Do women lose out as they network less?

AHMEDABAD: It's a given fact that professional success is linked to social networking. But, do women lose out because they network less?
Yes, says Prof Neharika Vohra of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A). That's one of the reasons why only 43 women have become CEOs of Fortune 1000 companies in the last 35 years, she feels.
"Men have an edge as they have easier access to funds, have fewer family responsibilities and cultural stereotypes are often biased against women as leaders.A fourth reason is that women network less than men - whether it's attending parties or interacting on social networking sites," says Vohra.
She chaired the session on social networking at a workshop on Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity' held at IIM-A a while ago. The report on the seminar, which was out recently, was prepared by Prof Asha Kaul who heads the Gender Resources Centre at the institute.
"Research has shown that successful networking can positively influence career outcomes such as increased job opportunities, performance, income, promotions, satisfaction, access to information, gaining visibility, collaboration and professional support and resources," says Vohra.
When it comes to networking sites, there is no parity in usage between men and women. It was brought out at the seminar that women use them more for social interaction and support, while men network more often to promote their careers.
Also, women are more hesitant to put their pictures on Facebook and similar sites for reasons of security, which limits visibility. Thirdly, women are less drawn to networks where there is hierarchy and more to those where there is friendship and autonomy.
Women also attend fewer work-related social events as they have less time. They usually rush home from work to attend to chores in an effort to maintain the delicate work-life balance. Some studies show that 92 per cent of women are the main caretakers at home, says Vohra. Also, attending late night parties is taboo in many families for girls.
Another aspect is that men usually have a wider and more influential set of contacts. It was also brought out by some participants that there is a negative bias towards women as far as informal networking in office is concerned. Those seen chatting are often mistaken to be gossiping!
WHAT WILL HELP (box)
* Office space for networking while having tea, playing games or reading newspapers
* Work at school and college level to change gender insensitive attitudes towards social networking
* Technological solutions to make it easier and safer for women to use networking sites
* Making people aware of positive outcomes of informal social interactions at workplace