KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Women have taken the wrong approach in their effort to gain equality with men in the corporate world, according to a speaker at the Western Michigan University Food Marketing Conference here.
Janet Langford Kelly, former chief administrative officer, Kmart Corp., Troy, Mich., said women should not view themselves as being the same as men, but instead should emphasize their differences.
"Women made a mistake in patterning our quest for equal rights after the earlier work done by those combating racial discrimination," she said during a luncheon presented by the Network of Executive Women. "The history of racial discrimination decisions is about ensuring that similarly situated people will be treated the same. Skin color shouldn't matter. Gender does matter: It matters biologically, and it matters socially."
Among the suggestions Kelly offered for women entering the corporate world:
Prepare to be sexually harassed. Kelly suggested that women plan ahead with responses to men's advances that will get the message across that such advances are unwelcome, while preserving men's dignity.
Look for mentors and role models. It is especially important for women to find good role models, Kelly said, because it is often difficult for women "to find the right demeanor." The acceptable range of behavior for women is much narrower than it is for men, she said, "and the line between being assertive and being bitchy is, frankly, in the eye of the beholder."
