Taboo: Management Consulting and Policy Prohibiting Women

The Taboo of Women in Management global management consulting firm Burns & McC tout ensembleister is listed by running(a) M early(a) magazine as one of the wind fifty firms in the United States for employment of on the job(p) mothers and by Working Woman magazine as one of the top ten firms for women. The firm has realize this reputation for several reasons. First, nearly 50% of its partners argon women. Second, it has a menu of employee benefits that includes such things as turn over hours, sabbaticals, family leave, home-based work, and part-time partner-track positions.However, B&M recently has been the topic of a series of reports by both the Los Angeles measure and the freshly York Times that scrutinise its policy on fe masculine executives in certain nations. B&M has learned, through its years of consulting, that certain countries in which it negotiates for contracts abolish the use of women in the negotiation process. The cultures of many of these countries do non p ermit women to speak in a meeting that includes men.Consequently, B&M has implemented a policy prohibiting women partners from being assigned these potential distinguish negotiations and later the accounts themselves. Clerical help in the offices bathroom be female, but any contact with lymph node must be through a male partner or account executive. For example, Japan sleek over has a two-track hiring system with only 3% of nonrecreational positions open to women. The remainder of the women in the Japanese collective workforce become office ladies who file, wear uniforms, and mete out tea. Dentsu, Inc. a large Japanese ad firm, had a picture of the typical Dentsu Working Girl in its recruiting brochure. Surrounding the photo argon comments primarily nigh her physical appearance such as (1) her breasts are pretty large and (2) her bottom is rather soft. In response to criticism regarding B&Ms posture, the head of the firms New York office has explained Look, were about as pr ogressive a firm as youll find. But the reality of global business is that if we try to use women, we cant get the job. Its non a policy on all extraneous accounts.Weve just identified certain cultures in which women bequeath not be able to successfully ground or work on accounts. This restriction does not interfere with their career track. It does not afford to all countries. The National Organisation for Women ( straight off) would like B to apply to all its operations the standards that it employs in the United States. No restrictions are placed on women here, NOW argues, and other cultures should adapt to our standards we should not change our standards to adapt to their culture. NOW maintains that without such a posture, change can never come about