Sexism in business – It’s no resigning matter

Allowing the Executive Chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi to take leave and then resign after making sexist remarks in an interview fails to send the right message to women in business. What it does, is perpetuate how some males think and behave towards women in the workplace. The article in The Guardian ‘It’s not enough for directors to resign over sexism. Business must change’, suggests that Kevin Roberts and many businesses simply don’t understand how women can be equal or better. The reality is that business has been set up and run by men ever since there were businesses. I accept that there are very successful women, but the fact that we have to highlight these people and hold them up to be role models simply reinforces the gender difference.

A Harvard study in 2014, as reported in an article by QS Top MBA, confirms that there is sexism in business. It suggests that it is not always a conscious approach where males and females make decisions based on gender.  In 2013, Nitin Nohria, dean of Harvard Business School, publically apologised on behalf of the School for letting women down, as they had done since women were first accepted in 1963.

The United Nations Foundation published a report in January 2014, ‘Resolutions: Female Entrepreneurs Are Key to Sustainable Global Development’.  This report not only supports women in business, but goes on to suggest that even in established business cultures, organisations and economies would improve substantially.

I have found in my work experience that some women are almost forced into having ‘more balls’ than their male counterparts. Women need to be more macho to get on in a male dominated world. Women cannot be themselves, having to display what could be construed as male type behaviours to fit in. The issue is when women behave too macho and aggressive in business they are often put in their ‘place’ by colleagues. Watch out those women who dare to display what could be considered to be male traits. Be very careful not to appear even more ‘hardball’ than your male colleagues. It is a very fine line that women walk in any business, no matter what their role.