Title: ‘Creating Gender Synergy’
Author: Leonard Nyirongo
Publisher: Pioneering Performance Books
Pages: 428

“The book is a ‘must read’ for all those who really wish to enhance organisational performance in today’s turbulent business environment. It is of relevance to students of management, an indispensable ‘manager’s companion’, and a useful and informative reference source for gender policy makers”.
That statement summarises how Copperbelt University Chancellor Professor Muyunda Mwanalushi (PhD) describes the book entitled ‘Creating Gender Synergy’ in his introduction of the document.
‘Creating Gender Synergy in top decision making roles in profit and non-profit organisations’ is a book which opens up with the question: “Do women have as much potential as men for management and leadership roles?” the author, Leonard Nyirongo, examines various aspects of the question and marshals a mass of material which enables him to answer the question in the affirmative.
The book is broad and comprehensive in coverage, ranging from the stereo-types about women and other road blocks in the work place which tend to hinder women’s progress in management to a consideration of the formulation of organisational and national policies which can help to facilitate the advancement of women into top management roles.
The advances compelling arguments for equality of opportunity for women and men in management and also presents evidence which shows that feminine and male dispositions complement each other and make for effective organisational performance.
In the book, the author spells out some of the things organisations have to learn in today’s complex management environment if they are to succeed in transforming themselves into high-performance organisations.
For this reason, the book could not have come at a more opportune time, for as we enter the 21st Century there is need to discard restrictive practices in management in order to unleash them to contribute at their optimum and thereby enable their organisations to enhance their competitiveness.
This is not a book just about women and men in management because it is a general management text for both men and women who want to advance in their careers in management and business.
The thesis or theme of the book is that “there are many institutions world-wide — businesses, political parties, government ministries and agencies, universities, schools, churches and community based organisations — which still believe women do not have what it takes to handle top decision-making roles.
‘‘According to the research done, the root cause of this stance is the stereo-typing of women, coupled with ignorance of who they really are and what they are capable of.’’
The book explores changes in modern organisations favouring women’s potential for top leadership roles, positive benefits from the colonial era inspite of its limitations on women, what women empowerment for top managerial and leadership roles entails as well as the meaning of women empowerment for top jobs.
The author writes that to empower women in organisations is to provide them with an environment that gives them the freedom to develop their potential for key senior management and leadership roles.
“Organisations that restrict women to operate below or at middle management level in supportive roles only are depriving themselves of the synergy in leadership skills needed at the top … as they lead, leaders need managers to take charge and supervise the day to day operations to impact on the long-term goals. Just as the army provides the necessary fire at the battle front directed by the generals, so the managers support or back up the corporate leaders’ direction,” contends the book.
It further looks at depth the challenging stereo-types against women’s potential for key senior management and leadership roles, exploring the root causes of stereo-types against women in organisations and other continents today which is largely attributed to the way women are brought up and treated in the home, contrasting this with other factors such as colonialism, racism and religion amongst others.
In the book, we see the author tackling the question: does Christianity portray women as inferior to men in leadership, justifying the arguments and counter contentions on Biblical teachings.
With appropriate pictorial illustrations, the book strives to revisit the challenging dependence/bread winner’s syndrome amongst women as much as the well researched document looks at the chief steps into senior management ranks strategically, including the typical traditional entry points and progression phases women tend to take.
“To make a decisive step into management and leadership ranks, women should plan their career and qualifications in advance and avoid getting stranded in the experimental career paths. They should also take risks and work with mentors during the early stages of their careers in order to enter into male-dominated jobs with clear focus,” explains the book.
The book also discusses how women can move up corporate ladders quicker with the help of mentors considering that mentors and sponsors are critical in your career in management because all successful women executives have or had mentors, adding: ‘‘As you establish a relationship with your mentor, develop the learning events best suited to your learning styles and value your mentor’s efforts and time. Finally, nurture the relationship well and deal with problems proactively and courteously’’.
The author discusses how governments in Africa and other continent can effectively stimulate, facilitate and drive the development and appointment of women for top decision-making roles and the effective national strategies for promoting women in all sectors.
The author contends that Governments are well positioned to facilitate and drive empowerment of women for top decision-making jobs in all sectors and explores to depth issues related to creating policies and strategies at organisational level for developing women for top decision-making roles.
The book beefs up the contentions and counter contentions through emphatic examples across the globe and Africa, illustrating the seriousness the author attaches to issues raised in this rather thorough academically yet rich resource of information relevant to contemporary Zambian scenario.
There are also valuable examples of organisations that have succeeded at creating gender synergy, including case studies of women who have risen to top leadership jobs through building own organisations.
The book concludes with a compendium of women leadership development organisations in seventeen countries in both developing and developed countries. This is an invaluable guide for women who want to further their training and development.MN