Joe Gerstandt | keynote speaker, freedom fighter, freak-flag flier

Catalyst is a cool organization that does a lot of really good stuff.  Here are a few things they have recently released that will be of value to you:

1- Damned or Doomed

Damned or Doomed—Catalyst Study on Gender Stereotyping at Work Uncovers Double-Bind Dilemmas for Women

Study examines how a "men-as-default-leaders" mindset derails women’s advancement to business leadership

NEW YORK, NY (July 17, 2007)–Gender stereotyping, one of the key barriers to women’s advancement in corporate leadership, leaves women with limited, conflicting, and often unfavorable options no matter how they choose to lead, according to The Double-Bind Dilemma for Women in Leadership: Damned if You Do, Doomed if You Don’t, a study released today by Catalyst, the non-profit organization working to advance opportunities for women and business. This report, the third in Catalyst’s in-depth series examining the pervasive and damaging effects of gender stereotyping in the workplace, focuses on the consequences of gender bias and three specific “double-bind dilemmas” frequently experienced by women business leaders. The study also suggests organizational solutions to counter the persistent effects of gender stereotyping.

2-  More data for the business case

Companies With More Women Board Directors Experience Higher Financial Performance, According to Latest Catalyst Bottom Line Report

Report shows that three or more may be the charm

NEW YORK, NY (October 1, 2007)– Fortune 500 companies with the highest representation of women board directors attained significantly higher financial performance, on average, than those with the lowest representation of women board directors, according to Catalyst’s most recent report, The Bottom Line: Corporate Performance and Women’s Representation on Boards. In addition, the report points out, on average, notably stronger-than-average performance at companies with three or more women board directors.

The study, which is the second of Catalyst’s Bottom Line reports, looked at three critical financial measures: return on equity, return on sales, and return on invested capital, and compared the performance of companies with the highest representation of women on their boards to those with the lowest representation.

“Clearly, financial measures excel where women serve on corporate boards,” said Ilene H. Lang, President of Catalyst. “This Catalyst study again demonstrates the very strong correlation between corporate financial performance and gender diversity. We know that diversity, well managed, produces better results. And smart companies appreciate that diversifying their boards with women can lead to more independence, innovation, and good governance and maximize their company’s performance.”

The report found higher financial performance for companies with higher representation of women board directors in three important measures:

• Return on Equity: On average, companies with the highest percentages of women board directors outperformed those with the least by 53 percent.
• Return on Sales: On average, companies with the highest percentages of women board directors outperformed those with the least by 42 percent.
• Return on Invested Capital: On average, companies with the highest percentages of women board directors outperformed those with the least by 66 percent.

3- Guidelines for Creating Inclusive Work Environment

Catalyst Releases Guide to Creating an Inclusive Work Environment for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) Employees

NEW YORK, NY (October 11, 2007)–Catalyst today released its latest research, Making Change: LGBT Inclusion–Implementing Policies, Programs, and Practices, the second in its landmark Making Change series on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employees in the workplace. This guide offers specific insights and strategies about how organizations can address the challenges faced by LGBT employees at work. These challenges, along with the components of the business case for LGBT inclusion, were highlighted in the first of the series, Making Change: LGBT Inclusion–Understanding the Challenges.

By recognizing the issues facing the LGBT community and addressing the barriers confronting LGBT women who must deal with “double-outsider status” based both on gender and sexual orientation, this series represents the next step in Catalyst’s efforts to help organizations foster a work environment inclusive to all women.

This research is designed for human resources and diversity practitioners at organizations that are either starting an initiative from scratch or expanding an existing initiative. “It stresses the importance of accurately communicating that the term ‘LGBT’ refers to a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, and mode of gender expression,” said Dr. Nancy M. Carter, Vice President of Research at Catalyst. “LGBT does not refer to an individual’s sexual behavior or activities.”