Study on clichés related to women professionals by peers, subordinates & managers

“We are afraid to allow ourselves to blossom fully because of the general disapproval that fills our air whenever a ‘little lady’ forgets her place”

These are words from Marianne Williamson’s A Woman’s Worth, which deals with the reassertion of the feminine in a patriarchal society.

Back home, Williamson’s position — another famous line of hers is “you need not apologise for being brilliant, talented, gorgeous, rich, or smart” — couldn’t ring truer in the corporate world. A study by analytics firm Jombay of 5,000 women professionals at 250 companies across seven Indian cities concludes that women managers don’t really know their strengths, and that there is a significant perception gap across several parameters. The study includes evaluation of the women by peers, subordinates and managers.