Coactive Articles and Presentations
“Creating Healthy Academic Climates: Key Interpersonal Skills”
This article describes the concept of organizational climate and delineates the important interpersonal skills necessary for creating healthy climates in academia. Published by the Association of Women in Science, the article is available for free on the web and available here for download.
Download: Garverick, Linda M. 2008. “Creating Healthy Academic Climates: Key Interpersonal Skills,” Association for Women in Science 37, no. 4: 25-27.
“Advancing Collegiality at the Case School of Engineering”
This PowerPoint presentation describes the group-coaching process used to advance collegiality in the Case School of Engineering. The “Dean’s Fellows for Advancing Collegiality” were comprised of twelve senior faculty representing every department (7) in the school. This customized leadership program included both teaching and facilitated dialogue. Teaching segments included improving communication skills and developing a participative leadership style, as well as building awareness of issues that hinder faculty retention and factors that limit the advancement of women and other under-represented groups. Facilitated dialogue was used to investigate and prioritize those processes and dynamics in the school that should be changed or improved to advance collegiality.
Here is feedback from faculty who took the program.
This work was funded by the NSF ADVANCE program and presented at the NSF ADVANCE PI Meeting held in Washington DC, May 12-13, 2008.
Leadership
“Leadership Run Amok: The Destructive Potential of Overachievers”
This article builds on the work of Harvard psychologist David McClelland. The bottom line is this: an over focus on task and goals can cause a manager to undermine employee engagement and satisfaction. This article is a great introduction to the six leadership styles: Directive, Visionary, Affiliative, Participative, Pacesetting, and Coaching, the four motivations: Achievement, Affiliation, Socialized Power, and Personalized Power, and the six climate factors that contribute to a high-performance work environment: Flexibility, Responsibility, Standards, Rewards, Clarity, and Team Commitment.
Synopsis written by Linda Garverick.
Reference: Spreier, Scott W., Mary H Fontaine, and Ruth L. Malloy. 2006. Leadership Run Amok: The Destructive Potential of Overachievers. Harvard Business Review (June) pp. 72-82.
Order reprint#R0606D from the Harvard Business Review.
Female Leadership
“Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership”
This article written by Alice Eagly and Linda Carli describes the unique challenges women face as leaders. The authors evoke the “labyrinth” as a contemporary symbol that conveys the idea that women attaining leadership is a complex journey toward a goal worth striving for. They elucidate important double binds faced by women leaders and the challenge of adopting an effective leadership style that does not violate too many female gender schemas. This well-written article concludes by delineating important organizational interventions that will help retain and promote women.
Synopsis written by Linda Garverick (pdf download)
Reference: Eagly, Alice H., and Linda L. Carli. 2007. “Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership.” Harvard Business Review (September) pp. 2-11.
Order reprint # R0709C from the Harvard Business Review.
“A Modest Manifesto for Shattering the Glass Ceiling”
This article written by Debra Meyerson and Joyce Fletcher describes the three traditional approaches to promoting inclusion: Assimilation, Accommodation, and Valuing Differences. They describe the “Small Wins Strategy” developed in their consulting work. The power of “Small Wins” is routing out discrimination by fixing the organization, not the women who work for it! The case study presented, “Unbounded Time,” is an illustrative and compelling example of a small wins strategy.
Synopsis written by Linda Garverick (pdf download)
Reference: Meyerson, Debra E., and Joyce K. Fletcher. 2000. “A Modest Manifesto for Shattering the Glass Ceiling.” Harvard Business Review (January-February) pp. 127-136.
Order reprint # R00107 from the Harvard Business Review.
“The Power of Talk”
Debra Tannen notes “in every community known to linguists, the patterns that constitute linguistic style are relatively different for men and women.” Although we may think our speaking style is natural, when judged by others holding different norms, we may be perceived and judged as less competent and confident. This article describes some of the linguistic patterns that disempower women in a male-dominated workplace. This is not about learning how to “speak like a man,” but rather to stretch one’s range of linguistic style to be effective in more situations.
Synopsis written by Linda Garverick (pdf download)
Reference: Tannen, Deborah. 1995. “The Power of Talk.” Harvard Business Review (Sept-Oct ) pp. 138-148.
Order reprint # 95510 from the Harvard Business Review.
“Beyond Bias and Barriers”
This book is an essential resource for anyone who wants to understand the systemic factors limiting the advancement of women in academic science and engineering. Drawn together in a single resource are research on social perception, biology and cognition, data of persistence and attrition in high school and beyond, and a blueprint for action to achieve parity.
Busting Myths: Here are list of “myths” about why women do not reach leadership positions in academic science and engineering, with reference given to the book chapter in which these myths are “busted.”
Reference: 2007. “Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering.” National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine. Beyond Bias and Barriers can be purchased directly from the National Academies on-line bookstore.
