By Myles Wearring

May 05, 2008 11:56am

Article from:

WOMEN are more effective in nearly all aspects of business management, with men superior in only two areas, a study has found.

According to research, which collected data from over 1800 Australian female and male CEOs and managers, women scored higher than men on the key issues of strategic drive, risk taking, people skills, aesthetics and altruism, and innovation.

Females equalled males in the area of emotional stability.

The two areas men came out on top were command and control of management operations, and focusing on financial returns.

This showed men were more task focused and more comfortable getting the job done, rather than bothering with relationships, the study said. 

 

"The study reflects the ability of women to look beyond operational process management and cost control alone, and focus more on the holistic elements of a business," said Gillian O'Mara, director and general manager of Steps Leadership Programs, which commissioned the study by Peter Berry Consultancy.

"I think a number of people might have suspected women are stronger in people management skils, or some of the typically softer skills. But the results in terms of strategic drive, risk taking and capacity for innovation might surprise some."

Ms O'Mara said confidence was key to women moving into management roles.

"The confidence women have at the start of their careers is vital to building their career plans and putting themselves forward for promotion and actively networking and seeking mentors," she said. 

"These are critical elements we find successful women leaders have used."

The study was conducted using the Hogan Assessment System (HAS), an international personality test designed to help organisations select employees and develop leaders.

HAS has been used by companies including BHP, Qantas, Harvey Norman and AMP.

The results of the study will be presented at the Steps Women and Contemporary Leadership seminar in Sydney and Melbourne later this month.

____________________________________________________________

Do women make better managers?

Microsoft Small Business Center owner  Joanna L. Krotz writes about small-business marketing and management issues. She is the co-author of the " Microsoft Small Business Kit " and runs Muse2Muse Productions , a New York City-based custom publisher.

 
By Joanna L. Krotz
Before getting to the point of this provocative headline, here's a disclaimer: Prepare to consider widely accepted generalizations.

Translated, that means, "Included in this article are some sweeping statements presented as general truths but based on limited or incomplete evidence." But let me add this: Remember, too, that being equal does not mean being the same. Now, let's proceed.

As women gain traction as business owners and executives, gender differences are increasingly playing out in the way they run their shows. If you think that isn't having an effect on the rules of the business road, think again.

Nearly 11 million privately held companies are now Continue.
majority-owned (50% stake or greater) by women, according to the Center for Women Business Research, based in Washington, D.C. That accounts for nearly half (47.7%) of all private companies in the United States. In addition, women-owned companies now generate $2.5 trillion in annual sales and employ 19 million people nationwide.

Typically, women operate and manage those businesses in some significantly different ways than men do. Recent studies point out that while both male and female styles of leadership can be effective, "female" frequently has the edge.

Obviously, no single individual can embody every one of the many traits we tend to call "female" or "male."