Women's innate abilities make her a 'good business choice' when reaching out to global markets. White paper discussing the advantages women bring to the international marketing table.

1. Women Friendly = Global Friendly
For the first time in economic history, American women are being recognized for their
position as the key buyer or influencer in the majority of all purchases in markets as
diverse as electronics and financial services. Trillions of dollars are at stake as
capitalism changes the global landscape. How do companies take advantage of this
market shift? What unique female attributes drive it? And how do companies leverage
these attributes to compete globally in an “Internetted” world that gives increasing power
to the individual?
Today, many companies are jumping on the “marketing to women”
bandwagon. They are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to identify what
women want in their product and services.
They will spend even more in R&D as they attempt to find that one unique
element which will push their product above their competitors. Perhaps they are
missing an obvious differentiator which they already have, but have not tapped
into – their female employees.
Could the same traits that clients learn about their female market be
tapped in their female employee base, and could these traits work to increase
bottom line profits. In this day of service and value, could their female
employees, become as important as or be the important differentiator for their
product or service? And what impact could this have on their success as they
move into the global economy? This paper attempts to answer these questions
by exploring the reasons why a company should shift its focus from
women as “buyer” to woman as “internal catalyst” – a catalyst which will secure
product and service differentiation in the global economy.
Copyright December 2004 1
Woman Friendly = Global Friendly
Terri A. Whitesel
Interpret-HerTM

2. It Takes One To Know One
“It takes one to know one”, is a statement perfectly suited to the women’s
market. Stating the obvious, women come with a pre-understanding on how their
gender thinks, processes, reacts, accepts, and applies information. Without
trying, their decisions are more in line with their personal likes and dislikes and
therefore more in line with what the women’s market values. When given free
reign to apply their innate knowledge, woman will position products and
companies to be more appealing to this powerful global market force. At the
same time, their inherent management traits will also foster goodwill and trust
that the interconnected world demands regardless of gender.
Multi-tasking Masters
A strong, organized female executive or project manager is often THE
key success element in projects delivered on time and on budget. Wearing the
“most organized hat”, female managers take on the myriad of thankless tasks
and build collaborative teams to assure that “the job gets done and out the door”.
This observation is well known by management, the difficulty has been how to
utilize these skills while not viewing them as limitations, as her only strengths
and in stereotyping the work required as gender suited; therefore gender limiting.
Positive Differences
Research over the last decade is allowing us to move toward a more
politically correct methodology for gender differentiation so that corporations
can better address women’s strengths through the lens of positive
difference rather than a gender biased, male versus female perspective.
In 1973, Henry Mintzberg, conducted a series of studies which identified
the 10 roles that cover the wide variety of activities that a successful manager is
required to do.1 These 10 roles can be grouped into 3 categories:
• Informational
• Interpersonal
• Decisional 2
The ability to which a manager is able to integrate each of these
categories will determine his/her level of success in performing the key functions
of a manager – that of Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling. 3
Copyright December 2004 2
Woman Friendly = Global Friendly
Terri A. Whitesel
Interpret-HerTM

3. Globalization and Its Impact on Managers
Globalization can be described as a “proliferation of worldwide economic,
social and cultural networks and people’s dependencies on these global
networks for prosperity and security” 4. With the democratization of technology,
finance and information, the previously closed Cold War view of business has
transformed corporations into a global community. Today, business
managers find themselves facing “non business issues” as diverse as
environmental, ethical and cultural sensitivity, international employment law and
employee safety and security while simultaneously developing collaborative
networks of employees, partners and overseas business locations.
High Touch Human Skills- A Necessity in the New Economy
In addition to the operational management skills required by the new
global workplace, international alliances and workforce development place an
even higher demand on human relations skills. “Rather than a single-minded
focus on profits, today’s managers must recognize the critical importance of
staying connected to employees and customers” 5. In addition, the need to
transmit corporate culture across new countries, time zones and non-US based
employees will become critical to the successful implementation and
maintenance of the organizations mission 6. The innate ability to stay
connected is a key female trait. Companies wishing to build global
customer communities should strongly consider how to leverage their female
employee population to develop and maintain critical global connections.
Education Trends- Female Versus Male
Since 1979, women have outnumbered men on college campuses and
now make up 56% of all undergraduates 7. In 1996, there were 8.4 million
women and 6.7 million men in American colleges. According to the US
Department of Education, the enrollment of women in graduate programs rose
178% between 1969 and 1999 and women received 44.2% of all doctorate
degrees granted in 2000 8. By 2007, it is estimated that this disparity will grow to
9.2 million women versus 6.9 million men. Additionally, the US Census 2000
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4. shows that the female-to-male- ratio of bachelors degree recipients will be
1:42:1, for master’s degrees, the ration will be 1:51:1 9.
Lastly, 2001 was a watershed year for women in law schools – for the
first time, female law entrant’s outnumbered men 10.
These data trends clearly demonstrate that women will not only
outnumber men in both sheer numbers and advanced schooling, but lead to a
larger, more important question – will corporate America take advantage
of this asset?
Women – Communications Strength
While US businesses acknowledge that a new, fluid global workplace is
emerging, they often remain male inspired with male dominated hierarchies and
management styles. The women’s movement has forced recognition of women’s
“rights”, but not women’s “strengths”. In Judy Rosener’s book, American’s
Competitive Secret- Women Managers 11 the following female management traits
are outlined:
• Linking rather than ranking workers
• Favor interactive-collaborative leadership styles
• Sustain fruitful collaborations
• Comfortably sharing information
• See redistribution of power as victory, not surrender
• Readily accept ambiguity
• Honor intuition as well as pure “rationality”
• Inherently flexible
• Appreciate cultural diversity
However, just having innate traits does not assure the effective use of
them. There is mounting evidence that women, rather than men, make better
corporate managers. In a study of 425 high-level executives, female managers
were rated higher than their male counterparts in 42 of 52 skills
measured 12.
Lastly, in business, women are believed to be better with customers,
more efficient, more trustworthy and more generous and understanding with
colleagues, than their male counterparts. These feminine skills (working in
teams, better at persuasion, communication skills and adaptability)
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Interpret-HerTM

