How is the fact that society has completely changed over the past 100 years and people are still alive from said time period abstract. Most of the good old boys are 60+ and lived in a time where the men and women had completely different roles in society. There is also the arguement of the influence of testosterone on the human personality. Higher levels of testosterone can be linked with many of the traits that one normally associates with high end management and while not a ultimate decider, it makes men more favorable for those positions

Upper management is often very detached from the average population though and gender legislation has a harder time reaching to those positions unless the laws are over manipulating on lower employment. Women have a majority in every election since they've voted and now have over 60% of Americas college grads. I honestly think everything will work itself out over the next decade or two as the older generations die off. I was never alive when women couldn't work or vote and pretty soon those ideas will be alien to the general public.

Society is a system that has been balanced over thousands of years and you can't destroy stigmas with legislation. There is also the fact that Americans are way too career oriented and tend to value social status over things that are much more important like having healthy relations with friends, families, and significant others.

I doubt I will ever be a ceo or any type of upper management personnel but I think a mix between old social roles, biology, and where Americans values lie make upper management a very hard to reach position that has women valuing it more than they should. Unless you truly love your work, careers are tiring and usually fruitless, living a life with plenty of free time for personal growth usually result in higher overall happiness and life spans for both men and women.

The lore of upper management is part of the American dream that I will always see as futile and not something worth living for. Careers are a 21st century invention and not in tune with what makes life great. I honestly believe Things will work themselves out over time but overall it's a pipe dream with no value outside of social standing. The money is great but if you can support your family do you really need more.

I do think it is messed up that lower qualified people can surpass a more qualified person solely on their sex alone but I don't think more social tinkering is the solution. The "you go girl" movement originated in the late 80's/early 90 ' s and over the next decade we will see a more cutthroat female work force entering the scene. They are strong people but only time will tell how they will change the history of business, give them some credit they don't always need help.