Cultivating female leaders

Citation

Pomeroy, A. (2007), "Cultivating female leaders", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 21 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/dlo.2007.08121dad.011

Cultivating female leaders

Cultivating female leaders

Pomeroy A. HRMagazine, February 2007, Vol. 52 No. 2, Start page: 44, No. of pages: 6

Purpose – explains what Safeway, the supermarket chain in the USA, has done to successfully promote women to senior management posts and to retain them. Design/methodology/approach – quotes from the director of HR planning at Safeway and women managers in the organization about the diversity initiative it launched, “Championing Change for Women” and identifies the aspects of the program that were successful in developing women as organizational leaders. Findings – cites the decision to focus the organization’s Retail Leadership Development program on women and other target groups, the establishment of the women’s leadership network, the development of a mentoring program, and the steps taken to tackle work/life balance matters. Also highlights that managers are held responsible for the success of the diversity initiative and that it is part of their performance assessment. Points out that the initiative has been successful in increasing the number of women store managers by 42 percent and that the number of women who have successfully completed the Retail Leadership Development program has increased by 37 percent. Originality/value – gives Safeway as an example of an organization that has successfully tackled diversity.ISSN: 1047-3149

Keywords: Diversity management, Management development, Retail trade, United States of America, Women