women share similar characteristics. They have a tremendous passion for their jobs and embrace the hard work required to reach the top. In addition, they are courageous in taking on challenges and are dedicated to their work. In their opinion, they attributed their success to their constant performance above and beyond what is expected. Therefore, this portion of the survey indicates that women who are willing to invest their talent and time into their work will be able to reach the top echelon of the corporation.
Carleton Fiorina who became the head of Hewlett-Packard -- the first woman to lead one of the thirty companies in the Dow Jones industrial average -- has demonstrated the fact that it is possible for a woman to acquire the top position. According to Fiorina, the concept of a glass ceiling is an excuse for people who claim to be victims of discrimination because they have not progressed in their careers. She further asserts that her career has advanced so far because she has never succumbed to the beliefs of gender discrimination.
However, contrary to Fiorina's statements and her success, research studies have offered a different overall picture. According to these studies, although women have made significant progress in management positions, only few women have reached the top echelons of their companies. A study conducted by Jodi S. Goodman, assistant professor of organizational behavior at Purdue University, showed that the number of women in management positions has risen from 18.5 percent in 1970 to more than 40 percent currently. However, only three to five percent of the women are top managers. In another survey conducted in 1997, women have made excellent progress in getting on the boards of directors. In the "Fortune" 500 companies, the number of women board members almost doubled between 1987 and 1997 from 42.6 to 81.2 percent. However, during the same period, the number of CEOs remained the same at a ...