Introduction
The world is increasingly getting competitive. Firms are faced with a difficult situation of having to deal with the dynamics in the corporate world. The emerging technologies and environmental concerns are some of the factors that corporate bodies have to deal with in order to ensure smooth operations. According to Kousholt (2007, p.56), management units in the current society must be able to handle the two most important factors in the current dynamic world. The first factor is the emerging technologies. Emerging technologies have the capacity to make or break a firm. Not all emerging technologies are important to an organization. Some are very important, while others are completely irrelevant.
Understanding emerging technologies would help a firm gain a competitive edge over other firms. This has seen most firms come with various projects that are geared towards achieving specific goals in this field. The second factor is environmental conservation. As technology continues to improve the way of life of humankind, our environment is increasingly under threat of total destruction from various factors in society. Emerging technologies continue to pose more threat to the environment. Various agencies have come out strongly to oppose the emerging technologies. Some of them have openly attacked a number of leading firms in the world. Attack from such agencies can be very dangerous because it would generate negative publicity for the firm. For this reason, firms have tried to be at peace with these agencies in order to be seen champions of a clean world. This project concept note is based on environmental conservation.
Project Rationale
This project is focused on environmental conservation. The choice of environmental conservation, at the expense of emerging technologies, was arrived at when the project management team realized that there was a need to ensure that the firm retains its reputation. In the current market, a good name is one of the factors that a firm must protect closely. A firm must consider developing a good relationship with the market in order to ensure that it is successful in the market. One of the leading concerns in the current market is environmental pollution from plastic materials. The invention of plastics made the process of wrapping very easy. It was thought that it would be a lasting solution to the problem of packaging. However, it has turned out to be a nightmare for the environment. Plastics are non-biodegradable. Plastic wastes in the environment are one of the leading courses of concern in the current society.
This firm is one of the leading companies that use plastic wrappers. It was, therefore, concerned about the fact that the environmental watchdogs would attack it from polluting the environment. The firm was interested in becoming an environmental champion. Through this project, the firm would win the trust of the public. It would convince the consumers that it cares about their social welfare. This project would, therefore, be a concerted effort for this firm to conform to the society that it is determined to bring a positive change to the environment. Although this project would involve costs to the firm, the long-term effect of the project would boost the market share of the firm.
One of the main shortcomings that may bar the organization from achieving the above objectives is the wrong prioritization of its projects. The management has given a lot of emphasis on projects that have direct financial benefits to the firm. The management of the firm can correct this concern by giving emphasis to both short-term and long-term benefits. Through this, it would come to appreciate the importance of conducting the above process.
It is also important to understand the mission and vision strategy of this project so as to make the rationale clear. The vision of this strategy is to have a community that is free from pollution, especially plastic wastes. The mission will be to engage the society positively, participating in maintaining the cleanliness of their immediate environment.
Analysis of the Context
This concept is important in maintaining the profitability of a firm for longer periods. The project should be analyzed based on the existing internal and external factors. SWOT analysis would be very valuable.
SWOT Analysis
In order to bring more understanding of the feasibility analysis of this project, a SWOT analysis would be appropriate. It would also help in understanding the strengths and weaknesses that come with the project.
The strength of this project that would be transferred to the organization is a positive image in the market. The world is increasingly becoming sensitive to the impact of various business units on the environment. The concern is emanating from the fact that it has been confirmed beyond any reasonable doubt that various multinational companies are polluting the environment at a very dangerous rate (Lewis 2006, p. 19). This project is expected to give this company a different image in the market.
This company will be seen as a firm that is smarter in its environmental strategy. The market will be convinced that this company is not just interested in making profits, but also turning the society into a better place. The firm will easily attract additional customers who are determined to make a positive difference in their society. This is because they will view this firm as one that helps in conserving the environment. They will consider the purchase of the firm’s product as part of environmental conservation. As a result of this, the firm will develop a strong base of loyal customers. This firm may also take this advantage to reach out to the international markets. The project would give this company a moral right to claim that it is a champion of a clean environment in the entire world. The project has a team of dedicated and qualified staff who will be able to front all the interest of the firm in the duration within which the activity will take place. This team will also manage all the material resources that will be allocated to it in order to achieve best results for the firm.
