women executives and the c suite

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WOMEN EXECUTIVES AND THE ‘C’ SUITE

Bridging the Gender and Age Gaps in Organizations

ABSTRACTTwo organizations made profound steps to employ women as their President or Mayor. The city of Oakland which made Jean Quan mayor seemed to be a keenly ceiling breaking advancement for women everywhere. NSBE which stands for National Society of Black Engineers whom just announce their ‘Chair’ Sossena Wood an African American woman. Within this essay discussion the pros and cons will be debated which will give a better insight and understanding to see if good or poor judgment was used during the elected person’s governance. I will also do a compare and contrast of appointments and work that was done by these two woman during their elected time.

By: Tunisia I.E. Al-Salahuddin

WOMEN EXECUTIVES AND THE C SUITE 1

Introduction

Two companies within the US and within the City of Oakland have made Ground breaking

advancement for the woman within the ‘C’ Suite. NSBE an organization that is developing

globally and has a chapter within Oakland California and other California Bay Area Regions has

employed a woman to be the company Chair. Sossena Wood was elected in 2013 as NSBE

national chairperson considering she is in a field which was once dominated by men. The

Engineering industry is a field or line of work that is at a higher pay rate and knowledge that

brought men in from all walks of life and nationalities to become Engineers.

Within the city of Oakland California Jean Quan was elected as mayor in in January 2011.

This was a revolutionary and ceiling breaking step for woman and also a ceiling breaking step

within the Asian community for woman as well. For both these woman Wood and Quan

challenges will come and have come that may have made them work harder to overcome the

difficulties or stereotyping of woman within the Chair, CEO and Mayor elected positions that

they are in. Jean Quan currently is not mayor but I will elaborate on the problems that she faced,

challenges that came about, and how her being placed within the mayor position helped break

open the glass ceiling. Sossena Wood is a new comer to a higher position within a nationally

recognized company and is currently the National Chair within NSBE. I will deliberate on what

plan of actions are being taken now to advance NSBE by Mrs. Wood and what problems she or

NSBE may have faced when it comes to women in the ‘C’ Suite.

Thesis Statement

Having a woman within a leadership position can bring upon diversity and understanding of

conditions and evolvement of the way society thinks.


Women Executives and the C Suite

The Ceiling Breaking Situation

It always takes a trail blazer to break open the glass ceiling within any organization, country,

or infrastructure to bring upon change. Woman have always been on the fore front within any

society or organization when it came to the development of women since 1850 to current.

Women have played a vital role in the advancement of other women and men. Having a woman

within a leadership position can bring upon diversity and understanding of conditions and

evolvement of the way society thinks. Joel Kranc the author of Diversity Bottom Line cited

within his book, “According to the Calvert Investments 2013 Diversity Report Examining the

Cracks in the Ceiling: A Survey of Corporate Diversity Practices of the S&P 100, a “leaky”

pipeline to management persists. For example, notes the report, women are often hired as

frequently as men, however, their representation in management roles decreases with each step

up the corporate ladder” (Kranc, 2014).

For woman to see the opportunity in the past and not be able to reach opportunity and

advancement is in the past. Ceilings are being broke all over the globe and diversity within

organizations have be incorporated within the frame work of many organizations for the

advancement and sustainability of the organization. Women have brought on a wave of new and

vital ideals for new innovation to take place and companies have found that counting a woman

out from being in the ‘C’ Suite would not be such a wise choice.

The Impact of Gender Diversity

Gender diversity means a lot to fortune 500 companies along with the mom and pop

companies of today. Being able to say that you are truly ready for the millennium means


diversity. Bring more woman into your infrastructure brings upon diverse minds and greater

opportunity. That old mind frame of racist and keeping woman in lower level within any

company can keep the company from rising a bit higher. A brain teaser or shall I say a way to

truly have a better understand how woman can make your company, organization, or

infrastructure advance is this, “Look at the state of the woman within the country and that will

tell you how high your country or organization will grow and develop.” Deplorable woman

deplorable company and country. Woman have been found to be strong, but also compassionate

enough to have some understanding of the importance of: Innovation, development,

advancement, and diversity mean choices. Herminia Ibarra the Harvard Business Review write

of, ‘Women Rising the Unseen Barriers’ wrote. “Becoming a leader involves much more than

being put in a leadership role, acquiring new skills, and adapting one’s style to the requirements

of that role. It involves a fundamental identity shift. Organizations inadvertently undermine this

process when they advise women to proactively seek leadership roles without also addressing

policies and practices that communicate a mismatch between how women are seen and the

qualities and experiences people tend to associate with leaders (HBR, 2013). The impact of

Woods and Quan within these higher positions creates a flow of diversity and brings on the

mindset that advancing woman can advance a company and a country.

When Jean Quan took office in 2011 I do not believe she knew the difficulties of being a

mayor of a major city that has such significate and controversial history. Oakland is a town

known for civil rights movements like the Black Panther Party, revolutionary changes within

diverse ethnic communities, and a string of politics that will make a mayor work for their check.

Many of the residence are look for an unbiased community leader that is not just one sided but


someone that could come in and face the challenges that come with the position and the city.

Was diversity Jean Quan’s issue? I would have to say no.

Woods is a new comer but is she a power house? In order to work in a position of

Engineering you must have knowledge and the correct power and by all means knowledge is

powerful. This was a big step for The National Society of Black Engineers which is a male

dominated industry. I do believe by her taking the chair seat it has created an interest for woman

of all nationalities whom may want to become Engineers. Where there is diversity there is hope

and opportunity along with an open door for advancement. Woods stated, “If you had told me

that I would have been the National Chairperson of a 29,000 member, student-managed

organization when I joined as a NSBE Jr. member, I would have laughed. Sarcastically my

answer would have been, “Sure and I can also be the President of the United States!” After the

2008 and 2012 elections, anything is possible! Profound words by Sossena Wood, but I would

say one thing at a time because you industry needs you more now than ever for the advancement

of woman of color within the engineering industry.

