CEO attitudes toward women managers in corporate Mauritius

Abstract

A nationwide survey of Mauritian organisations and their managers disclosed the degree of representation of women in managerial ranks, and explored top management attitudes regarding women‐in‐management issues. Analysis revealed that, although only minimal stereotyping of women as managers was openly expressed by senior managers, few measures for the deliberate inclusion and advancement of women into management were identified. Mauritius represents a developmental paradox, being somewhat isolated from the “highly industrialised” world and its advancements in equal opportunity and positive action movements, but also from less developed countries’ close and long‐term associations with aid agencies, which largely include gender mainstreaming programmes. The survey uncovered politically correct women‐manager‐friendly responses in corporate Mauritius, but practically no affirmative action of any sort. Implications include the consideration of the presence of “helpful” agencies in newly industrialising countries, and for a radical increase in multilateral interactions, lest such successful small economies be transformed into victims of their own success.

How Focused are the World’s Top-Rated Business Schools on Educating Women for Global Management?

“…Notably also, only 3.4% of the FTSE 100 women directors were in executive positions, and there has been almost no change in the percentage of female senior level executives over the last decade (Cranfield University, 2006). The picture, not surprisingly, is no different in developing countries (Ogenyi and Ogenyi, 2004;Ramgutty-Wong, 2000;Turner and O'Connor, 1994), for example, women account for only 5% of senior managerial positions in the private sector in Mauritius (Ramgutty-Wong, 2000).…”

Board Composition and Financial Performance: Uncovering the Effects of Diversity in an Emerging Economy

“…refer to RamguttyWong 2000;Thanacoody et al 2006). For instance, in her study of CEO attitudes towards women managers, Ramgutty-Wong (2000) speaks of a paradoxical co-existence between a Westernized notion of economic development and an under-development of actual measures to foster the progress of women to the higher echelons of the public and private sector. In our opinion, these economic and societal features are different from the contexts in which previous board diversity studies were carried out and are illustrative of the context of many other developing nations.…”

Career progression among female academics

“…This paper explores the factors associated with female academic career progression in an Australian and Mauritian context within an academic setting. Recent work by Ramgutty-Wong (2000) and Day-Hookoomsing (2002) studied Mauritian organisations and the representation of women in managerial ranks. In Mauritius there is legislative prohibition against discrimination on the basis of gender, however, there are few sexual harassment or affirmative action policies in organisations (Ramgutty-Wong, 2000).…”

“…Recent work by Ramgutty-Wong (2000) and Day-Hookoomsing (2002) studied Mauritian organisations and the representation of women in managerial ranks. In Mauritius there is legislative prohibition against discrimination on the basis of gender, however, there are few sexual harassment or affirmative action policies in organisations (Ramgutty-Wong, 2000). Ramgutty-Wong (2000) suggests that the economic development of Mauritius is comparable to the West, but co-exists with an extraordinary backwardness with regard to: necessary measures to develop women for top managerial roles, valuing women's contribution at work and in management and the development of a societal culture that supports women who want to strike a balance between work and family.…”