Despite the above strength, this project would come with some weakness. The first weakness that this project has is the financial challenge. The initiative of managing the environment is very challenging financially. It would cost this firm, large sum of money if it would sustain this project over the years it expects to operate in this market (Murch 2004, p. 75). The members of this team expect to work in collaboration with other firms in order to clean the environment. The team may not have the capacity to rid the environment of all the electronic wastes, unless it is supported by other agencies within the local society. The local government must be convinced to participate in this project actively. Other environmental agencies would also be invited to take part in the elimination of such wastes as plastic materials. The fact that the project would involve partnership with other firms, success of the entire process may be jeopardized. Success would be pegged on how determined the other partners are in fulfilling their duties.
The project comes with a number of opportunities to the firm. The strategy of allowing customers who come with old wrappers of this company products some discount when they buy new products is an opportunity of this firm to introduce a new competitive advantage in the market without provoking price wars. The competitors would consider this move as part of the project for this firm. This will make this firm increase its market share. Many individuals who may need new products would go for old this company’s products in order to get discount. Those without this company’s products would buy the product in order to get the discount in future. This way, the firm would be able to create a base larger number of loyal customers try their products and confirm the quality (Roberts 2011, p. 98). This would give this firm a lead in this market. The collaboration with other organizations will also make it easy for the firm to increase its organizational customers in the market.
Threats may not be predictable in this project, though the possibility of occurrence would be reduced considerably. The first threat that this project may bring is price wars in the market. It is true that the firm has concealed the fact that it is charging lesser price by giving customers extra responsibilities. However, there is a possibility that the competitors may consider this move as a strategy that this firm uses to charge cheap for their products. The impact of this is that the competitor may respond by equally lowering their prices in the market. Such price wars are always dangerous to the prosperity of a business. The initiative may fail to make any serious sense. However, this threat has been minimized by introducing other responsibilities for the project, and the invitation of the whole society to participate.
The Project Outline
Objectives of the Project
The following are some of the objectives that this firm should consider maintaining. The objectives are meant to satisfy marketing requirements, financial capacity of the firm and the general image of this firm in the selected market.
- The environment should be eliminated from all the electronic wastes from this company
- The environment should be rid of all other electronic wastes from any other company that has not considered coming up with a strategy of eliminating their wastes from the environment.
- All plastic materials in the selected regions should be eliminated within the three months that the project would last.
- The community should be sensitized of the need to eliminate all forms of environmental pollution. This can be achieved by running adverts in both mass and social media. They should be made to appreciate that they have a role to play in ensuring that the environment is kept clean.
- The society should be made to appreciate the importance of continued environmental conservations even after the departure of the team from this company.
The above objectives satisfy the SMART criteria of a good project. They are very specific, in that it aims at eliminating all electronic wastes, and by extension, the plastic wastes. They are measurable, because, after the project, it would be easy to determine the level of pollution in the environment. The project is achievable because the region of focus is specific. The team has the financial capacity to meet the obligations.
The Case for Project Implementation
This project would be very important in ensuring that this firm succeeds in the market. It would bring a favorable image of the firm in the market. When implemented successfully, it would be possible for the firm to increase its market share. It would have a competitive advantage in the market as a company that is concerned with the welfare of the society. It would be possible to convince the market that this firm is more concerned of the social well being of the society than of the possible profits it can generate in the market
Gaps Skills
This project is very ambitious. However, it requires employees who understand public relations. The firm has a limited number of employees in this area, as most of them are stationed at the head office. There will be need to ensure that enough workforce is hired for this task.
