Women And Leadership Roles

Women and Leadership Roles is culled from workshops conducted by Prof. Indira Parikh at the IIMA. From 1980 till date programmes exploring issues facing Women in Management are offered at the Institute. Issues surrounding leadership, work roles and authority are debated. The objectives are to explore the influence of the transformation of organisations on womens roles in the corporate world; to explore leadership roles and also individual life-spaces; to discover wholesome ways to actualise dreams and chart new career paths. The programmes are divided into two modules, Conceptual and Experiential. The conceptual module explores the impact of transformation in organisations on individual employees, particularly women. In the experiential module, the exploration is around life-spaces and systems where processes of socialisation in both family and work settings are highlighted. How did women who are impacted by these diverse interfaces give shape to their roles? The paper discusses the experiences of the participants at home and at the workplace. Shifts in the mindsets of people and the society have contributed to the acceptance of working women as capable, hardworking and committed professionals and individuals. On the other hand, women commonly feel a constant pressure to perform and prove themselves at the workplace and simultaneously, a persistent feeling of guilt in coping up with the expectations of the family at home. Although several women have been successful in striking a balance between home and work, not many have managed to assume leadership positions in the corporate world, which was still considered a mans domain. An important and interesting issue discussed in the paper is the exploration of womens life spaces, their identity and the roles they take, especially in terms of leadership. The life-space of women vis-à-vis the home and family and also vis-à-vis the workplace is analysed and discussed by the participants. At the home front the dynamics of in-laws, especially the interface of the women with their mother-in-law, their experience of motherhood and the dynamics of relationships with the husband, all contribute to the dilemmas of marriage. The women shared some of their personal experiences related to their entry into the workplace and their interfaces with their superiors, colleagues and subordinates of both genders. The dilemmas faced by women in terms of assuming leadership roles, climbing the corporate ladder and contributing to decision-making processes in the organisation are, anchored in the socio-cultural context as well as in the maps and definitions they carry from the past. Future scenarios were also painted by the participants. For the first time in recent history women have begun to assume leadership roles in the corporate world and are hopeful of blazing new trails for future generations and creating new role models. Women can look forward to the future with optimism. Women are experienced in managing one of the most complex organisation imaginable - the household, and therefore can apply their skills and experiences in terms of hard work and sensitivity in managing relationships, at the workplace. The authors discuss how women can be successful leaders if they achieve congruity between their inner instincts and their career goals. The Indian Woman today is at a threshold where she is confronting not only herself and her own inner feelings, historical conditioning and fears, but also managing interfaces in the outside world, both at home and workplace. As recent role models demonstrate, women tentatively are crossing this threshold, challenging themselves and blazing a new path for future generations. Indian women and the society as a whole has moved from well-entrenched gender-centric roles, where Man was considered the leader and provider and Woman the idealised deity, submissive and subservient to the wishes of her family. The revolutionary thinking that is emerging, partly due to education and Western influences, recognises roles that are not stereotyped by gender and allow men to recognise their femininity and women their masculinity. This transformation is far from complete; however important beginnings have been made particularly in the metropolitan cities and in tomorrows industries where enabling technologies have brought dramatic changes in terms of creating virtual workspaces.