Women do better, CIMA says

Amid all the talk of boardroom and senior management diversity, there's a nagging worry: does it matter to the economic health of the business? Would women do any better than men in leading economic enterprises? The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants has produced a report with the conclusion that it does matter, at least for the accountants. Female members of CIMA are six times more likely than men to reach the post of CEO, CFO or similar senior titles. This might, of course, be a circular argument. The pressure to have more women creates more jobs for senior women, and in a profession that is wildly disproportionately male, scarcity of female candidates drives up profession success. But CIMA found other link to support its case:

• Results: Having more women in senior roles is linked to stronger financial performance.
  
• Advantage: Women leaders work in different ways from men and can bring real competitive advantage to business.

Women still lag behind men in terms of seniority and salary, and the salary gap widens significantly after 10 years' work experience. "Employers can help by encouraging mentoring, offering flexible working practices, and actively developing female staff," it concludes.

Source document: The CIMA report "Breaking glass: Strategies for tomorrow’s leaders" is a 28-page pdf file.