 |   |


Off-Ramps and On-Ramps Germany
by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Diana Forster, Sara Laschever, Laura Sherbin, Peggy Shiller, Karen SumbergFive years ago our groundbreaking study “Off -Ramps and On-Ramps: Keeping Talented Women on the Road to Success” (see Harvard Business Review, March 2005), found that 37 percent of highly qualified women in the U.S. took an off-ramp—voluntarily leaving their jobs for a period of time. In addition, a large percentage took a scenic route—working part-time, reduced hours or flex-time for a number of years. All in all, more than two-thirds of the accomplished women who participated in this study failed to conjure up the linear lock-step progressions of a successful male career. For this they paid a huge price in terms of earning power and long-run promotional prospects.
This research had tremendous impact. It was featured in hundreds of news articles around the world—coverage ran the gamut from the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal to the Hindustan Times and the South China Morning Post—and found its way into several high-profile books. “Off-ramps and on-ramps” entered the zeitgeist. If you Google this term these days, you’ll get over 1,280,000 hits.
In response to this high level of interest, five years later we went into the field again to update the U.S. study (see “Off-Ramps and On-Ramps Revisited,” Harvard Business Review, June 2010). We also decided to go global, taking the off-ramps and on-ramps research to key economies around the world. We started with Germany in 2009 and have plans to take the research to Japan in 2010. Other country studies will follow. Purchase |  |  |

Off-Ramps und On-Ramps Deutschland
by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Diana Forster, Sara Laschever, Laura Sherbin, Peggy Shiller, Karen SumbergVor fünf Jahren erschien unsere bahnbrechende Studie Off-Ramps and On-Ramps: Keeping Talented Women on the Road to Success (deutsch in etwa: "Ausstieg und Wiedereinstieg: Wie qualifizierte Frauen auf dem Erfolgsweg bleiben"; Harvard Business Review, März 2005). Sie zeigte, dass 37 Prozent aller hochqualifizierten Frauen in den USA vorübergehend den Beruf verlassen; ein weiterer hoher Anteil von ihnen entscheidet sich für "Nebenstrecken" – meist einige Jahre Teilzeit¬ oder flexible Arbeitszeit. Vom erfolgreichen männlichen Karriereweg nach typischem Muster wichen insgesamt über zwei Drittel der Teilnehmerinnen an unserer Umfrage ab. Sie mussten bei Gehältern und langfristigen Aufstiegschancen teuer dafür bezahlen.
Diese Forschungsarbeit fand ein enormes Echo. Sie wurde in Hunderten von Zeitungen und Zeitschriften vorgestellt – von der Financial Times und dem Wall Street Journal bis hin zur Hindustan Times und der South China Morning Post – und in mehreren wichtigen Fachbüchern zitiert. "Off-Ramps and On-Ramps" wurde zum Zeitgeistbegriff. Wer ihn heute bei Google eingibt, erzielt über 1.280.000 Treffer.
Aufgrund des hohen Interesses nahmen wir fünf Jahre später die Forschung wieder auf und aktualisierten die US-Studie (vgl. Off-Ramps and On-Ramps Revisited, Harvard Business Review, Juni 2010). Dieses Mal entschieden wir uns auch, die Forschungsreihe auf weitere bedeutende Wirtschaftsräume weltweit auszudehnen. Wir begannen 2009 mit Deutschland und haben vor, unsere Forschungen in 2010 in Japan fortzusetzen. Weitere Länder werden folgen. Purchase |  |  |


Bookend Generations: Leveraging Talent and Finding Common Ground
by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Maggie Jackson, Laura Sherbin, Peggy Shiller, Eytan Sosnovich, Karen SumbergRight now, a battle for survival has eclipsed the war for talent. Business leaders are slashing headcounts and budgets, and focusing with laser vision on what it takes to succeed in a deep global recession. But when the economy recovers, companies will return swiftly to the crucial work of recruiting and retaining top performers. Renewal and growth cannot be rekindled without high-octane brain power.
Yet the value proposition is changing dramatically in a new era of talent management. Two dominant demographic cohorts—Gen Y and Baby Boomers—are redefining what it takes for a company to be an "employer of choice." The 78 million Boomers and 70 million Gen Ys crave flexibility, personal growth, connection, and opportunities to "give back." The Bookend Generations are remapping old ideals of success as they pursue a "Rewards Remix" that prizes meaning and choice over money.
Purchase
|  |  |



