The 360-Degree Gender Sphere and the Six Strategies to Create Resilience

Abstract

Women in the bioscience sector continue to be under-represented at higher organizational levels. Only ten percent of the biopharmaceutical industry has female CEOs, and only one company had a board where women outnumbered men. Further, one female CEO exists within the largest pharmaceutical companies: Emma Walmsley of GlaxoSmithKline, and Reshma Kewelramani of Vertex joined in 2020. The bioscience sector is extremely lucrative, where the average female CEO pay is $5.2 million versus the average male earnings of $5.7 million. Diversity at high organizational levels within the bioscience sector is essential. Having women represented at higher organizational levels brings customer perspectives to the strategic decision-making process, provides mentors and sponsors for other women in the organization, and contributes to innovation and creativity. This chapter includes findings from previous research, which showed the barriers encountered “360-Degree Gender Sphere” and the strategies used “Six Strategies to Create Resilience” during career progression by women. There are three modules of this work. The first is an awareness program of the barriers women encounter while ascending in the bioscience sector the 360-degee gender sphere. The second section assesses and accentuates which barriers are most troublesome; and the last segment is “The Six Strategies to Create Resilience Action Plans”. These programs assist females in understanding the barriers they may encounter and the necessary strategies one must take to overcome the peripheral “360-Degree Gender Sphere” and create resilience. The 360-degree gender sphere and the six strategies to create resilience conveys decades of knowledge from successful executives in the healthcare industry.

Key Terms in this Chapter

ERG Groups: Internal employer resource groups that exist in larger organizations. The intention is to provide networking opportunities for people that have similar demographic characteristics and to provide support and developmental opportunities to those groups. For example there may be groups for women, African Americans, Hispanic Groups, Asian Groups, Muslim Groups, LGBTQ+ groups in organizations.

Glass Ceiling: A metaphor that describes an invisible barrier that women encounter as they attempt to ascend the corporate ladder.

The 360-Degree Gender Sphere: A theory that displaces the glass ceiling metaphor, in which states that women are encapsulated by barriers such as themselves, peers, direct managers, gendered structures, gendered norms and family.

Emotional Intelligence: A four-quadrant model that is the cornerstone of leadership and interpersonal effectiveness. The premise is that everything stems from a person knowing themselves and their ability to manage and control their emotions and emotional triggers. Once that is accomplished, a person must know what other’s triggers are to effectively interact and motivate others.

Mentoring: Mentoring can be informal or formal and is a process where a mentor provides career guidance to a mentee.

Sponsorship: A process where a sponsor who is higher up in an organization exposes an employee that is lower in the organization, to their networks, gives them stretch assignments, and vouches for them when going for a promotion.

Self-Branding: An ability to consistently convey your strengths, career successes and goals for career advancement.

Situational Leadership: The flexible ability of a leader to give various combinations of support and direction, depending on the task proficiency of a follower.