Women in Management: Limited Progress and Uncertain Prospects

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the current situation in regard to the representation of women in management positions in Australia. Women remain under-represented in senior positions, and this chapter reviews the barriers restricting the movement of women into management, examining individual, organisational and social issues. Organisations in Australia have used a range of strategies in their attempts to increase the numbers of women in management. Information drawn from a number of sources points to a complex picture of women at work in Australia, with a noticeable shift over the past decade from identity-conscious policies, which target programs for women employees specifically, to identity-blind policies, which target all employees regardless of identity differences. However, progress in addressing the concentration of women in the lower management levels of organisations and the segregation of women in traditional job roles has been slow.