MADISON, Wis.—Women face a number of unique challenges as leaders within the credit union community, according to a new study released by the Filene Research Institute.
The study, “Five Challenges: Enhancing Women’s Leadership in Credit Unions,” was authored by Melissa Thomas-Hunt, associate professor of business Administration at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, and Mahak Nagpal, BRAD lab manager at the Darden School of Business, is based on a 76-person questionnaire sent to credit union employees and board members at North American CUs.
Responses to the questions are presented in an infographic format and built around five themes:
- The Pipeline Problem. “Women often start working for a credit union in lower-level roles and in departments that don't directly lead to the executive suite,” the authors state.
- Leadership Style and Perception: “Women seem slightly more likely to use authoritarian styles, but they also perceive themselves as having less power and influence than men,” according to the authors.
- Leadership Climate: “Employees at credit unions with female CEOs perceive themselves differently and act differently than those at similar credit unions with a man in charge,” the study observes.
- Ambition and Motivation: “Male and female credit union employees are equally ambitious,” the study suggests. “However, mentors and sponsors often sort along gender lines, making it more difficult for women to find a hand up.”
- Family Concerns: “Neither men nor women report family as a career inhibitor,” according to the study. “But at the senior level, men are much more likely than women to have children, implying a trade-off between career and family.”
For info: www.filene.org