Give Life a Positive SpinCulture & Education | February 28, 2012
The way we think triggers our attitude toward life. Study...
The attitude of Indian women today is no longer as it was previously perceived – submissive, nurturing, obedient and emotional: but today’s working women are just as aggressive and ambitious as men[ii]. They recognize their talents and understand their rights. The number of dual income families and single working mothers has increased over the years.
Change in the family structure means that there are fewer men and women in traditional family roles – indicating the breakdown of gender silos. In modern India, women have the largest influence in decision making process of every purchase. Thus, it becomes imperative for organizations to employ women in order to understand the psyche of the target audience. Understanding the need of the hour, organizations worldwide have started focusing on gender diversity. As the first step, organizations are recognizing the importance of accepting the culture of diversity before putting in systems and policies to promote it.
Organizations like IBM have acknowledged diversity as a strategic imperative and created special task forces to ensure that diversity is well accepted and encouraged in the organization[iii]. Innovative forums like Women In Learning and Leadership (WILL) actively engage women to foster a deeper understanding of gender and its intersections with race, culture, class, sexuality, and other aspects of social identity. WILL provides leadership experience, encouragement, and opportunity for development of critical and analytical skills in women.
Leading names are forging the way forward. The McKinsey Leadership Project is an initiative by McKinsey to help professional women to learn what drives and sustains successful female leaders[iv]. Organizations like Pepsico, Xerox and many more have published their diversity statements focusing on top leaders’ commitment to promoting and monitoring diversity. Mahindra, too, has been in the news for its commitment to diversity. A recent article in the Economic Times noted the view of Prince Augustin, EVP of Human Capital in the Automotive & Farm Equipment Sector at Mahindra & Mahindra, that “Diverse teams are propellers of a sort.”[v]
M&M has earned the reputation of being an equal opportunity employer through its constant effort towards ensuring a conducive work environment for all employees. A dedicated team working towards diversity, tracking diversity through scorecards and implementing strategies to improve the score is testament to the rigor and commitment by senior leadership towards a diverse workplace.
Improving gender diversity will not only help increase creativity and productivity but will also help improve the morale and confidence of current female employees. The importance of communication cannot be ignored: diversity will be a success only if there is sufficient communication and a real effort towards accepting gender diversity at work.
About the author:
Namrata Gill is the General Manager of Organization Development and Talent Management for the Mahindra & Mahindra Automotive and Farm Equipment Sectors. Namrata has spent the majority of her career in the fields of Human Resources and Talent Management, and she has been a strong advocate and voice for gender equality within Mahindra &Mahindra and the other companies for which she has worked. For further comments or questions, please comment below or email Namrata at: GILL.NAMRATA@mahindra.com.
[i] HR considerations in entering Asian Labour Market – CLC study
[ii]Article - Gender behaviours in corporate India
[iii] HBR – Diversity as a strategy
[iv] Centered leadership: How talented women thrive – McKinsey Quarterly
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