Feasibility Analysis
The current market is very competitive, and it requires firms to come up with appropriate formulas of managing this competition. This project is geared towards ensuring that this company gains some advantage in this market. There is very strong competition from other companies that offer same products or close substitutes (Lewis 2006, p. 32). The main target market for this firm is the youth. The youths are the largest consumers of electronic gadgets. They also make satisfactory repeat purchases because they always move with fashion. They would change the products they have as soon as they are aware that a trendier product has been introduced. This market segment is also known for its impulse buying. They rarely plan for the product they want to buy. When they want an item, their judgment is always affected by the perception of the society. A product perceived to be of high quality by the society would be favorable to them. This project is viable. It would cost this company considerable amount of money. The firm would need to spend about $ 1 million for the project to make an impact. However, this amount, and much more, would be recovered through increased sales by the firm.
Project Risks
Although this strategy is very beneficial to the firm, it has some risks that may affect the firm in one way or the other. The leading risk of this project, as explained above, is the financial constrain. The project will require a lot of financial investment. The society may also fail to appreciate the effort made by the firm in coming up with the project. The firm can mitigate the financial risks by setting aside enough finance for such activities on a yearly basis. In order to ensure that the society appreciates the work of this firm, the management should consider engaging them directly in their activities.
List of References
Kousholt, B 2007, Project management: theory and practice, Cengage, New York.
Lewis, J 2006, Fundamentals of project management, American Management Association, New York.
Murch, R 2004, Project management: best practices for IT professionals, Prentice Hall PTR, Upper Saddle River.
Roberts, P 2011, Effective project management, Kogan Page, London.
Social Influence And Personal Thinking
Introduction
Human beings are social creatures and, therefore, their decisions and thinking are highly subjected to social influence. Social influence as a sociological phenomenon is the way human beings sway the beliefs, feeling, thinking, and behaviors of one another (Fabrigar & Norris, 2015). As such, personal thinking and behavior are guided by societal norms and behaviors.
This paper analyses social influence and its effects on personal thinking and behavior. In addition, the essay examines the views of some of the sociological theories such as functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interaction on social influence.
Society influence to personal thinking
Personal thoughts, ideas, attitudes, and behaviors are highly influenced by society. It is worth noting that social groups have established norms, which individuals try to be in line with to avoid dissonance. Therefore, personal views of what is wrong, right, acceptable, or unacceptable are based on what social groups’ norms dictate. For instance, an individual is likely to think that a new model of a gadget is trendy and appropriate, depending on what people say about it.
Areas in personal life that are affected by social influence and how they are affected
Social influence is evident in nearly all aspects of human lives. The phenomenon can be observed in major individuals’ behaviors that replicate group norms and behavior. For instance, social influence can be linked to major political or voting decisions manifested by the public. Some politicians are elected not due to their competency but due to their abilities to manipulate social influence to their advantage. Other common areas where group decision-making is apparent include fashion/style; purchase decisions; investment decisions; reaction to disasters; cultural markets, and many other day-to-day pronouncements.
Before making decisions, people are more likely to observe the people around them. Their decisions are then informed by societal norms and behaviors. In a certain study, for instance, an analysis was carried out to investigate societal influence in individual answers to some factual questions. Each of the participants had an aggregate clue on the responses given by the majority of the test partakers. The findings were interesting since the overall responses were more or less similar (Mavrodiev, Tessone, & Schweitze, 2013).
The social influence works in diverse ways and in different models. A perfect model that can explicitly demonstrate social influence is the dissonance minimization model. In an attempt to avoid dissonance and conflicts, human beings end up behaving in accordance with societal norms (Groeber, Lorenz, & Schweitzer, 2014 ).
The good and the bad of a social influence
Social influence has both negative and positive outcomes (Muchnik, Aral, & Taylor, 2013). As such, social influence can be a good thing or a bad thing. For instance, if in a certain industry, all the firms are tax and legislation compliant, a new firm is likely to follow suit and comply with government regulations. In such a case, social influence will be a good thing. In another instance, women in a certain office who make individual decisions based on group influence may have negative impacts on individuals’ financial statuses in trying to fit in.
Another bad social influence is the use of harmful substances and drugs. For instance, smoking among youth is highly facilitated by negative societal influence (Simons-Morton & Farhat, 2010).
Minimizing social influence
It is evident that social influence plays a vital role in individuals’ decision-making processes. Nonetheless, human beings are autonomous and can make individual decisions and, therefore, minimize the social influence, especially negative effects, and herd mentality. It is imperative for an individual to take time before making decisions. As such, all factors and outcomes pertinent to a decision-making process will be considered.
