Are women too sensible?

At the recent Telstra Business Woman of the Year Award Luncheon, the usual dismal stats on the number of women in key government and big business positions were trotted out.

Here’s an alternative take:
What if most women are simply too sensible to WANT jobs in these positions?
What if most women PREFER active contribution to playing the zero-value empire-building and ego games in the hot-air heights of big business and government?
What if most women actually want to DO good stuff instead of just talking the part?

Has anyone done any research into this? Has anyone asked?

2 comments on “Are women too sensible?”

1. Emma McCreary said:
   

   I think women are socialized to derive their value more form their relationships than their achievements. Some (not I) would argue that this is biological. But either way I’m not sure it is about being “sensible” – that sounds like a frontal-cortex motivation, and I think most of socialization is unconscious. But clearly it’s a complex topic. =)

   The problem with getting to the heart of why gender differences happen is that it is so charged and everyone has an agenda (some with good reason, such as oppression) that there is more debate than truth-seeking, IMHO.

   
   25 February 2009 at 12:58 pm
2. Zern said:
   

   Good points Emma.

   Conventional business has traditionally valued (money, power, influence, fame) achievements over good, solid, rewarding and enriching relationships. Potential shallowness over depth. Perhaps this is about to change.

   So true about emotionally charged issues not being easily discussable. Despite our attempts/delusions at rationality, our emotions still overwhelms us a lot of the time.

   
   25 February 2009 at 2:02 pm

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