Viewpoint by Judy Rosener
Why are so few women on corporate boards, in executive positions of large corporations or recipients of venture capital?
One reason, it is felt, is their exclusion from the “old boy’s network.” This network, while referred to in the singular, is in fact a set of networks.
The word “old” means, of long standing; the word “boy” refers to men, and the word “network” refers to a set of important relationships. These relationships range from being golfing buddies, members in male-dominated professional organizations, workplace colleagues who tend to spend time and travel together,in essence, male leaders whose paths cross in both social and professional settings.
Thus for men, what often start out as social and workplace relationships turn into opportunities for professional advancement. Personal friendships and workplace proximity get translated into promotions, enhanced career opportunities and appointments to corporate boards.
There is nothing sinister in this. It is just a fact of life and since women are not boys, they tend not to be found in the “old boy’s network.”
However, the times they are a changing. Women are developing and growing networks of their own.
Interestingly, the initiation of female networks is different from the initiation of male networks. Most female networks have been created because executive women realize they need a vehicle for sharing knowledge about their professions and opportunities to advance their careers.
While the by-product of male networks (often first based on personal relationships) is career advancement, the by-product of female organizations (often first based on career advancement) are personal relationships.
Female networks take many forms. Local and national professional organizations of female lawyers, CPAs, engineers, physicians, and scientists bring together women with similar interests who share information about career development, job opportunities and work/life issues.
In addition, there are organizations such as National Organization of Women Business Owners, the Women’s Presidents Organization, Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, the International Women’s Forum and the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit. In these groups, high-level women from a variety of industries and professions share an interest in the advancement of women.
Female Networks
Women’s conferences and summits,which provide networking opportunities with experts, prospective clients and women with similar interests,are proliferating.
One example: the recent California Governor’s Conference for Women held in Long Beach.
It drew 10,000 women who heard from such speakers as Oprah Winfrey; Lois Frank, author of “Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office”; Susan Decker, chief financial officer and executive vice president of Yahoo; Ann Gust, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Gap; and Marty Evans, former Rear Adm. in the U.S. Navy and now president of the National Red Cross. The conference goers attended a multitude of sessions, where they linked up with others interested in the same topics.
Attendees at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, held in Dana Point recently, included more than 100 female leaders. Among them: Meg Whitman, chief executive of eBay; Andrea Jung, chairwoman and chief executive, Avon; and Anne Mulcahy, chairwoman and chief executive, Xerox Corp.
As significant as these large gatherings are, there are smaller, invitation-only summits of women executives and well-known leaders in a variety of fields. One is the Corporate State, held in New York City every fall. The invitees often include women who have started investment firms aimed at funding women-owned startups and providing women with venture capital.
Amy Kopelan, producer of the Corporate State, has partnered with Orange County’s Michelle Jordan of Jordan LLC, Strategic Communications, to bring a similar summit to the West Coast on Jan. 20.
Think Tank Session
An Executive Women’s Think Tank will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach. It is sponsored by Microsoft, Deloitte, Xerox, Preston Gates & Ellis, New Century, Merrill Lynch and the Orange County Business Journal, in alliance with the Graduate School of Management at UCI.
Confirmed participants include Gail Berman, president, entertainment, Fox Broadcasting; Ursula Burns, president, business group operations and senior vice president at Xerox; Christie Hefner, chairwoman and chief executive, Playboy Enterprises; Julia Stewart, president and chief operating officer, IHOP Corp. and a number of other female leaders.
Attendees will examine “The Media Matrix,” a discussion of the media’s agenda and its decision makers; “Taming the Beast,” legislating the Internet and the implications thereof; “You Say You Want a Revolution?,” questions about redesigning corporations to enhance the use of human capital, and “Who’s on First?,” a discussion of corporate priorities.
Before long, those in the “old boy’s network” will be competing for professional talent with those in the “new female network” (professional women don’t like to be called girls).
When this happens, perhaps we will see more women on corporate boards and in executive suites,and one big gender-neutral personal/professional network.
Rosener, Ph.D., is a professor in the Graduate School of Management at UC Irvine and a noted author and speaker.
