Women in the workplace: making progress in Corporate America.

• Author: Landon, Susan

The "glass ceiling" is developing cracks as senior levels of management are becoming less male-dominated.

Have women made it into the corner office? As America moves through the 1990s into the 21st century, are women finally represented at all levels of management on the corporate ladder? These are issues that I frequently discuss with female candidates as well as human resource executives who want to explore the roles women are playing in management.

In today's marketplace, more and more companies are interested in recruiting and promoting women into senior management positions, offering them the opportunity to work their way into the executive suites of corporations across the U.S. Women are succeeding not only in positions and industries traditionally considered appropriate for them, but in areas that historically have been male-dominated, such as manufacturing, engineering, and financial services.

According to the 1994 Catalyst Census of female board members of the Fortune 500, for the first time, more than half of the firms surveyed have at least one woman on their corporate board of directors. In a single year, there was an increase of 11% in the total number of Fortune 500/Service 500 companies with female directors, from 526 in 1993 to 583 in 1994.

There are several reasons why women are being sought for senior management roles. Probably the most significant is that they represent a large and previously untapped pool of talent, particularly at senior levels. Companies striving to strengthen their teams to remain competitive in today's marketplace recognize that including women adds a new source of talent and another dimension to the management group.

Moreover, because of the inherent differences between males and females, a woman brings alternative perspectives to the table. The result is a competitive advantage for the company with a diverse management team, which is viewed as positive in part because of the customer and client bases. Women account for 80% of all consumer spending in the U.S. They buy cars and stocks and make a lot of the family buying decisions. Thus, their input in the executive suite is critical as well.

Nevertheless, while women are getting ahead on their own, there still are some issues that impede their progress--and there are no simple or clear-cut solutions. A major impediment to progress at senior executive levels is the difficulty of balancing career and family. That remains one of the most difficult issues facing women seeking to climb to the top of the corporate ladder. Without...