This paper argues that successful transformation of the healthcare system requires inclusion of women at the top. Women are missing in top leadership roles in healthcare at a time when the US healthcare system faces daunting challenges. There is a documented need for diverse leadership teams with transformational leadership skills to successfully lead organizations, yet women who comprise three fourths of the healthcare workforce are sparsely represented in board rooms and in the senior executive suite. Through a review the literature the authors explain why this leadership gap persists and recommend strategies to increase gender diversity in leadership ranks of the healthcare industry. Studies from other business sectors are also examined for application in healthcare. A lack of focus on female career development and succession planning, often based on persistent stereotypes about women leaders is a major deterrent to advancing women in top leadership positions. A compelling case is made for immediate remediation of this issue and implementing strategies to fill the leadership gap with talented women leaders. There is a demand to increase the number of women in top leadership positions in healthcare to assist in overcoming the current crises facing the industry.
[1] Adler, R. D. (2001). Women in the Executive Suite Correlate to High Profits. European Project on Equal Pay.
http://www.w2t.se/se/filer/adler_web.pdf
[2] American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) (2006). A Comparison of the Career Attainments of Men and Women Healthcare Executives.
http://www.ache.org/pubs/research/gender_study_full_report.pdf
[3] American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) (2011). Hospital CEO Turnover.
http://www.ache.org/Pubs/Releases/2011/turnover.cfm.
[4] Aud, S., Hussar, W., Kena, G., Bianco, K., Frohlich, L., Kemp, J., & Tahan, K. (2011). The Condition of Education 2011. (NCES 2011-033). US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington DC: US Government Printing Office.
[5] Barsh, J., & Yee, L. (2012). Unlocking the Full Potential of Women at Work.
http://www.mckinsey.com/client_service/organization/latest_thinking/women_at_work.
[6] Barsh, J., Cranston, S., & Lewis, G. (2009). How Remarkable Women Lead: The Breakthrough Model for Work and Life. New York: Crown Business, Random House.
[7] Benko, C., & Anderson, M. (2010). The Corporate Lattice: Achieving High Performance in the Changing World of Work. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
[8] Bickel, J. (2007). The Work That Remains at the Intersection of Gender and Career Development. Archives in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 88, 683-686. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2007.02.038
[9] Blumenstein, R. (2011). A Blueprint for Change. The Wall Street Journal, R3.
[10] Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper & Row.
[11] Catalyst (2004). The Bottom Line: Connecting Corporate Performance and Gender Diversity.
http://www.catalyst.org/file/44/the%20bottom%20line%20connecting%20corporate%
20performance%20and%20gender%20diversity.pdf
[12] Catalyst (2010). Catalyst Census: Fortune 500 Women Board Directors.
http://catalyst.org/publication/460/2010-catalyst-census-fortune-500-women-board-directors
[13] Coffman, J., Gadiesh, O., & Miller, W. (2010). The Great Disappearing Act: Gender Parity up the Corporate Ladder. Bain and Company.
http://www.bain.com/publications/articles/the-great-disappearing-act-gender-parity-up-the-corporate-ladder.aspx
[14] Collins, J. C. (2001). Good to Great. New York: Harper Collins.
[15] Desvaux, G., Devillard-Hoellinger, S., & Meaney, M. C. (2008). A Business Case for Women. McKinsey Quarterly.
http://www.rctaylor.com/Images/A_Business_Case_for_Women.pdf
[16] Dolan, T. (2011). The CEO Turnover and Succession Crisis. Healthcare Executive, 26, 6-8.
[17] Dreachslin, J. L. (2007). Diversity Management and Cultural Competence: Research, Practice, and the Business Case. Journal of Healthcare Management, 52, 79-86.
[18] Dunham, N., & Yhouse I. (2007). Census of Women Chief Administrators of the Solucient 100 Top Hospitals. Unpublished Manuscript, Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan.
