3-17. Go to the Web sites of IBM ( www.ibm.com ), PepsiCo ( www.pepsico.com ), and Xerox ( www.xerox.com ) and explore those sites to learn more about the women who are either the CEO or chairperson at these companies. Several of the Web sites have a “biography of executives” feature to learn more about the CEO and other top executives. Another possibility to gather some background on the careers of executive women is to use a search engine such as Yahoo! and search on the company name and name of the CEO or chairperson. Based on the information you gather, develop a rationale to explain how these women overcame the “glass ceiling” and attained the top executive role in a major U.S. corporation.

3-18. Some male senior executives avoid becoming mentors to younger women because of their fear of possible sexual harassment claims against them (as retribution for a romantic relationship that ends badly) or office gossip suggesting the mentoring pair are having a romance. Do you think it is reasonable for male executives to have fears about what could evolve or be suggested about professional relationships with female managers? How could a woman seeking a mentor go about cultivating a mentoring relationship with a male senior executive, being aware that some men have reservations about establishing close professional relationships with women due to office gossip or the possibility of a romantic relationship that results in the male having to defend himself against charges of sexual harassment?

3-19. With a team of four or five students, develop an HR plan to break down some of the glass-ceiling barriers in an organization that is male dominated at the upper ranks. Some examples of male-dominated industries include high technology (Intel, Texas Instruments, and Cisco Systems, for example), defense (Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and General Dynamics, for example), and energy (Exxon, BP-Amoco, and Chevron, for example). Think of specific HR activities that could “add value” to the firm by breaking down barriers to women who are seeking to become executives in the organization. Some HR functions that could provide fruitful sources include training, recruitment and selection, compensation, benefits, work systems, HR planning, performance appraisal, employee relations, and discipline. Be prepared to present and defend your plan to other members of your class.

3-20. Some women avoid the glass ceiling by becoming entrepreneurs. Contact three female entrepreneurs or business owners and ask them some questions that pertain to owning their own business. Start with your own network of family and friends and the entrepreneurship center at the business school at your university or a professor who teaches entrepreneurship. You could also contact the Chamber of Commerce in your city.

     Here are some questions to pose in your interviews: Why did you decide to start your own business? What have you learned from the experience of being an entrepreneur? When is the best time in one’s career to start a business? Why do you think there is a growing trend among professional women to start their own businesses? Now that more women are becoming CEOs of large corporations, do you think there are fewer obstacles for women to advance to the top of organizations?

     After you complete your interviews, summarize the results. What seem to be the key advantages of being a business owner? Do you think that male entrepreneurs would provide the same answers to your questions? Did any of the women you spoke with bring up gender issues related to their former employer as motivations for their career change? Be prepared to share your findings with other members of the class.