Beyond Glass Ceilings and Brick Walls - International Labour ...

undertaken for the purpose of pinpoint the present status of women in
management so as to identify the opportunities and constraints faced by
women. Based on the review of issues done in the first two sections and
the case studies, recommendations are made to adopt changes in the
organizational structure and functions to bring about greater gender equity
in order to ensure more effective management.
Gender roles are socially defined and perpetuated by the various social
institutions that socialize people into gender role stereotypes. Gender roles
are explained using gender identity (Kohlberg, 1966) and also by social learning
theory (Mischel, 1970). Women are not a homogeneous group; gender roles
vary with social class, social values and practices; they are not static and
can be changed. The low representation of women in management positions
is due to many social and economic reasons (ILO 2001). The situation may
be rectified by studying the situation in Sri Lanka more closely, and examining
how the low participation of women in senior management positions affects
organizations and society at large.
II Managing Organizations Effectively
The future of organizational management has to take cognizance of both
current trends and real changes taking place in the labour market. Organizations
that adapt and adjust to these trends will be more successful in a competitive
economic environment. Further it requires, a shift in philosophy if
organizations are to survive and maintains a competitive edge. Strategic
management is being introduced as the tool for efficiency in organizational
management. In both the trends as well as the new approaches to
management, there are important implications for gender relations and policy
which need to be examined closely.
Managing organizations, businesses or companies requires the application
of modern know-how. It calls for knowledge, technology and effective
leadership to guide decision-making so that the organization retains a
competitive edge and reaches its goals.
John Naisbitt in his book Megatrends identified ten major changes that
were underway over two decades ago, that had a major bearing in the
manner in which organizations should manage themselves to be effective
(Naisbitt and Aburdene, 1985). These major trends have changed the
world significantly and organizations have had to take cognizance of
them to remain in business. These trends are relevant to companies and
organizations in the developing world too. They are:
i. The shift in strategic resources from an individual to an information
society. In an industrial society the strategic resource is capital, whereas
in an information society the key resource has shifted to information,
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