5. meet the demands of the rapidly changing global workplace and could
go a long way in improving the dismal customer service ratings that consumers
give corporations.
Nature Versus Nurture
Today modern medical technology is allowing us to move from intuition
gender based assumptions to scientific evidence of distinct differences in men
and women. The greatest leaps in research have taken place in the last ten
years due to the development and use of the functional Magnetic Resonance
Imaging, MRI. The MRI is able to depict areas of brain activity and provide clear
images of various areas of the brain which control our perceptual, cognitive and
emotional make-up 13.
The following summarizes the work of researchers at Indiana University
School of Medicine, headed by Dr. Joseph T. Lurito. The purpose of Dr. Lurito’s
work was to determine the way men and women process information. MRI
studies show that women have four times as many connections
between the left and right brain. This connection area, called the corpus
callosum is not only more well connected in the female brain, it is 15% thicker in
females than males making it much easier to transfer data from one side to the
other at a high rate of speed, as well as take in a variety of information and add it
to basic, objective logic. Women have a naturally ambidextrous brain, capable of
enhanced perceptual speed, fine motor skills and a higher degree of
verbal fluency. This accounts for the high level of multi-tasking skills that
women possess. Women are more efficient at processing information in general,
by adding external clues, and are incredibly flexible at adjusting to different ways
of relating to the world.
Researchers believe that this combination of size and connectivity makes women
more perceptive, articulate and verbally fluent 14.
We use our physical senses—sight, sound, smell, taste and touch to
gather and store information. One of our senses; the eye, has been shown to be
influenced by gender. The cones and rods in our retina are connected. The
cones help us focus more intensely and intensify clarity and color. The rods help
us detect the slightest movement in the visual field. Women have more rods
which provides them greater peripheral vision and the ability to see the whole
picture all at once – not just seeing the picture but “feeling” it, an
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Woman Friendly = Global Friendly
Terri A. Whitesel
Interpret-HerTM

6. important part of intuition. This allows women to identify emotion and discriminate
subtle facial expressions faster than men. Men, on the other hand, focus best on
one thing at a time, having greater depth perception 15. This attention to detail is
what makes women such discriminating shoppers and voracious information
gathers. It is also a skill which can be leveraged throughout the entire
product development cycle and market strategy phase if a company understands
the benefit of the perceptual differences that women bring to the planning table.
Win-Win, A Natural Outcome
The skills required for successful negotiation—the sharing of information
and the view that the redistribution of power – can be seen as victory and not
surrender and are innately female qualities 16. Coupling the intuitive sense with
these skills makes for a formidable asset at the negotiation table—resulting in a
win-win solution for both parties. Viewing these same negotiation skills as
customer problem solving skills provides another way of assessing the value of
woman’s skill as part of the total customer experience.
The chart on the next page outlines the old and new
workplace management traits.
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Woman Friendly = Global Friendly
Terri A. Whitesel
Interpret-HerTM

7. Management Traits – Women’s Unique Strengths for the New Economy
The Rosener’s, Woman Manager Skill Sets18, have been aligned with the new
workplace management traits as defined by Daft & Marcic 17.
.
Characteristics Old Economy New Economy Rosener-Female Traits
Comfortably sharing
Resources Atoms-physical assets Bits-information information
Work Structured, localized Flexible, virtual Inherently flexible
Linking rather than ranking
Workers Dependable employees Empowered employees workers
free agents Appreciate cultural diversity
Forces on Organizations
Technology Mechanical Digital, e-business
Markets Local, domestic Global, including Internet
Workforce Homogenous Diverse
Values Stability, efficiency Change, speed
Turbulent, more frequent
Events Calm, predictable crisis Readily accept ambiguity
Management
Competencies
See redistribution of power
Leadership Autocratic Dispersed, empowering as victory, not surrender
Favor interactive-
Connections to customers, collaborative leadership
Focus Profits employees styles
Linking rather than ranking
Doing Work By individuals By teams workers
Sustain fruitful
Relationships Conflict, competition Collaboration collaborations
Experimentation, learning,
Design Efficient performance organization
Honor intuition as well as
Style pure “rationality”
Exhibit 1.4, The Transition to a New Workplace, Chapter 1, Managing a New Workplace
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Woman Friendly = Global Friendly
Terri A. Whitesel
Interpret-HerTM

