Communications and Media

Most occupations that were traditionally reserved for men have been opened up for females with that result that the workplace has become gender insensitive. For the feminist movement, this development has been viewed as a positive change in their crusade to achieve equality. However, wage disparities for similar jobs and glass ceilings still prevent many females from earning as much as their male counterparts or getting promoted to the top post (Pinker, 2008). Institutionalized practices that discriminate against women and entrenched beliefs among both male and female workers conspire to frustrate qualified women from taking over male dominated positions like CEOs. Whereas the capability of women to rise to the top of their organizations is not in doubt, their physiological, psychological and biological makeup is unsuited to the high octane, stressful lives that characterize some male management positions.

Reliability
Some of the arguments advanced against promoting women to senior management positions are that they tend to be unreliable when it comes to attending to work emergencies and urgent travel arrangements ( HYPERLINK httpsearch.apa.orgsearchqueryfacetallcontributorsWatt,20Helen20M.20G. Watt  HYPERLINK httpsearch.apa.orgsearchqueryfacetallcontributorsEccles,20Jacquelynne20S.  Eccles, 2008). Because of their family duties and nurturing roles, women may find it inconvenient to leave the home abruptly and attend to business matters. In other instances, their children may place extra demands on their time while work related issues remain unresolved due to lack of leadership.
Responsibility for taking care of the family has traditionally been  vested with the woman and for most men, leaving the house to attend to business matters or travel abroad on  an urgent trip is not as disruptive as it is for their wives (Silicon Valley Blogger, 2007). For single mothers, the prospect of leaving the home at a moments notice becomes problematic especially as relates to who will manage the affairs of her children in her absence.  Unmarried women with no children are less constrained with regard to their obligation to serve the organization. It is easier for them to pack their bags and fly off to meet clients at short notice. However, there are concerns about sending unaccompanied women to unfamiliar locations to meet virtual strangers. For these reasons, management boards at times refrain from promoting or hiring women to certain positions.

Relocation
Promoting women to new positions may come with the challenge of relocating the person to a different work station. Heads of corporations or regional managers are expected to have their offices at the organizations headquarters or regional centers.  The domestic disturbance a woman is likely to face while trying to relocate makes the prospect of transferring her unrealistic (Wollstonecraft, 2004). Such transfers may require that she uproots her children from the schools they are attending or leave them behind with the father. Finding schools for them in the new station can be problematic especially if the transfer takes effect in the middle of the year.

The woman has got to deal with concerns that her spouse may have about her promotion and differences could arise with regard to her taking up the post. Relocating against her husbands wishes could precipitate marital problems and concerns about the childrens welfare (Wollstonecraft, 2004). For a man, the decision to relocate is easier since he can leave the family with his wife to take good care of. This situation is not easy when the man has to be left with young children and still go to work on a daily basis. Unattached women can be transferred at will since they have fewer domestic responsibilities. The challenge for them lies in starting a new life and making friends without being misunderstood by male colleagues.

Decisiveness
Studies have shown that women rely more the side of their brain that corresponds with emotion as opposed to men who depend on that side of the brain associated with visual things (Feldhahn, 2009).  These findings confirm the perception that women are emotional beings and respond to various stimuli in an emotional manner. Important decisions in an organization require a sober assessment and decisive action. Indecisiveness could make the difference between success and failure and because women are perceived to be indecisive when making hard decisions, most boards of directors pass them over for promotion.

Cultural issues
In some cultures it is taboo for women to interact freely with men or get involved in negotiations with them ( HYPERLINK httpsearch.apa.orgsearchqueryfacetallcontributorsWatt,20Helen20M.20G. Watt  HYPERLINK httpsearch.apa.orgsearchqueryfacetallcontributorsEccles,20Jacquelynne20S.  Eccles, 2008). Islamic traditions prohibit a woman from appearing without the tradition headdress in the company of men. Appointing women to top positions that may require their attendance at meetings with such clients becomes difficult and rather than create a dilemma, appointing authorities prefer to give the positions to men.

Women play a submissive role in a number of Asiatic countries and the prospect of a woman heading an organization with such beliefs is highly unlikely ( HYPERLINK httpsearch.apa.orgsearchqueryfacetallcontributorsWatt,20Helen20M.20G. Watt  HYPERLINK httpsearch.apa.orgsearchqueryfacetallcontributorsEccles,20Jacquelynne20S.  Eccles, 2008). Foreign based companies from nations that subscribe to this practice may employ women to managerial positions but irrespective of their qualifications, top positions will be reserved for men.  This is because top managers from the home countries will not countenance being ordered around by a female.

Social issues
Networking is an important aspect for any organization and top management bond with one another at social events in a bid to further their goals.  It is during their bonding sessions that many mega deals are mooted and initiated (Feldhahn, 2009).  In a male dominated profession, it will be awkward for a woman to stay up late drinking and socializing with other CEOs when her family awaits her at home. Even for the unattached females, the prospect of a single woman in the company of male colleagues late at night or at exclusive clubs may create the wrong impression.

Gender Ambitions
Susan Pinker in her book, The Sexual Paradox argues that contrary to popular belief, women are not interested in the highly competitive lifestyles that characterize corporate management (Pinker, 2008). She posits that women have different ambitions from men and are disinclined from vying for the top positions since their interests lie elsewhere. Other authors provide evidence that corroborates this view and shows that a number of high flying female executives have quit their jobs to take up other pursuits with lower pay and less perks (Stone, P. (2007).  By suggesting that womens priorities in life lay elsewhere, Pinker makes a tacit admission that some careers are suited for the male species.

Conclusion
Equal wages for both genders in similar jobs is an ideal situation granted that women have the same if not better qualifications than their male counterparts. However, the subtle and not so subtle gender differences that exist preclude women from assuming all male dominated positions.  This situation is unlikely to change given the cultural, physiological and psychological characteristics of each gender.