A comparison of gender and gender-related issues in the business disciplines.

The industrial revolution changed the way the U.S. economy operates, and, with this change, more women have chosen to work and supplement family income. While many women continue to work in traditionally "female" occupations such as teaching and nursing, the most significant change has been the increased percentage of women in traditionally male-dominated professions such as law, medicine, university teaching, and managerial speciahies. (1)

By 2003, close to 60% of all women aged 16 and older were in the labor force. The U.S. Department of Labor has projected that this figure will reach nearly 63% by the year 2015. One of the most significant changes that took place in the 20th century was the rise of women managers. In 1900, only 4.4% of managers were women. By 1999, more than 45% of all managers were women, a tenfold increase. In fact, over the last 20 years, women have increased their representation in nearly all professional occupations. (2)

One of the professional occupations that has experienced a shift in female participation is postsecondary education. In 1983, approximately one-third of those faculty members employed in colleges and universities were women. By 2002, that number had increased to 42.7%. Similarly, in the business disciplines, over the same time period, female participation has increased from approximately 36% to 42%. (3)

Thus, the postsecondary education profession is no longer a strictly male profession. Yet, while women employed as college and university faculty have gained significant ground, career progression can continue to prove difficult.

Unfortunately, gender bias walks the halls of academia. According to AACSB International--The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), women made up only 24.3% of accredited U. S. business school faculty in 2004. (4) Furthermore, the majority of female business faculty members held the rank of instructor. In 1999-2000, by rank, 11.9% of full professors were women, 22.8% of associate professors were women, 31.3% of assistant professors were women, and 44% of instructors were women. (5) More recent data suggest little change in this distribution. By the 2004 school year, only 13% of all full professors in business schools were women. (6) Additionally, the percentage of female deans at AACSB-accredited schools was only 9.1%. Therefore, it appears that the glass ceiling is capping the professional progression of women in academia. (7)