8. The Power of Her Mouse
Rosener does not address another critical skill required of the new
economy– technology skills, and the understanding and leveraging of its power
for business efficiency and communication. Technical skill capability, traditionally
perceived as male dominated, can be refuted through several recent findings. In
December of 2002, the number of women on the Internet reached 62.7 million,
becoming the majority of online users at 52% 19. Sixty-one percent (61%) of
women and 55% of men use the Internet for business and 52% of women versus
51% of men sell their products or services on line 20. Lastly, in the Consumer
Electronics Association (CES) 2004 study it was found that women were
responsible for $55 of the $96 billion spent last year on consumer electronics. So
great is the impact and growing trend of women on the electronics industry that
at their recent two day , 2004 International CES conference, a Super Session
was dedicated to the woman’s market 21.
While the number of women focused in pure technology as a degree or
career focus is still considerably less than males, this data strongly
indicates that women may not “write the code”, but surely know how
to leverage its power for business use. And in terms of sheer buying
power “WOMEN ARE DRIVING the growth of online shopping. Last year, women
accounted for 52% of online buyers — 18.9 million of the total 36.5 million U.S.
shoppers online, according to Forrester Research”. 22.
Woman In Management – The Key Differentiator
If one agrees with the necessary global management skill traits outlined
in this paper and their relevance as a competitive advantage in the new
economy, women’s strengths in critical management areas cannot be denied. In
an increasingly competitive global environment success will be defined not only
by product, but by the ability to cost effectively manage production and
orchestrate operationally, the complexity caused by time, distance and diverse
employee groups. The key element in this challenge is people—and
their strong organizational and collaboration skills. Women’s innate
management and communications styles are more suited to these requirements.
It is not a question of men/versus women, or one being better than, or worse than
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Woman Friendly = Global Friendly
Terri A. Whitesel
Interpret-HerTM

9. the other, its about companies’ leveraging the best worker for the best job and
the companies succeeding with and through their women managers. In the final
analysis, if corporations give women the space to complete their thoughts, sales
will increase, customer satisfaction will increase and brands will become tied to
the largest buyer group in the US – Women!
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Woman Friendly = Global Friendly
Terri A. Whitesel
Interpret-HerTM

10. References
1. Henry Metzger, 1973. The Nature of Managerial Work (Harper & Roe New York); and Mintzberg, “Rounding
Out the Managers Job,” (Sloan Management Review (Fall 1994), pp. 11-26).
2,3,5,6, 17 - Daft & Marcic, 2004, p. 12 & 13, p16) p. 20, p.71).Understanding Management (South-Western,
Mason)
4. Mansbach R. 2000, p.4. The Global Puzzle, Issues and actors in world politics (Houghton Mifflin Company:
Boston, MA)
7,8,9 – WOW Facts, 2002. Education and Women, chap. 9, Washingtonian 2002, US Department of Education,
10. US Department of Labor 2002
11. Cited in Peters, re-imagine, p271
12. Employers of America, 2001
13. Belgium Study 2004, Retrieved from http;//michelemiller.blogs.com, 3/4/2004 blog posting Woman
Does Not Live by Hormones Alone, WonderBranding: Marketing to Women: Brain Studies
14. The Female Brain Part 2, 2/18/2004. Retrieved from http://www.michelemiller.blogs.com ,blog posting,
WonderBranding: Marketing to Women: Brain Studies
15. Intuition Part II and Part III, 2004, Intuition Part II (4/13/2004) retrieved from http://www.michelemiller.blogs.com,
blog posting, WonderBranding. Intuition Part III, (4/13/2004) Eye of the Beholder retrieved from
http://www.michelemiller.blogs.com, blog posting, WonderBranding
16. Rosener, as cited in Peters, 2003, Re-imagine, p271, Dorly Kindersley Limited: London, England
18. J. Rosener’s, Woman Manager Skill Set
Rosener J. (1997) American’s Competitive Secret-Women Managers , (Oxford University Press,
Incorporated: New York, NY, 1997)
19. ComScore Media Metrix, 12/02.
20. Technology and Women, Chapter 42 Center for Women’s Business Research, WOW 2002)
WOW Facts, (2002), Technology and Women, Center for Women’s Business Research, Chapter 42: pp
359-368.
21. Press Release, Day two of CES focuses on technology policy and marketing to women, CEA, Las Vegas,
1/10/2004). CEA Press Release, (1/10/2004) Day two of CES focuses on technology policy and marketing
to women, Las Vegas, Jeff Joseph jjoseph@ce.org
22. WSL Strategic Retail, a New York City consultancy Jul 1, 2004, Soft Goods Propel Hard Drives
By Betsy Spethmann
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Woman Friendly = Global Friendly
Terri A. Whitesel
Interpret-HerTM