Functionalism and social influence
Functionalism view society as a system with many elements that are interrelated/interconnected, working in harmony while influencing each other (Mooney, Knox, & Schacht, 2012).As such, parts and element of the society work together to strike an equilibrium in the whole society.
For instance, the family is a vital element of the society that has a mandate to nurture and socialize children. It is evident that children’s way of thinking and overall behaviors are influenced by their parents or care providers.
In addition, education and schools significantly influence youths’ attitudes, thinking, and decision-making processes. Moreover, the political class and policymakers influence legislation and major regulations that guide personal thinking and behaviors. The last part of the society that highly influences personal thinking is religion.
Conflict theory and social influence
Proponents of the conflict theory claim that the society is made up of diverse groups, which always compete for power, opportunities and resources (Mooney, Knox, & Schacht, 2012). As such, individual thinking, attitude, and behavior are influenced by the conflicting elements in the society. A poor person, for instance, argues that the rich hold the wealth and resources of the society. Therefore, their attitudes and thinking will be highly influenced by the phenomenon of the rich and the poor. For instance, Karl Marx, (a key figure and a proponent of the theory) argues that poor people tend to hide under religion due the conflicting realities of life (Mooney, Knox, & Schacht, 2012).
Symbolic interaction and social influence
Symbolic interaction adopts a more comprehensive approach to social influence relative to either functionalism or conflict theory. As such, it is referred to as macro sociology since it explains social influence in advanced (institutional) levels (Mooney, Knox, & Schacht, 2012).
The proponents of symbolic interactionism argue that personal thinking, attitudes, and behaviors are influenced by definitions and meanings generated through social interaction. In addition, people get their identities and definitions of selves through social interaction. As such, an individual’s perspective of self is highly influenced by their society’s perspectives (Mooney, Knox, & Schacht, 2012).
Conclusion
Social influence is evident in all societies around the world. An individual’s decision-making processes are highly influenced by the people around them. The society influences individual’s thinking, attitude, and behavior. Social influence is manifested by herd mentality, which is evident in individuals’ behaviors.
Social influence has both positive and negative effects on individuals’ thinking and decision-making processes. It is prudent to get rid of negative social influence while enhancing positive aspects of social influence. An important technique of minimizing negative social influence is taking time during decision-making. Taking time gives an individual a chance to examine the negative consequences of the herd mentality and, therefore, make autonomous and wise decisions.
Social influence can be illustrated by three sociology theories, functionalism, conflicting, and social interaction theories. Functionalism emphasizes the interconnectivity of societal elements and hence the social influence. The conflicting theory, on the other hand, suggests that the differences in the society highly influences individuals’ thinking and behavior. Lastly, the symbolic interaction theorists suggest that social influence is determined by definitions and meanings obtained from social interactions.
References
Fabrigar, L. R., & Norris, M. E. (2015). Conformity, Compliance, and Obedience. Oxford Bibliographies in Psychology. Web.
Groeber, P., Lorenz, J., & Schweitzer, F. (2014 ). Dissonance Minimization as a Microfoundation of Social Influence in Models of Opinion Formation. The Journal of Mathematical Sociology, 38(3), 147-174. Web.
Mavrodiev, P., Tessone, C. J., & Schweitze, F. (2013). Quantifying the Effects of Social Influence. Scientific Reports, 3(1360), 1-6. Web.
Mooney, L. A., Knox, D., & Schacht, C. (2012). Understanding Social Problems (8th ed.). Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing.
Muchnik, L., Aral, S., & Taylor, S. J. (2013). Social Influence Bias: A Randomized Experiment. Science, 341(6146), 647-651.
Simons-Morton, B., & Farhat, T. (2010). Recent Findings on Peer Group Influences on Adolescent Substance Use. Journal of Primary Prevention, 31(4), 191–208. Web.
