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CHAPTER 11: DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP DIVERSITY 331

Exhibit 11.1 Primary Domestic Responsibilities of High-Achieving Men and Women

Take time off work for 9%
child sickness 51%
9%
Help with homework
37%
3%
Organize activities for children
61%
7%
Shop for groceries
51%
9%
Prepare meals
50%
5%
Clean the house
45%
Percentage: 0% 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100%
Men Women

Source: National Parenting Association, as reported in Sylvia Ann Hewlett, “Executive Women and the Myth of Having It All,” Harvard Business
Review (April 2002), pp. 66–73.

Most top-level corporate cultures have evolved around white, heterosexual,
American males, who tend to hire and promote people who look, act, and think
like them. Many organizations were originally created by and for men, and the
prevailing work practices and patterns of social interaction tend to privilege
men and disadvantage women, often in subtle ways. One study supports the idea
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that in organizations with strong male hierarchies, women are less likely than
men to advance to higher-level positions. In addition, women are more likely to
advance if they demonstrate traits associated with masculinity, such as assertive-
ness, achievement-orientation, and focus on material success. Compatibility in
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thought and behavior plays an important role at higher levels of organizations.
Among women who have managed to break through the glass ceiling, fully 96
percent said adapting to a predominantly white male culture was necessary for
their success. 32

The Opportunity Gap In some cases, people fail to advance to higher levels in
organizations because they don’t have the necessary education and skills. A fi nal
challenge is the lack of opportunities for many minorities to obtain the same level
of education as white, American-born individuals. Only 62 percent of Hispanics,
the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population, complete high school. Both
African-Americans and Hispanics lag behind whites in college attendance, and
only 10 percent of adults with disabilities have graduated from college. Eric
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Adolphe, president and CEO of Optimus Corporation, who managed to stay
in college because of a scholarship from the National Association Council for
Minorities in Engineering, recalls many of the kids he grew up with in New York
City: “There are a lot of people more gifted than myself who never made it—not
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because of their lack of ability, but because of their lack of opportunity.” Some
companies and leaders are taking the lead to ensure that minorities get the educa-
tion, skills, and opportunities they need to participate fully in today’s economy.
Consider the example of Ernst & Young.