Laws that May Have Been Broken or Installed

Ex-Mayor Jean Quan

Laws Broken by Jean Quan –None

Laws, boards, or bill installed under election:

“On June 30, 2011, the US Department of Justice Civil Rights

Division filed a complaint in United States v. Alameda County (N.D. Cal.).

The complaint alleges that the Alameda County Registrar of Voters

(who administered Oakland's RCV Election) violated Section 203 of the

Voting Rights Act by having failed to provide effective access to the electoral


process for citizens speaking Spanish and Chinese who need language

assistance and translated materials and information to cast an informed ballot.

Only six weeks prior, the US Court of Appeals upheld Ranked Choice Voting

as an accepted procedure comparing it to plurality” (

Oakland Education Cabinet- This board or cabinet is a collaboration of schools and colleges

that focus on the educational needs of the youth and families within the City of Oakland.

Oakland's 100 Block Plan-

Operation Ceasefire program & restorative justice which was taken from Norman invasion of

Britain in 1066 A.D. This program works with the police and justice department to help

eliminate crime within the inner city of Oakland.

National Chair of NSBE Sossena Wood

NSBE Receives $225K Community Impact Award-

STEM-focused SEEK program launches in Englewood neighborhood

$10K Awarded to NSBE Jr. Member!

$50 million Google coding initiative targets girls

NSBE Partners With RECF to Create Robotics Teams

Profitability

The profitability of hiring a woman is substantial as long as they bring in the education,

knowledge, wisdom that is needed when growing a company. So far Sossena Wood along with

her board members have been able to get investors involved enough to listen and understand that

the African American community is make moves toward a newer millennium and going back to


the roots of which they came from of architectural design and development as well as

engineering within all educational levels. Mayor Quan was able to bring in aspects of stop the

violence and the creation of the educational cabinet that has reached out to educators all over to

help the inner city youth gear toward education and development by helping youth and adults

within their educational accomplishments.

Reputation

Sossena Wood- Good reputation thus far and doing well within her stated position. Bring an

illuminated agenda and path with her to NSBE. Good Black News stated, “We are committed to

reimagining our children’s futures.” Sossena Wood, a Ph.D. student in bioengineering at the

University of Pittsburgh, is NSBE’s national chair, the organization’s top-ranking officer” (GBN,

2015). Sossena seems to making good ground within her chair position.

Jean Quan- During her time as Mayor Mrs. Quan attempted to do some good with boards and

cabinets that she elected and sat on, but her reputation as a mayor was less than per the

community. Sarah Goodyear the writer for the 86 issue of the Oakland journal the Forefront

stated, “I’m going to be really frank. My personal opinion is that Quan is a major

disappointment.” (Goodyear, 2015). Jean Quan’s may have made many bad decisions and in

fact did not actually know the politics of the city this lack of knowledge cause her position to be

recalled. During Quan’s election there was still a large amount of African American’s and people

of ethnicity who were out of work. This is one of the changes that the people of Oakland where

looking for.


Growth

Within the position of Jean Quan the growth was not their due to the politics of the land and

by her not facing all the issues with the appropriate answers and measurements including bills

and legislation. Oakland has made great change within the city, but their where still issues that

needed to dealt with and the tax payers needed answers and mayor Quan had none. Within

Sossena Woods’ appointment there seems to be remarkable development and evolutionary

advancement for women and particularly women of color. Since her appointment grant funding,

and investors seem to be interested in NSBE relations on a regular and these professionals are

eager and willing to donate, along with volunteer to help a new group of young rising engineers

from the age of 40 and younger.

Competitiveness

Jean Quan does not have to compete for re-election since her last term ended in 2011 and

she does not seek re-election. Mrs. Quan did do well within her election by becoming mayor,

but their seems to be some struggle within her progress for creation of jobs however I do believe

that she had a diverse staff within her company and office that should of helped her be more

knowledgeable regarding the population of people and their needs. Sossena on the other hand is

in an entirely different position. The National Society of Black Engineers is a foundation that

helps the community similar but different because Jean Quan’s position was to enforce laws and

legislation that would uplift the people verses just a foundation or organization that focuses on

education.


(For Established Organizations)

3 Actions That Can Be Taken to Increase the Number of Qualified Women (Established)

Be Diverse

Encourage Education

Encourage Career Development

(Poor Performers)

3 Actions That Can Be Taken to Increase the Number of Qualified Women

Hire More Woman of Diverse Populations (Religion and Nationality)

Employ Culture Diversity Within the Work Place

Hire Qualified the Most Qualified and Educated

Conclusion

It is clearly evident that both these woman have made ground breaking advancement

within their careers and also have made ground breaking advancement for woman of diversity.

Mrs. Wood and Mrs. Quan both are pioneer women within their own right and by them stepping

up into a leadership position helps to break open the class ceiling. NSBE has shown the public

and each community that they develop in that they are diverse in every way and want the African

American community and people of diverse nationalities and races to take part in the evolution

and advancement of people through engineer science. Oakland’s past mayor Jean Quan did put

emphasizes on education and the importance of that and I believe that the people of Oakland

should remember that about her and utilize the ‘Education Cabinet’ that was installed by her

office. This should also be the ongoing focus and educational baby that Jean Quan works on

now and for the future to eliminate any bad vibe that the Oakland natives may have regarding her

period as mayor. I believe that if she works on that cabinet full heartedly it will be a success.


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