Men’s Superiority Theory And Inequality Issues
Introduction
Since time immemorial, the society has presented men as more superior to women, despite the apparent cases where the latter category has engaged in activities or held positions similar to those of the former class of people. The topic of the reluctance of men to allow women to break this glass ceiling has ignited a heated debate among scholars who seek to explain the causes of the phenomenon. Glass ceiling here denotes the state of affairs where females are minimally incorporated into superior job positions (Branzea). Some scholars argue that the problem lies categorically on women, owing to their unwillingness to advance their careers. Others attribute the problem to male dominance, which denies women a chance to ascend to the leadership position. Research on the actual causes of the ceiling is limited, although most scholars agree that male dominance in senior positions is evident in most societies (Akpinar-Sposito 492). What is interesting is that some scholars have argued in favor of men’s superiority, hence raising numerous questions regarding such pre-eminence. Proponents of the theory about men’s superiority use various schools of thought to substantiate their arguments. This paper critically explores the claims to develop a conclusion regarding the validity of the school of thought that supports men’s superiority. In this light, it argues that although the society has depicted men as superior to women, it is crucial to appreciate that the view is outdated since contemporary women have gained the capacity to assume positions that were previously a preserve of males.
Arguments for Men’s Superiority
One of the arguments presented by the supporters of the argument that men are superior to women is that they (men) are physically strong and/or have the ability to perform hard tasks, which are beyond the capacity of women to handle. Therefore, based on the highlighted view, women need to remain in the house where they can perform light household tasks (Beckwith 45). On the other hand, men need to go out and perform the hard tasks, which women cannot easily do in exchange for money to feed their families. In most cultures, women are perceived to be minors who are entitled to perform domestic tasks. However, in the recent past, various countries in the world such as the United States have come up with policies aimed at supporting women to assume leadership positions in the workplace (Bennett et al. 8). However, such laws have faced stiff opposition from males and entrepreneurs who are unwilling to accept female leaders (Condra 97).
Another argument used to support the idea that men are powerful relative to their female counterparts is that they (men) are not only industrious but also brave. Handwork and brevity are the two traits, which are important for leaders and hence the reason why men should be considered for leadership positions. Manisha et al. claim that men are generally outspoken, belligerent, and ambitious compared to women who are perceived to be less aggressive and calm (43). In this regard, women are seen to lack leadership qualities due to deficiencies in the command trait. The view is further supported by the fact that men around the globe take up most of the leadership positions and perform excellently in their respective ranks. For example, in most developed countries, women make up 50% of the workforce. However, only small groups, if any, of female workers, manage to get into leadership positions (Bennett et al. 12). Most women serve in junior capacities in the male-dominated leadership. For many years, leadership positions have been reserved for men while women perform supportive roles. As Sadi and Al-Ghazali reveal, female leaders in the G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the USA), make only about 21% of senior management positions. The problem is far worse in developing countries, where women are not only barred from taking leadership positions but are not also represented in the workforce. Although the number of female workers has grown tremendously in the past few decades, only a few women have managed to break the glass ceiling to ascend to managerial positions. The insistence of men leaders, according to the supporters of men superiority theory, by companies around the globe is a clear indicator that men are more capable relative to their female counterparts.
Another argument used by the supporters of men’s superiority to substantiate their views is that women in some countries get equal educational opportunities, just like their male counterparts, but never engage themselves in meaningful employment. Given that the education systems in most countries across the world offer standardized education to both genders, it would be expected that females would have equal chances in the job market. However, the situation is different as evidenced by the high unemployment rates among women. For example, in Saudi Arabia, women make about 50% of the total university graduates (Madimbo 39). Despite the high number of female graduates, only about 13% of them are employed in both the public and the private sector. Besides, not many women choose the business way even after failing to secure employment in the available sectors. The majority of successful business people are men, with women only making a small percentage of the entrepreneurs. However, as much as women in many countries do not choose the business way and hence the reason they are deemed inferior, females in Saudi Arabia are slowly breaking the glass ceiling. For the first time in history, two women from Saudi Arabia appeared in the Fortune’s International list of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Business”. Despite the impressive move, the pace in which women are ascending to the leadership position is slow as compared to that of other countries.
