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Gender and Marginalization in relation to project management
Introduction
In decades past, project management was primarily a male-dominated discipline. But
over the past decade, women have increasingly gained prominence--as practitioners, scholars,
and teachers--and are now both redefining the typical image of the project manager and
expanding the skills project managers need to function effectively in today's business world. This
article examines the findings of an online survey--involving responses from 563 project team
members--that explores how gender differences affect the way project teams play their roles,
work together, use technology, and utilize resources. In doing so, it overviews findings from the
few previously published studies on how gender affects the nature of managing projects; it
defines the current study's focus: To determine whether gender differences in project managers
are related to gender differences in team members.
Background
The purpose of this study is to explore women project managers as a group in order to
generate new understanding about the present project context within which they work and to
promote new research‐based ideas for optimizing their potential in business organizations. To
this end, the paper explore their demographics and project characteristics, their project

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challenges and issue selling moves, and their perspectives on the advantages and disadvantages
for women in this profession.
One of the most significant labor force trends for women over the past two decades has
been the sheer increase in their numbers within management positions in public, private, and
government sector organizations. The hope of many has been that this increase of women
managers, typically in mid‐level or similar ranks, would propel more women into senior and
executive level positions. Yet instead of increased numbers horizontally translating into greater
numbers vertically, the rise of women into upper management ranks appears to have stalled with
many management researchers and practitioners asking, “Why?”, especially during a time in
history with more legal and cultural mandates and generational expectations for gender equality
in the workplace than at any time before. The stall appears to have occurred for several reasons
including a regression to culturally‐embedded, traditional modes of gender behavior in response
to high uncertainty and ambiguity in today's organizations and second‐generation forms of
gender bias that are just as powerful as in the past, yet more invisible due to enduring cultural
beliefs about gender roles both in the larger society and in organizations.
Literature Review
Since the early 2000s, several research studies have confirmed an ongoing pattern of
inequality between women and men in employment and work organizations, human capital
investment and its effect on authority and power relationships, and the impact of stereotypes and
overcoming stereotypes. The consequences can be seen in differential investments in education,
work experience and training for women that take away from their potential to move effectively
into positions of authority. For women, the preeminent challenge is to disconfirm stereotypes in

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order to be considered competent to assume positions of authority, and once there, to somehow
transform negative perceptions of that same authority such as ambition and self‐promotion that
are more easily prescribed positively to men.
2.1 Challenges for project managers

The majority of fundamental descriptions of project managers emphasize their responsibility and
accountability without formal lines of authority for working within a team to define project
scopes, create plans to accomplish these scope requirements, and successfully implement plans
on time, within budget, and at the expected level of quality – better known as the “iron triangle” .
To be successful in and accountable for reaching project outcomes, project managers must also
significantly influence the creation of a positive, motivating project environment

2.2 Project managers and issue selling

Project managers are typically characterized by their need to influence others, both within and
outside of their projects, with fuzzy authority yet having the responsibility and accountability for
the outcomes on their projects. Project managers may influence upwards to project sponsors
and/or senior management, horizontally to line or functional managers, and/or to stakeholders
both inside the project team and outside of their project organization such as upper, general and
functional managers; partner organizations, customers and clients, alliances, vendors, and
contractors. The essential purposes for influencing these various groups include:

1. obtaining sufficient resources, including skilled human resources;
2. negotiating changes to the quality scope objectives of the project; and

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3. working within timeline parameters and budgetary constraints.

Summary

Being seen as an authority can be difficult, especially with men who are not familiar with
the true PM role. They often think of us as “traffic” people or as secretaries.

Many male professionals often don't think women have the knowledge to understand
what it is that they (the men) do, when in fact the women are engaged in the same
position.

Conclusion

I think women are more careful choosing words and making sure the overall project goal
and strategy is clearly understood by all parties. Women pay attention to the details and
we are allowed to gently cross‐reference between a serious work environment and still be
human without getting personal.

Affirmative action in relation to project management

Introduction

Affirmative Action Programs (AAP) are a requirement of doing business with the U.S.
Federal Government. Specified contract and employment activities must comply with
AAP to meet equal employment opportunity (EEO) regulations. Affirmative action
programs designed for institutions or government contracting agreements, exhibit AAP
goal attainment in comparative statistical analyses with aggregate U.S. labor segments to

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illustrate program performance. Affirmative action programs must follow AAP
guidelines to internal policy guidelines in development and execution of those actionoriented programs.

Background

Developing a compliant and accurate Affirmative Action Program (AAP) is only one part
of a yearlong story. This story has many parts, and it is important to pay attention to each
one of them for your AAP to be successful. Most of us do not want to leave...