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8/29/04
MOTIVATION Even in the executive suite, men and women are motivated by different things. He's driven by personal concerns such as career development and professional or financial rewards. She's driven by the desire to increase communication, expand relationships in the workplace, or improve the quality and focus of customer service. Those findings are based on a series of surveys of men and women at five US companies. Conducted by ISR, an employee research firm in Chicago, the survey reveals that top women executives tend to be less focused on their own personal development and job and more on workplace relationships -- a factor that can affect their careers. ''These data suggest one reason why women still lag behind men in senior management in the United States is they tend to focus less than men on their advancement,'' said Kim Morris, ISR project director. ''They assume that focusing primarily on the health of the organization will result in recognition and promotions.'' One study, which examined the underlying factors affecting senior executives' commitment to work, focused on the top ''drivers'' or motivators for senior men and women. The survey of 2,157 men and 731 women found many of the women -- 14.3 percent -- saw relationships at work as the most significant factor in determining their level of commitment. By contrast, 9.5 percent of the women pointed to the quality of customer service as an important motivator, and 9.5 percent said communication between colleagues, higher ups, and employees was most important. A smaller number -- 4.8 percent -- said the kinds of tools available at work and working conditions could significantly impact commitment levels. In all, 19.4 percent of the men said career development is a key motivator. The males ranked rewards such as professional recognition or financial compensation as next in importance, with 9.7 percent selecting that as the most important driver. An additional 3.5 percent were concerned about their image on the job. In other words, their commitment is tied to how they are perceived. One unexpected finding: 6.5 percent of executive males now rank stress, balance, and workload as significant enough to impact their level of commitment at work. ''Female managers have had to address the family issue throughout their careers,'' said Morris. ''By the time they reach the senior executive ranks, many have mostly resolved this issue. For males, if their spouse has been patient while they worked hard to climb the corporate ladder, their spouses' patience may be wearing thin by the time they reach the top levels. Consequently, male senior executives may be, at this point in their careers, juggling stressors at home and in the office that were not present earlier.'' When Morris, in a separate study of 17,423 males and 14,522 females, looked at the factors driving the commitment of middle managers, she found that 9.5 percent of women managers pointed to stress, balance, and workload as having a big impact on their commitment to the job. The reason: Many were still in their childbearing years. In addition, female middle managers seemed more concerned about empowerment (23.8 percent), getting the right kind of supervision (19 percent), and career development (9.5 percent). By contrast, 27.5 percent of the male middle managers were focused on leadership and saw it as a key commitment driver, and 17.5 percent were focused on rewards. Fifteen percent pointed to image or how they are perceived as having an impact on how committed they are to the job. Five percent mentioned job security. The differences between men and women executives don't stop there. Another ISR survey of 13,486 men and 5,146 women from companies here and abroad reveals that female senior executives tend to be more pessimistic than their male counterparts about management decisions. ''Female senior managers hold less favorable views than their male counterparts regarding receipt of sufficient information to understand company strategic plans and direction,'' said the report. For example, 75 percent of the men responded favorably when asked whether management has provided a clear sense of direction. Only 62 percent of the women agreed. In addition, 74 percent of the men felt they were sufficiently informed about their company's plans. Just 64 percent of the women agreed. And, while 82 percent of the men felt management's decisions were fair, just 68 percent of the women said so. Said Morris: ''I suspect that some of the negativity of female senior leaders stems from their sense of exclusion and lack of empowerment relative to their male peers.''
OUTSOURCING Foreign workers have better skills than their American counterparts, according to a survey by the Earth Institute at Columbia University in New York. Of the 45 companies surveyed, a majority said that after they shipped work abroad the quality of the product improved. They also said foreign workers doing the work have better skills than Americans. The institute reported that 82 percent of the companies currently outsource jobs, and 70 percent said production of the business processes they outsourced abroad is up 5 to 25 percent. Sixty-two percent are looking to outsource business processes to countries other than India, the report said. ''Companies, including offshore pioneers such as General Electric, Nortel Networks and Citibank, found that actual cost savings, which remain the primary reason for outsourcing, were achieved by 67 percent of the companies to the tune of 5 to 50 percent,'' said the report. The companies represented a broad cross-section of industry, from automotive and banking to government, healthcare, financial, and computer services. The report said manufacturing and other blue-collar jobs would continue to be eliminated in the United States because of outsourcing or automation. It also said the trend of sending some higher-paying jobs abroad would continue and noted a key reason is lack of appropriate skills in the United States. Labor groups, however, have long argued that employers are looking for cheaper labor and would rather not pay for healthcare, safety measures, job security, and other benefits. Despite what appeared to be a positive report from employers, there was a downside. ''The main downside to outsourcing perceived by American businesses is loss of institutional knowledge, data security, loss of intellectual property rights, and political risks,'' the report said. --DIANE E. LEWIS
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