Proponents of the view that men are superior to women also argue that the education systems in some countries discriminate against women. Traditionally, the Saudi Arabian educational sector was managed in accordance with the Islamic laws, which guide the religion that is dominant in the country. The Islamic education laws are tailored towards ensuring that students take up courses that reflect their gender (Mathew 416). Consequently, Saudi women often take courses that match their gender, including teaching, nursing, and hospitality among others. On the other hand, men tend to enroll in science courses, thus causing male dominance in science-related fields. Until 2002, two separate bodies regulated the male and female education, with the men schooling being regulated by the Ministry of Education while female education was regulated by the Department of Religious Guidance. The regulation of women’s education by the religious body ensured that girls did not enroll in courses allegedly preserved for men. The described kind of education system explains why most women in Saudi Arabia have remained in junior positions, despite their indisputable academic abilities.
The Seclusion of women from men is evident in the Saudi Arabian schools with women schooling in their own facilities that are way far from those of men. Generally, women are secluded from their male counterparts when they attain the puberty age based on Islamic cultural norms. The problem of seclusion in education in the country is compounded by the fact that the Saudi Arabian culture requires women to have a male sponsor, famously known as a guardian, a situation that further presents men as superior in terms of taking care of the other gender. The guardian must be a male, probably a husband, a father, or a sibling. He must be notified whenever the concerned woman enrolls for a certain course or intends to leave their country to study abroad. The successful enrollment of the women to universities is sorely dependent on the guardian’s support of the move. To emphasize the superiority of men, the concerned woman cannot act against the guardian’s wish.
Lack of proper education for women is the reason why men are viewed as superior to women. The case of Saudi Arabia is illustrative of the mentioned view since women never get employed due to disparities in education. However, in the recent past, the Saudi Arabian government has made changes in the education sector, thus enabling women to enroll in the available institutions of higher learning. As it stands now, about 60% of students in Saudi Arabian universities are women, thanks to the government’s commitment to empowering women academically. Additionally, women are now allowed to participate in the science courses that were previously a preserve for the men who were being depicted as superior. King Khalid University in Abha was the first university to enroll women for the science courses in 2002 (Johns). The enrollment of women in the institutions of higher learning coupled with the removal of restrictions for taking the science courses has enabled a number of women to break the glass ceiling. Following the government’s interventions, the unemployment rates among women have reduced tremendously, implying that women can perform, just like men, if they are given equal opportunities (Bennett et al. 34). This situation underscores the need to give equal opportunities to both genders to avert the stereotypes that men are superior to women. However, despite the impressive move that Saudi Arabia has made, the pace in which women are ascending to the leadership position is slow as compared to that of other countries.
Counter-Arguments
Sandberg disputes the view that men are superior to women, citing the challenges that women face as the barriers to their career advancement (76). In the exception of such barriers, women could perform even better relative to men. Apparently, women have been victimized in the past in terms of education attainment, with only a small fraction of women finding their way to the institutions of higher learning. Pervez et al. attribute the problem to the low education levels attained by women around the globe (1003). Most enterprises consider the level of education when recruiting managers and other senior employees in their respective companies. Therefore, poor education among the women workforce may be a cause for the poor representation of females in leadership. In contrast, men achieve high levels of education since culture in most countries supports male education, as opposed to female schooling. Therefore, the highly learned men are able to assume leadership positions easily compared to the less educated women. This finding contrasts the view that men have extra qualities that make them better leaders compared to women. If women were given equal educational opportunities, perhaps they would make good leaders just like men.
Opponents of the view that men are superior to females also argue that gender roles are to blame for women’s problems and do not have anything to do with their inferiority. In most countries, women are perceived as caretakers whose roles are restricted to taking care of their husbands and children. These stereotypes deny women a chance to advance their careers. Skard adds to the view by attributing the problem of inequality to the reluctance of women to take up leadership positions for fear of victimization (106). For example, in some African countries, women are victimized if they decide to engage in careers that are not related to household tasks. The limitation of their role to that of caretakers is a major barrier to their advancement. If women were empowered to take up other jobs without being victimized, perhaps the assumption that they are inferior would be extirpated.