The Athena Factor: Reversing the Brain Drain in Science, Engineering, and Technology
by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Carolyn Buck Luce, Lisa J. Servon, Laura Sherbin, Peggy Shiller, Eytan Sosnovich, Karen SumbergForty-one percent of highly qualified scientists, engineers, and technologists on the lower rungs of corporate career ladders are female. But more than half (52%) drop out. Why? To better understand the scope and shape of female talent, the Athena Factor research project studied the career trajectories of women with SET credentials in the private sector. It found 5 powerful "antigens" in corporate cultures. Women in SET are marginalized by hostile macho cultures. Being the sole woman on a team or at a site can create isolation. Many women report mysterious career paths: fully 40% feel stalled. Systems of risk and reward in SET cultures can disadvantage women, who tend to be risk averse. Finally, SET jobs include extreme work pressures: they are unusually time intensive. Moreover, female attrition rates spike 10 years into a career. Women experience a perfect storm in their mid- to late thirties: They hit serious career hurdles precisely when family pressures intensify. Companies that step in with targeted support before this "fight or flight moment" may be able to lower the female attrition rate significantly. This study features 13 company initiatives that address this female brain drain. Some, for example, are designed to break down female isolation; others create on-ramps for women who want to return to work. These initiatives are likely to be "game changers": They will allow many more women to stay on track in SET careers. Purchase |  |  |





Global Multicultural Executives and the Talent Pipeline
by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Carolyn Buck Luce, Cornel West, Linda Bernstein, Catherine Orenstein, Peggy Shiller, Sandra Southwell, and Karen SumbergIn recent months violence and turmoil in different parts of the world-from race riots in France's ethnic ghettos to protests after the publication of cartoons of Muhammad, to American outrage at botched relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina that left mostly black victims to fend for themselves-have highlighted the ongoing challenge posed by difference and discrimination. These events capture not only the impact of prejudice, but also the need to look closely at what is going on in the labor force and talent pool- where lack of opportunity is felt by non-whites and women from the very bottom on up to the very top rungs of power. The data showcased in this study describe an enormous opportunity: multicultural executives rich in human and cultural capital. But they also describe serious challenges: how to realize this new stream of talent with its enormous leadership potential. This is a wake up call for global corporations. Purchase |

"Invisible Lives: Celebrating and Leveraging Diversity in the Executive Suite"
by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Carolyn Buck Luce, Cornel West, Helen Chernikoff, Danielle Samalin, and Peggy ShillerDetailed findings of the research underlying in "Leadership in Your Midst" are the basis of the Center for Work-Life Policy Special Report. (CWLP, November 2005) Purchase |




High-Achieving Women, 2001
by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Carolyn Buck Luce, Peggy Shiller, and Sandra Southwell.Professional women have a much more difficult time balancing work and family than is commonly supposed. This report releases the findings of a CWLP/NPA nationwide survey, conducted with Harris Interactive, which explored the private and professional lives of high-achieving men and women. The survey focused on employment histories, workplace experiences, spousal relationships and children, the management of household chores and responsibilities, and attitudes and preferences concerning work, marriage and children. The report includes 40 charts and tables. Read more about our findings. (CWLP/NPA, 2002, 64 pages) Purchase Press Release
|  |  |




| What Will Parents Vote For In New York?
A 2001 poll by the Center for Work-Life Policy/National Parenting Association found that, across a broad range of issues and policies, New York parents share a great deal of common ground regardless of gender, race, income and political party. Issues that could galvanize New York parents include improving public education, making schools and neighborhoods safer, and easing work-family pressures. Download Report
Press Release
|

| The Parent Vote: Moms and Dads Up for Grabs
A 2000 poll by the Center for Work-Life Policy/National Parenting Association found that when parents step into the voting booth, they think of themselves as parents significantly more than any other traditional political interest group. This underscores the potential for the emergence of parents as a voting bloc. Parents - both mothers and fathers - say that "being a parent" has more influence on their choice of a candidate than any of the other conventional voter categories - including region, religion, income, gender and race - that get so much attention from pollsters, press and politicians. It's not just "soccer moms" - the new issue today is parenthood. Download Report
Press Release
|


| Parents Unite: An Issues Guide for the Parents' Movement
This Guide provides an overview of the issues parents say concern them the most including time pressures, financial security, quality schools and safety. It proposes a set of programmatic and well-reasoned steps businesses, government and parents themselves could take to help mothers and fathers succeed in giving their kids - and all of us - a strong future. Facts and figures included to backup the analysis. (CWLP/NPA, October 1998, 24 pages) Limited stock, please contact us.
|  |  |


| What Will Parents Vote For?: Findings of the First National Survey of Parent Priorities
This report releases the findings from the CWLP/NPA's first nationwide poll of parents' political priorities. In our survey, conducted by independent pollsters Penn + Schoen, we explored the reality behind the rhetoric of "family values" and "soccer moms" to find out what issues parents really care about. (CWLP/NPA, 1996, 25 pages) Limited stock, please contact us.
|  |  |
|  |
|  |