In a changing world where women have dominated as graduates from universities in the West, recent research has shown that the same trend is also strikingly evident in the newly emerging markets. Tapping into this female talent pool is extremely important and advancing women’s careers has become a key business issue. This Handbook lays out a number of promising approaches. First the business case for doing so is presented. The challenges facing women are reviewed, followed by various programs that address particular needs such as mentoring, leadership development programs for women, work and family initiatives, and succession planning. Finally, case studies of award-winning organizational initiatives are described.
“Professors Vinnicombe, Burke, Blake-Beard, and Moore have assembled an internationally and intellectually diverse cast of contributors to chronicle and examine the implications of the seismic shift in women’s roles in the global workforce. Collectively, they make a strong case for why advancing women s careers is a key business as well as societal issue that must be addressed if the full potential of all societal members is to be tapped. This book belongs on the bookshelf of all scholars of gender and career issues as an essential reference.”
– Gary N. Powell, University of Connecticut, US
Mentoring Diverse Leaders provides up-to-date research on the impact of formal mentoring relationships in organizations, particularly as it relates to cultivating diverse leadership. Contributions from experts in the fields of psychology, business, and law draw connections between mentoring research, theory, and practice in both domestic and global organizations. Rather than standing apart from the broader goals and objectives of these organizations, they show how mentoring for diversity actually drives talent management, organizational commitment, and organizational success.
“How does mentoring work for people who aren’t white males seeking more money and status at work? Women and people of color strive to answer that question through this collection of essays edited by Audrey Murrell of the University of Pittsburgh and Stacy Blake-Beard of the Simmons School. For instance, Donna Maria Blancero and Natalie Cotton-Nessler suggest that mentorship programs for Latinos should take into account the collective—not individual— orientation of the Latino culture and the high priority given to family relationships. Ella Edmondson Bell-Smith and Stella Nkomo predict that 21st-century mentoring could be used more often outside of work, perhaps to treat chronically ill patients or retain students in school. Blake-Beard, Murrell, and contributor Kathy Kram make one point abundantly clear: In nontraditional mentoring situations, ‘the relationship may evolve differently, may affect outcomes differently, and may be held differently in diverse contexts.’ A thoughtful, eye-opening, and useful collection.”