The other argument that is used by the opponents of the view of men’s superiority is that women either face discrimination by their employers or are reluctant to take up the available opportunities. The stereotypes that are evident in the community about women’s incompetence cause employers to reject female applicants when offering jobs (Baldwin). In some cultures, women are viewed as incompetent persons who cannot make viable decisions on their own and/or must be guided by a man. The advisor may be a father, husband, or any other male. This observation is especially true for countries that are governed through the Sharia laws. Muslim-based laws were applicable in some countries such as Saudi Arabia bar women from participating in certain occasions without the consent of a guardian. For example, in such countries, a woman cannot marry without the approval of parents. Additionally, women cannot make educational and career choices independently without consulting their male counterparts. All the mentioned views are indicative of the barriers that culture places on women’s development. Such perspectives offer enough grounds to dispute the view that women are inferior.
How to Solve the Inequality Issues
One way to solve the gender disparity involves men changing their perceptions toward women. They should see them as equal individuals who need empowerment such as offering them cheap business loans. Bell explores the role of microcredit in promoting women empowerment in Tanzania (45). The author used a mixed-method approach to testing the hypothesis that the enrollment of women in microfinance institutions contributed to an increase in their control over savings and profits. The results of the research confirm the findings by other researchers in the field such as Faraizi et al. who equally found a great connection between microcredit and women empowerment (67). Access to microfinance services allows women to participate in economic development by opening small businesses from which they make enough income to support their families (Faraizi et al. 67). Most women in business rarely depend on men for their upkeep since they can support themselves from the income they earn from their enterprises. Traditionally, women assumed the role of housekeeping and could rarely participate in raising money to support themselves and their families. However, since the establishment of the microfinance institutions, many of them have become financially stable. Microfinance institutions provide low-interest loans, which most women can repay even with meager income from their small businesses (Kato and Kratzer 45). Additionally, the institutions do not require the beneficiaries to present guarantors as witnessed in banks. The microfinance institutions only require borrowers to organize themselves in small groups. Eligibility for a loan is measured based on the group, as opposed to an individual. This situation makes it possible for women who lack real assets to secure loans. By offering such loans, more women would do business. Their success in entrepreneurship would help to alleviate the assumption that victory is only for men (Kumar et al. 116).
Another positive change involves men allowing women to be assigned any role of their choice, as opposed to restricting them to the conventional inferior assignments. As it stands now, tasks are assigned based on gender where women mostly concentrate on domestic assignments, as opposed to performing other economic errands (Das 57). If they were empowered economically, just like their male counterparts, they would be involved in non-household tasks. Therefore, gender equality would take another shape when women become more empowered and less reliant on men. Currently, only a small percentage of women are independent. Most of them depend on men for upkeep. Additionally, only men are able to obtain loans from banks, hence compounding the problem of over-dependence on males (Keerthi 251). If women have financial muscles, their duties will rapidly change from those of housekeepers to entrepreneurship. Men and women would assume equal roles regarding taking care of their families.
Lastly, to address the problem, global governments need to launch education regarding gender equality where men should be the target, as opposed to the conventional situation where women participate in such conferences. They can enact legislation requiring men to embrace equal representation in the public sector. About half of all elective and public sector positions should go to women to avert the assumptions regarding gender roles. According to recent statistics, women make about 50% of the world population and their contribution to development cannot be overlooked (Bryman and Bell 67). However, for many years, they have occupied positions inferior to their male counterparts. Women’s inferiority is not only evident in developing countries but also in developed nations such as the US. However, the situation is worse in the emerging economies apparently due to the low economic growth in such nations. As the globe strives to reduce poverty, women must not be left out since their contribution may help to fasten this goal (Goel 145). As it now stands, most women around the globe occupy inferior positions. Their inferiority is attributed to intense gender discrimination and socially constructed subordination. Governments should target educating the public about the importance of educating women to prepare them for good jobs in the future.
