This is the second in a series of blog posts looking at the myths that act as barriers to women’s advancement in the workplace. These myths were discussed in a workshop moderated by Deborah Gillis, Vice President, Catalyst Canada at our WiN-Canada Conference held in Ottawa on Feb. 27, 2008. Catalyst is the leading nonprofit corporate membership research and advisory organization working globally with businesses and the professions to build inclusive environments and expand opportunities for women and business.

Myth #2 - Men want the top jobs more than women do, women are “opting out.”

Catalyst’s research, “Women and Men in U.S. Corporate Leadership: Same Workplace, Different Realities?, 2004, found the following:

• The majority of women (55 percent) and men (57 percent) want to occupy the most senior role (CEO or equivalent) within an organization.
• The large majority of women and men in line positions (82 percent and 77 percent, respectively) aspire to be CEO, compared to smaller percentages (although still the majorities) of women and men in staff positions (60 percent and 51 percent, respectively.)
• Women who have children with them are just as likely to desire the corner office as those who don’t have children living with them (55 percent and 46 percent, respectively.)
• Men who have children living with them are significantly more likely to desire the CEO job than those who don’t have children living them with (68 percent and 32 percent, respectively.)

You have all read the reports in the media that suggest that women with children simply do not want the CEO job. This research debunks that myth and finds no significant difference between women who do, and women who do not, have children when it comes to aspirations for the corner office.

The study was based on data from surveys completed by 705 senior-level women and 243 senior-level men who share similar backgrounds and characteristics.  For example, they were similar in age and educational background. All respondents held positions at the vice president level and above and the vast majority had a graduate degree.

While the research was done in the U.S., I expect the data would hold true in Canada as well. Obviously Myth #2 is not the reason why women are not making it to top jobs. Next time we will look at Myth #3 - Women don’t get ahead because they are distracted trying to balance their work and home lives.