Why women don't get the top jobs

WOMEN do not land top jobs because employers secretly think they are not as talented as men, a study has revealed.

A report presented to the British Psychological Society will claim that despite increased awareness of sexism in the workplace, bosses still believe women lack the 'right stuff'.

Psychologists' research found the majority of employers thought women were naturally more meek and nurturing than men - and lacked the vital 'aggressive' spark to make them good leaders or senior managers.

The study questioned almost 200 senior managers of both sexes at a major City bank and a global IT firm to gauge their attitudes towards staff. It found that when men performed well it was credited to their natural abilities. When a woman was successful it was because she had put in 'extra' effort.

The findings, by a team at London University's Goldsmiths College, come just two days after an Equal Opportunities Commission report revealed that only 9% of top business leaders in the UK were female. In the male-dominated world of the FTSE top 100 firms, the gap is even wider, with only 6.5% of directorships held by women.

'Women are perceived as more likely to respond to circumstances, rather than drive success through themselves,' said Professor Jo Silvester, co-author of the Goldsmiths study.

'Men, in contrast, are more likely to be seen to be responsible for producing successful outcomes. Women, it appears, are not seen as having the right stuff - they are not perceived as leadership material.'

The findings echo research from as far back as 1980, which proves that men are perceived as more 'aggressive and risk-taking'.

Professor Silvester added: 'The paucity of women in top management positions in the UK should be regarded as a national scandal,' Maxine Benson, co-founder of businesswomen's support group Everywoman, said: 'Things haven't changed quickly enough in the last 30 years. These findings come as no surprise. You see it every day, women working twice as hard and getting half the praise for their skills.

'Unfortunately, the definition of what makes a leader is based on the leaders we have had - and they have predominantly been men. What we need is the spotlight being put far more on the women who are leading successful businesses today.

'There are some skills that women have in spades that generally speaking men don't. They do more things by consensus, and that makes them great in a corporate environment.

'We need to start valuing the balance between what skills men have and what skills women have - because they are both equally vital.'

Tamara Hill-Norton is one of Britain's most successful female businesswomen. The 32-year-old is co-founder and managing director of sportwear company SweatyBetty, whose clothes are worn by celebrities such as Emma Bunton and Elle Macpherson.

She believes the reason more and more women are setting up as solo entrepreneurs is because big business is still geared largely towards men.

'I think they may have had to do that because they've not been allowed to progress in a corporate workplace,' she said.

Hill-Norton, a married mother of two, added: 'I think there are definitely more men leading by aggression in top jobs but I'd say a lot of women are actually more natural leaders. If you don't stomp all over people in a power-hungry way like some men might, then it's probably seen as not being aggressive enough to be in charge.'