Conclusion
In the recent past, the topic about men’s superiority has sparked a heated debate among scholars, with some of the supporting male supremacy while others dispute the view. This paper has explored the literature regarding the topic with the view of giving an insight concerning gender supremacy. Based on the literature reviewed in this paper, the author concludes that men and women are equal, although the latter class does not get opportunities that equal to those of the former. If women were empowered through education, increased job opportunities, and improved access to microcredit, stereotypes about men’s superiority would be extirpated in the minds of society.
Works Cited
Akpinar-Sposito, Cansu. “Career Barriers for Women Executives and the Glass Ceiling Syndrome: The Case Study Comparison between French and Turkish Women Executives.” Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 75, no. 1, 2013, pp. 488-497.
Baldwin, Katherine. “Canada Best G20 Country to be a Woman, India Worst-TrustLaw poll.” World News, www.reuters.com/article/us-g20-women-idUSBRE85C00420120613. Accessed 26 April 2017.
Beckwith, Karen. From Party Leader to Prime Minister? Gender and Leadership Contests in West Europe. Case Western Reserve University, 2014.
Bell, Judith. Doing Your Research Project: A Guide for First-time Researchers. McGraw-Hill Education, 2014.
Bennett, Jessica, et al. Feminist Fight Club: An Office Survival Manual (for a Sexist Workplace). Harper Wave, 2016
Branzea, Isaac. “Breaking the Glass Ceiling: An Analysis of Factors that Hold Women Back from Senior Positions in Organizations.” Dare, Web.
Bryman, Alan, and Emma Bell. Business Research Methods. Oxford University Press, 2015.
Condra, Rashmi. “Sensitizing Gender Parity in Urban India: A Cinematic Revolution.” International Journal of Advancements in Research & Technology, vol. 3, no. 1, 2014, pp. 91-100.
Das, Prasann. “Microfinance-A Tool for Socio-economic Development in Rural India.” International Journal of Emerging Research in Management &Technology, vol. 3, no. 4, 2014, pp. 56-60.
Faraizi, Aminul, et al. Microcredit and Women’s Empowerment: A Case Study of Bangladesh. Routledge, 2014.
Goel, Vishal. “Impact of Microfinance Services on Economic Empowerment of Women: An Empirical Study.” KAAV International Journal of Economics, Commerce & Business Management, vol. 2, no. 3, 2015, pp. 140-156.
Johns, Merida. “Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Structural, Cultural, and Organizational Barriers Preventing Women from Achieving Senior and Executive Positions.” Perspectives in Human Health Information Management Winter, vol. 10, no. 1, 2013.
Kato, Mushumbusi, and Jan Kratzer. “Empowering Women through Microfinance: Evidence from Tanzania.” ACRN Journal of Entrepreneurship Perspectives, vol. 2, no. 1, 2013, pp. 31-59.
Keerthi, Benta. “The Role of Micro Finance in SHG.” International Journal of Advanced Research in Management and Social Sciences IJARMSS, vol. 1, no. 6, 2012, pp. 240-251.
Kumar, Dhanonjoy, et al. “Role of Micro Credit Program in Empowering Rural Women in Bangladesh: A Study on Grameen Bank Bangladesh Limited.” Asian Business Review, vol. 3, no. 4, 2015, pp. 114-120.
Madimbo, Maggie. “Supportive Leadership Behavior Key to Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Religious Communities in Malawi.” Journal of Pan African Studies, vol. 5, no. 2, 2012, pp. 27-42.
Manisha, Reena, et al. “Problems Faced by Working Women in Banking Sector.” International Journal of Emerging Research in Management & Technology, vol. 5, no. 2, 2016, pp. 41-47
Mathew, Viju. “Women and Family Business Succession in Asia-Characteristics, Challenges and Chauvinism.” International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, vol. 27, no. 2, 2016, pp. 410-424.
Pervez, Sidra, et al. “Working Women in Pakistan: Analysis of Issues and Problems.” Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences (PJSS), vol. 35, no. 2, 2015, pp. 997-1011.
Sandberg, Sheryl. Lean in: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. Random House, 2013.
Skard, Torild. Women of Power: Half a Century of Female Presidents and Prime Ministers Worldwide. Policy Press, 2015.