board of Directors for any given company, the probability of it being a predominately male group is high. This notion alone shows how companies have continued to dwell in olds days where men are considered more capable than women. The Glass ceiling effect has continued to place barriers against women endeavor in achieving success in their careers and participation in their work place. Women have not been able to realize their potential in their work places since they are not offered equal chances as compared to their men counterparts who enjoy great opportunities in organizations. The fact that an organization is ran by men, may cause an adverse effect on the performance of men. Obviously, a man thinks differently than a woman. It is likely that a decision made by men only is likely to ignore the interests of women in the organization. This creates a domino effect because it affects the woman’s performance in business since they only get limited chances to learn, and limited job assignments that will enhance their skills. Hence, low or limited skills and experience will lower their overall

Structural empowerment Purdy et al. state “is the notion that removes conditions that foster dependence and powerlessness within an organization that will result in a positive employee behavior and improve performance” (Effects of work environments on nurse and patient outcomes) which would cause a better working environment to work in. That being said I agree that being able to feel as you have power as a nurse to be able to be able to say things and control a little of how you work makes a nurse feel great about themselves as if they don’t just have to watch and write down all that the patient does or what the doctor say, it is like they actually have a voice in the matter. “Psychological empowerment is defined as the psychological state employees must experience for empowering interventions to be successful” (Smith Lesley, Andrusyszyn and Laschinger Effects of workplace incivility and empowerment on newly graduated nurses_ organizational commitment). I would have to agree because if you have a good mind set about things even if it the worst thing in the world it will not seem like it is. Having a good mind set conquers all things. Smith et al. say that “the empowering interventions are as followed meaning, confidence, autonomy and impact” (Smith, Andrusyszyn and Laschinger Effects of workplace incivility and empowerment on newly graduated nurses_ organizational commitment). It is so true the mind if you really think of it is made up of these things, and these are the things that get most people through the day. For example having confidence in your work will make you feel as if you can do anything at work as long as it is legal and you are able to do. I would say that they are on to something and that something would be that if you have empowering employees the nurses work environment would not be so difficult to do with and there would be a more nurses willing to work and the work environment would become like home

Vectren’s non-utility business growth strategy grows through reinvestment of earnings with consistent dividends growth. Vectren’s strategy is to continue harvesting energy investments as opportunities arise. Natural gas abundance and affordability will continue to be in high demand for energy. “The projected increase in demand for electricity and natural gas in the coming years will help Vectren boost its sales and strengthen its financial base” (Marketline, 2013, para. 15, SWOT section).

284). Before an employee can begin to feel empowered, an open and safe environment must already be established. Employees must be given the freedom to make accountable decisions and encouragement to make these decisions. Some types of encouragement that can be provided to the employees are recognition, assured feedback, and guidance/support (Yoder-Wise, 2015). Empowered staff strive to obtain goals and provide quality service.

In August 2012 a team of researchers at the Credit Suisse Research Institute issued a report in which they examined 2,360 companies globally from 2005 to 2011, looking for a relationship between gender diversity on corporate management boards and financial performance. Sure enough, the researchers found that companies with one or more women on the board delivered higher average returns on equity, lower gearing (that is, net debt to equity) and better average growth.

Even though numbers are slowly rising in the United States, there are still more men in executive positions than women. According to one survey, female workers only made up 43% of legislators, senior managers, and senior officials whereas male workers made up 57%. In congress, congresswomen make up only 17% of representation compared to congressmen making up 83% (Ferrante, 2011, p. 312). Gender stratification is one explanation for the tremendous gap. Ferrante (2011) describes gender stratification as the unequal distribution of opportunities and resources amongst male and female employees. (p. 311) For example, male workers have an increased opportunity to receive a promotion than a female worker. According to Tinsley (2013), women are more likely to receive executive positions when a company is doing well, rather than when a company is suffering. Some companies stereotype that women workers will leave the workforce soon to bear children, limiting their chances of achieving executive status (Ferrante, 2011, p. 316).

Increasing employee satisfaction can be as easy as changing the culture to empowerment in the workplace which begins with communication, encouraging feedback and giving team members the ability to make more decisions. This approach will have a direct relationship between employee satisfaction and overall performance. As the team member’s performance improves so does the individual’s confidence and commitment to the company. That confidence in empowered employees can also be andisadvantage for organizations. Leaders have concerns of increased arrogance in individuals because encouraging employee empowerment creates a sense of overconfidence in team members. They are making important decisions without supervision and taking more risks. Although this is all a part of the empowerment principles, taking risks can be successful and they can also be failures. “Employee empowerment requires a strong and lasting commitment from an organization’s management” (p. 2) and that may require changing the culture or management style of the organization (Emerson, 2012). Many older and long-term team members are also resistant to learning new things or accepting changes but in order to make this change a success, it will take the entire organization’s commitment.

Gender in Management: An International Journal Vol. 26 No. 3, 2011 pp. 220-233 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 1754-2413 DOI 10.1108/17542411111130981

Gender diversity in the workforce is another issue trainers must address. Women are increasingly entering the workplace at rapid speeds and due to their responsibility for home and family matters, employers and HR managers must provide flexibility and solutions through training and developing. Many women in the workforce have to juggle motherhood and try to manage a career and work life at the same time and studies have shown that the strain is beginning to take its toll on the general health and wellbeing of the female population (Robinson, Deborah, 2008, p1). Women need to be mentored by trainers to step up at take more senior positions in

But PCAL believes that its current capital structure is optimal as all its financial needs are being satisfied by its retained earnings and short term borrowings. They believe that their decision to pay off all long term loans and also the 25% equity stake that Generable cables bought has accelerated the growth and expansion of the company which can be seen through the growth in the EPS from 2011 to 2013. As a result, the company does not plan to change its capital structure in the near future and plans to run its day to day business using short term running finance.