Blog

Women often face particular challenges in the professional world: invisible barriers, lack of access to networks, and the difficulty of balancing career and private life. These challenges often lead to women being underrepresented in management positions. Mentoring offers a solution for overcoming these obstacles and provides systematic and individual support in women´s professional development.  

In an ideal world, diversity would be celebrated and promoted, but diversity continues to be ignored or devalued in some workplaces. A recurring socio-psychological phenomenon that also occurs in a professional context and counteracts the potential of diverse corporate cultures is the bystander effect. This effect can also be seen in situations where a commitment to diversity and active intervention against discrimination is required.

How can organizations effectively promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)? Research highlights the critical role of decision-making moments. This article examines practical, evidence-based strategies to integrate DEI into hiring, promotions, and appraisals, fostering fairer and more inclusive workplaces.

Part-time work is often seen as a way to balance personal and professional life. However, it can also limit career opportunities. With part-time employment steadily increasing in Germany, this article examines how institutional norms and stereotypes impact the career ambitions of part-time workers—particularly women. Drawing on recent studies and international examples, it highlights the challenges and explores approaches for creating fair and inclusive work environments.

"Everyone is the architect of their own fortune" – This ideal of meritocracy suggests that a person's success is determined solely by their own achievements and that each individual has the opportunity to develop personal skills and potential. A high level of education and the resulting career opportunities are considered essential for the desired social ascent. However, the concept that everyone has the same educational and mobility opportunities often contradicts reality.

Unconscious biases arise because of the efficient way our brains work. Dividing our world into pigeonholes and sorting people and experiences into them save time and cognitive resources.  Although this process is not always negative, there are situations where these mental shortcuts can lead us astray. However, we can consciously correct these biases to some extent, mainly by increasing our awareness of them. In this series, we will introduce you to some of the most significant biases:

Women face unique, restrictive conditions when attempting to succeed in traditionally male-dominated fields. Competence and warmth are fundamental dimensions that individuals use to perceive and judge each other. Characteristics such as independence, assertiveness, and power align with male stereotypes, while warmth, sense of community, and helpfulness align with female stereotypes. A confident, strong woman who defies expectations created by the female stereotype can threaten societal conventions of female behavior, leading to resistance and backlash. Both competence and warmth are essential for success, but the incongruence between normative female roles and the "masculine" expectations of the business world often result in women being perceived as either likable but incompetent, or competent but unlikable.