Women in Management in the New Economic Environment: The Case of India

Abstract

Liberalization of the Indian economy has created considerable employment opportunities for those, including women, who possess marketable  skills and talent. Historically, women in India have not enjoyed a good status in workplace settings whether in managerial or operative roles. This traditional positioning of women has restricted the intensity of their efforts towards realizing the benefits of the globalisation process. An attempt has been made in this contribution to highlight the important issues relating to women in management in the Indian context. The messages from a review of the literature are analysed. Research evidence from various sources is presented to highlight the dynamics of developments in the status of Indian women managers. The contribution discusses the main aspects of the historical, socio-cultural and economic factors influencing women managers: issues concerning gender-based stereotypes; the main barriers to women's movement to top managerial positions; the impact of developments in information technology (IT) on women managers; and the way forward. Results from two research projects are also presented. The analysis has important messages for practitioners and contributes to women's studies and management in the Indian context.

Keywords:

• India
• Women in management
• approaches to work
• barriers
• challenges
• careers
• gender stereotypes

Notes

 1 Historically, roles in Indian society are based on gender, where women are expected to devote themselves to internal household affairs and men are required to work outside to provide the economic maintenance of their households. On the other hand, men appear to be perceived as more physically strong, assertive and suitable  for tough jobs, whereas women are perceived as soft, humble, and more suitable  for household chores and serving their families (for details see Budhwar & Sparrow, 2002 ).

 2 Of the top 500 managers at General Electric globally, 22 per cent are now women, as against 11 per cent five years ago.