Women in the C-Suite. Business Celebrities and Gender

This paper deals with the question why there are so few women in leadership positions with the S&P 500 and what the implications thereupon are. I identified two umbrella terms, which are on the one hand self-effacement of women to aim that high
out of personal reasons, and on the other hand a pipeline that is blocked with men and hinders women from climbing the ladder. With these as foundation, I will then examine the phenomenon of the celebrity CEO and women in the spotlight. The focus of the
second main chapter will lie on two case studies, based on the former findings, and for this purpose I will elaborate on Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, and Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• 1 Introduction
• 2 Cultural and Societal Implications of Women in the C-Suite
  • 2.1 Self-Effacement: The Emergence of a Leadership Ambition Gap
  • 2.2 Unblocking the Pipeline
• 3 Women in the C-Suite
  • 3.1 Female Celebrities of the Economic Sphere
  • 3.2 Sheryl Sandberg
  • 3.3 Marissa Mayer
• 4 Conclusion
• 5 Bibliography

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper investigates the lack of women in leadership positions within the S&P 500 and the implications thereof. It explores the idea of self-effacement among women as a reason for limited ambition and examines the "pipeline" that hinders women from climbing the corporate ladder. The paper focuses on the phenomenon of the celebrity CEO and specifically analyzes the cases of Sheryl Sandberg and Marissa Mayer, exploring their experiences and the challenges they faced as women in leadership roles.

• Gender gap in business leadership
• Self-effacement of women in leadership roles
• Barriers to women's advancement in corporate hierarchies
• The phenomenon of the celebrity CEO
• Case studies of Sheryl Sandberg and Marissa Mayer

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction highlights the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions within the economic sphere, particularly focusing on the lack of female CEOs in the S&P 500. The first chapter delves into the cultural and societal implications of this gender gap, exploring two key factors: the self-effacement of women due to traditional gender roles and societal expectations, and the "pipeline" that often hinders women from reaching top positions due to structural and societal barriers. Chapter 2 provides insights into the phenomenon of the celebrity CEO, examining how the media and the public perceive both male and female leaders in the business world.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This study explores key concepts like gender gap, leadership ambition, self-effacement, corporate pipeline, celebrity CEOs, and gender bias in the economic sphere. It examines case studies of prominent female business leaders, like Sheryl Sandberg and Marissa Mayer, to analyze their experiences and highlight the challenges they faced as women in leadership roles. The study also addresses the importance of diversity and inclusion within corporate leadership and examines the influence of societal expectations and gender-specific structures on women's career advancement.

Details

• College: University of Bonn
• Grade: 1,3
• Author: Katharina Lurz (Author)
• Publication Year: 2016
• Pages: 24
• Catalog Number: V432055
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668743281
• ISBN (Book): 9783668743298
• Language: English
• Tags: Women in executive positions female leaders women career media and women