III. Read the text «She's the Boss».
Business was invented by men and to a certain extend it is still «a boy's game». Less than 20% of the managers in most European companies are women, with fewer still in senior positions.
Yet in Britain one in three new businesses are started up by women and according to John Naisbitt and Patricia Aberdeen, authors of 'Megatrends 2000', since 1980 the number of self-employed women has increased twice as fast as the number of self-employed men.
The Glass Ceiling Syndrome
Is it just a case of women whose career progress has been blocked by their male colleagues — the so-called 'glass ceiling syndrome' — being forced to set up their own businesses? Or do women share specific management qualities which somehow serve them better in self-employment? As many as 40% of start-ups fail within their first two years, but the failure rate of those run by women is substantially lower than that. It's hardly surprising, therefore, that though male bosses tend to be reluctant to promote women, male bank managers seem only too happy to finance their businesses.
The Roddick Phenomenon
Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop empire, is the perfect example of the female entrepreneur with her company growing from zero to £470 million in its first fifteen years. Perhaps the secret of her success was caution. Rather than push ahead with the purchasing of new shops, Roddick got herself into franchising — the cheapest way to expand a business whilst keeping overheads down.
Caution, forward planning and tight budgeting seem to be more female characteristics than male. They are also the blueprint for success when launching a new company.
More Sensitive
When women join an existing company, it's a different story. Less ruthlessly individualistic in their approach to business, women are more sensitive to the feelings of the group or team in which they work. They are generally more cooperative than competitive, less assertive, less prepared to lead from the front. Though they usually manage their time better than men and may even work harder, they are much less likely than their male counterparts to take risks. And, above all, it is risk-taking that makes corporate high fliers. As one male director put it: «I'm not paid to make the right decisions. I'm just paid to make decisions».
Better Communicators
It's an overgeneralization, of course, but it remains true that men will more readily take the initiative than women. The female style of management leans towards consensus and conciliation. Women seem to be better communicators than men — both more articulate and better listeners. And perhaps it is women's capacity to listen which makes them particularly effective in people-oriented areas of business. In any mixed group of business people the ones doing most of the talking will almost certainly be the men. But perhaps only the women will really be listening.