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Gender Diversity Benchmark for Asia - China, India, Japan and Singapore

Kate VernonActing CEO, Community Business

June 2009, Tokyo

Women in the Workplace – A Leaking Pipeline?

Agenda

• Introduction• Gender Diversity Benchmark for Asia

• Background• Part 1: What Successful Women Say• Part 2: What the Numbers Tell Us• Observations and Recommendations

• Concluding Remarks

• A unique non-profit organisation, working with member companies in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

• Key focus areas:

CSR Strategy Diversity in the Workplace

Work-Life BalanceCorporate CommunityInvestment

Introduction to Community Business

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Some of Our Member Companies

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Diversity & Inclusion Work in Asia

Advice & Training

Customised training and advice

Events

Subject focused talks, ie LGBT, women, disability

Research

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Diversity & Inclusion in Asia Network (DIAN)

• Launched in 2008• Meets 3 times a year - different

country in Asia• Country focus:

• China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea and Singapore

• Objectives• Network

• Learn best practice

• Progress diversity in Asia

• 2008: Gender Diversity Benchmark for Asia

Members:

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The Gender Diversity Benchmark for Asia

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Background

• First benchmark of its kind in Asia• Initiative of DIAN member companies, who understand:

• full participation of women in the workplace is essential for business growth

• value of tracking performance against other best practice companies in the region

• Jointly developed by DIAN and Community Business• Advice sought from overseas experts in terms of methodology• 11 of 13 network members participated• Sponsored by:

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Participating Companies

• 11 Participating Companies

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Research Objectives

1. Enable companies to compare their own performance• across key geographies in Asia• with other leading multinational companies

operating in these countries

2. Assist companies in identifying what is working and what other measures need to be taken to further women in workplace in Asia

3. Develop a benchmark for the region that can track progress over time

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Research Methodology

• Components of the research:• Qualitative information through interviews• Quantitative information through data tracking

• Scope of research:• China, India, Japan and Singapore

• Research team:• Shalini Mahtani and team at Community Business• Dr Anne Marie Francesco, Hong Kong Baptist

University

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Part I: What Successful Women in Asia Say

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21 Women Leaders Interviewed

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Interview with Women Leaders

• Each company invited to nominate 2 women from each country

• Criteria• Senior management and widely respected• Based in the country with a good understanding of local

issues

• 60 minute telephone interview

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Profile Information

• Age• Average 44.7, ranged from 34 to 56

• Marital Status • 3 Single, 16 Married, 2 Divorced

• Children• No Children – 8• One Child – 3• Two Children – 8• Three Children - 2

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Factors Contributing to Success

Personal lives• Come from working or middle class families - strong

work ethic with focus on education• Involved in extra curricular activities• Opportunities to study and/or work abroad• Received support from parents, extended family

members, teachers and bosses*• Willing to work hard• Not afraid to take chances

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Factors Contributing to Success

Personal characteristics • Optimistic, positive thinkers• Curious, inquisitive• Open to new ideas, willing to take risks • People oriented, team players• Very focused, reliable, able to get things done• Good communicators• Passionate• Honest and have integrity

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External factors• Family support*• Mentors/bosses • Support from colleagues, friends and clients• Good opportunities from current/past organisations • Support organisational policies or performance

related cultures where gender was not a barrier• Economic growth - China and India

Factors Contributing to Success

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Challenges

Challenges in reaching current position

• Wary of saying challenges related to being female• Many were gender related

• Perception of bias: women holding jobs to fill quota• Men were uncomfortable with women leaders or initially

judged as incapable as not the norm• Need to work harder and longer to get recognition• Work-life balance: long hours, late night calls, travel• Sacrificing time with families• Finding the right style: aggressive vs. assertive

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Challenges

Challenges in current role• Similar to challenges mentioned earlier - many gender related• Other challenges

• Being removed from ‘day to day’ operations• Gaining visibility – need to make oneself seen and heard• Finding right executive sponsor in firm as advocate• Career development and planning for next job• Beauty and youth

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Women’s Contribution to Business

