The Cornell Daily Sun, April 1, 2008, Tuesday

The Cornell Daily Sun

April 1, 2008, Tuesday

The Cornell Daily Sun

The Glass Ceiling

At a time when the dynamics of American politics are changing, some of the age-old issues affecting the American political climate remain the same. Take the Democratic presidential campaign: Barack Obama, an African-American, and Hilary Clinton, a woman, are both vying for the party nomination. Despite their credentials, though, both candidates have had to face larger issues encompassing gender, race and diversity in the United States.

Likewise, on the corporate level, we find a similar concern surrounding gender and diversity. While many women find themselves rising to middle-management positions within companies, there seems to be a barrier that limits women from reaching the top of the corporate ladder. According to Dr. Francine Moccio, director of the Institute for Women and Work, “Although we have come a long way, there is still a tremendous glass ceiling for women in work. We still have a long way to go.”

The unequal distribution of women holding executive positions in the work force could not only hurt the company culture, but also degrade the value of diversity. If fewer women can crack the corporate structure, there will remain a void of diversity in American business. Because diversity in executive offices is a positive externality of social equality, Moccio views the promotion of corporate diversity as a profitable business strategy. Thus, the more women in leadership roles, the more points of view there will be on a particular matter and the better off corporations will be.

There is an overall consensus that companies should embrace the differences in gender and diversity that can benefit business. However, while Prof. Jack Goncalo realizes the need for diverse opinions on an executive board, he also notes that tension may inevitably arise. “It [diversity] can simultaneously increase conflict and lower cohesion if not properly supervised,” Goncalo said.

Diverse or not, any social group needs work to achieve cohesion and limit internal conflict. That work should never deter us from aspiring to live in a more equitable and free society.

Thankfully, Cornell offers a number of programs and opportunities designed to increase diversity within the University and in the work force. There are numerous leadership roles available to women on campus, from interest clubs to sports teams to sororities and in the job market. Cornell’s Society of Women in Business works to help women pursue and prepare for leadership roles now and in the future. The society’s co-president, Meredith Nethery, even emphasized to The Sun the importance of stepping outside your comfort zone at an early stage in college and using that adaptability as a weapon after graduation and in the work force.

We are proud that Cornell can take such an active role in promoting diversity in this country. The United States will find some of its future leaders right here on the Hill, making it all the more important for Cornell to educate its students to change this country for the better. Along with the University, though, it is the students themselves who must make an effort to change the unequal distribution of women in upper level management, to work for a change that we so desperately need. With Cornell’s resources and the spirit of the student body, perhaps the time has come for a new look in corporate America.