[19] Eagly, A. H., & Carli, L. L. (2007). Through the Labyrinth: The Truth about How Women Become Leaders. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
[20] Eagly, A. H., & Karau, S. J. (1991). Gender and Emergence of Leaders: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 685-710. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.60.5.685
[21] Flynn, J., Heath, K., & Davis, J. (2011). Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women’s Paths to Power. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
[22] Garman, A. N., & Lemak, C. H. (2011). Developing Healthcare Leaders: What We Have Learned, and What Is Next.
[23] http://www.nchl.org/Documents/NavLink/NCHL_Developing_Healthcare_Leaders__Nov_ 2011_uid11212011137292.pdf.
[24] Hassmiller, S., & Combes, J. (2012). Nurse Leaders in the Boardroom: A Fitting Choice. Journal of Healthcare Management, 57, 8-11.
[25] Hoss, M. A., Bobrowski, P., McDonagh, K. J., & Paris, N. M. (2011). How Gender Disparities Drive Imbalances in Health Care Leadership. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 3, 59-68.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S16315
[26] Lantz, P. M. (2008). Gender and Leadership in Healthcare Administration: 21st Century Progress and Challenges. Journal of Healthcare Management, 53, 291-301.
[27] Matus, J. C. (2003). The Movement for Diversity in Health Care Management. The Health Care Manager, 22, 117-121.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00126450-200304000-00006
[28] McAlearney, A. S. (2008). Executive Leadership Development in US Health Systems: Exploring the Evidence.
http://www.ache.org/pubs/research/McAlearney_HMRA_Report.pdf
[29] McEldowney, R. P., Bobrowski, P., & Gramberg, A. (2009). Factors Affecting the Next Generation of Women Leaders: Mapping the Challenges, Antecedents, and Consequences of Effective Leadership. Journal of Leadership Studies, 3, 24-30.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jls.20105
[30] McKinsey & Company (2010a). Moving Women to the Top.
http://McKinseyquarterly.com/Moving_women_to_the_top_McKinsey_Global_Survey_results_2686
[31] McKinsey & Company (2010b). The Value of Centered Leadership.
http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/leading_in_the_21st_century/the_value_of_
centered_leadership_mckinsey_global_survey_results
[32] McKinsey & Company (2010c). Women at the Top of Corporations: Making It Happen.
http://www.asx.com.au/documents/media/2010_mckinsey_co_women_matter.pdf
[33] McKinsey & Company (2012). Making the Breakthrough.
http://www.mckinsey.com/Features/Women_Matter
[34] Myers, V. L., & Dreachslin, J. L. (2007). Recruitment and Retention of a Diverse Workforce: Challenges and Opportunities. Journal of Healthcare Management, 52, 290-298.
[35] National Center for Healthcare Leadership (2010). Best Practices in Health Leadership Talent Management and Succession Planning: Case Studies.
http://nchl.org/Documents/Ctrl_Hyperlink/doccopy5800_uid532012321522.pdf
[36] Porter-O’Grady, T. (2003). A Different Age for Leadership, Part 2: New Rules, New Roles. Journal of Nursing Administration, 33, 173-178. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00005110-200303000-00009
[37] Rosener, J. B. (1990). Ways Women Lead. Harvard Business Review, 68, 119-125.
[38] US Bureau of Labor Statistics (2010). Occupational Employment Statistics: Overview. http://www.bls.gov/oes/oes_emp.htm.
[39] Valian, V. (1998). Why So Slow? The Advancement of Women. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
[40] Warner, J. (2011). Diversity: Acting on What We Know. NACD Directorship.
http://www.directorship.com/acting-on-what-we-know/
[41] World Health Organization (2008). Gender and Health Workforce Statistics.
http://www.who.int/hrh/statistics/spotlight2/en
[42] Zenger, J., & Folkman, J. (2012). Are Women Better Leaders than Men? Harvard Business Review.
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/03/a_study_in_leadership_women_do.html