• Positive• More open, inclusive, collaborative• More sensitive, friendly and team-spirited• More practical, less political, more detail oriented, • Better in conflict situations• Gender diversity is better for business. Women

leaders understand:• Perspectives of female staff• Needs of female consumers

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Empowering Others

Role of companies in increasing women at the top• Management accountability: gender metrics, gender ratios• Appraisal process: review to ensure no gender bias• Pipeline of high potential women: give them visibility• Break down barriers: provide flexibility, on and off ramp• Equal opportunities: offer women “stretch jobs”, gender sensitivity

training• Forums for women to develop

• Women's networks• Informal/formal sharing• Mentoring

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Empowering Others

What women leaders can do to empower other women • Proactively give women opportunities• Act as mentors, role models

• Share experiences*• Build self-confidence

• Advocate for women in the workplace

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Favourability of Each Country for Women

Positive• Dynamic and exciting place to

work• Demand for talent and many

opportunities• Good female role models,

respected image• Affordable domestic help

Negative• Lingering effects of chauvinism• Cultural expectation of women

playing primary role in taking care of family and home

• Air quality• Availability of healthcare• Safety issues

CHINA

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Favourability of Each Country for Women

Positive• Major economic growth,

many opportunities• Have seen women in senior

positions, creating positive role models

• Extended families and affordable domestic help

Negative• Evolving culture of diversity

and equality for women• Certain amount of chauvinism• Families not always

supportive – may want females at home or to put own career second to husband’s

INDIA

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Favourability of Each Country for Women

Positive• More government and

corporate focus on women• More opportunities for

women than before • Very safe, clean, efficient• Because so few women at

the top - will stand out!

Negative• Male-oriented culture• Difficult to gain acceptance

from men because so few women managers

• Lack of understanding/support for pregnant women

• Difficult to get childcare

JAPAN

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Favourability of Each Country for Women

Positive• Supportive climate for working

mothers • Many senior female role models• Business networking more

sensitive to women’s interests • Easy place to manage a family as

small and everything is close by• More women in workforce• Good education infrastructure• Safe

Negative• Long working hours

SINGAPORE

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Part II: What the Numbers Tell Us

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Collection of Data

• Data template sent out to participating companies• Total number of employees• % of women in junior level positions• % of women in middle level positions• % of women in senior level positions

• Definitions determined by company – not a universally agreed definition

• Companies were asked to submit data with year end of 31 December 2007 or as close as possible

• Different companies, different industries, different sizes – all have a significant impact on the percentages presented

• Due to confidentiality, name of companies removed from data

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Number of Companies Providing Data in Each Country

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Percentage of Women in Total Workforce

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Tracking Women in the Workplace at Different Levels

Junior Level

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Middle Level

Tracking Women in the Workplace at Different Levels

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Senior Level

Tracking Women in the Workplace at Different Levels

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Observations and Recommendations

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General Observations

• Leaking pipeline - number of women lessens as positions increase in seniority • Similar pattern of female employment in all 4 countries• Situation less severe in Singapore and China than India and

Japan• India does the worst

• Interviews provide insight into why• Negative perceptions of women create challenges for them

to advance• Difficult to maintain work-life balance• Similar to North America and Europe

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Observations Unique to Women in Asia

• Positive• Economic developments (China, India)• Affordable domestic help (China, India, Singapore)• Help from extended families

• Negative• Asian women may face more gender discrimination due to

more traditional attitudes• Gender diversity evolving issue• Family plays a very big role in the decisions of individual

women

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Recommendations – Organisational Level

Companies can:• Implement global diversity policies in Asia• Make leadership accountable for gender diversity• Track gender diversity ratios in Asia • Benchmark gender diversity numbers and practices

against other best practice companies• Focus on flexibility, visibility, providing access to

leadership, women’s networks, mentoring• Factor in the role of parents and extended families

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Recommendations – Individual Level

Women leaders can:• Play a key role in development of future women

leaders• Create formal and informal programmes to

encourage dialogue• Act as champions of gender diversity

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Concluding Remarks

• Women leaders – and the companies where they work – have done a great deal to promote gender diversity in Asia

• However, as numbers show, there is indeed a “leaking pipeline” with very few women in senior positions

• Need to work harder to achieve true gender diversity• Benchmarking is a critical step in this process• Commend DIAN for their openness and commitment• Our hope that this gender diversity benchmark will

evolve over time

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Thank You

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Disclaimer:All information provided in this document is intended for discussion purposes only, and is not in the nature of advice. Community Business Limited reserves the right to make alterations to any of its documents without notice. All rights reserved. Community Business Limited ©2009.