Report on Representation and Development of women for Top Leadership Roles in the New Zealand Public Service 2011

Report on Representation and Development of women for Top Leadership Roles in the New Zealand Public Service

Anne Fitzpatrick

Institute of Policy Studies

Working Paper 11/11

December 2011

http://ips.ac.nz/publications/files/ec103aea3ca.pdf

Of 36 OECD countries, in 2003, NZ had the 4^th highest representation of women in senior management with 31% of such positions held by women. (Less than 1 woman for every man.)

NZ Public service has 40% of senior management positions held by women in 2010. The proportion of women in public service chief executive roles averaged 23% per year for the years 2001 to 2006. However it has declined from a high of 26% (9 out of 35) in 2005 to 14% (5 out of 35) in late 2010.

Views of the 9 people interviewed (6 male, 3 female) as to why women do not apply or are not chosen for chief executive roles are:

Senior women are seen to perform at least as well than their male counterparts

Lack of female role models

Women were considered less likely to present a convincing interview

Women were seen as less likely to have relevant experience

Women were seen as less likely to actively manage and promote their career

-       Women need to realise their leadership potential.

-       Women are less inclined to display the confidence that their abilities warrant

Mkinsey (Desavaux et al, 2008) found that companies with senior level women tend to perform higher than those without.

For women to have an impact at the top decision making levels then womens’ involvement must be at least 30%.

Kilian et al (2005) found that” the most common barrier to minority advancement include steriotypes about roles an abilities, scarcity of mentors and personal networks, lack of significant line experience and visible assignments and, particularly for women, family responsibilities.

Sticky floors  - self defeating and unrecognized beliefs, assumptions and behaviors that hold women back from achieving their career goals or advancing to leadership positions.

Many women express or hold conflicting views about senior roles.

Women are less likely than men to apply for a promotion, even though their performance overall exceeded that of their male  – women only apply when they meet 100% of the criteria. Men would apply when they met as little as 60%.

Women were 27% of business leaders in 2009.

Women holding senior management roles were at 39.8%.

The Advanced Leadership programme offered by the State Services Commisioner for developing senior public servants for top leadership roles now has 48% (35) female participants.

26% of public servants managers aspired to a chief executive position (men and women in even numbers)

Women are more inclined to view leadership roles in a negative light. (as having a negative impact on ones personal life, lifestyle, and publicly.)

Women are more likely to see head roles as unnatractive as they increase in public exposure and personal risk.