They are catty, ruthless and will do whatever it takes to climb the corporate ladder – are the female contestants on The Apprentice Australia making businesswomen look bad? Or is this indicative of all Australian entrepreneurs who happen to be women? Or is it down to the individual?
Melbourne contestant Carmen Parnos, a Melbourne mother of two, was forced to declare bankruptcy when her business went belly-up in the financial downturn, an event that left her humiliated and more keen to succeed.
While many entrepreneurs who have worked with women have found teamwork and collaboration are very much qualities that women bring to the boardroom, Parnos contends it’s common for women to undermine and sabotage one another to succeed in what is still seen as a man’s world. And the statistics show why some women feel they have to resort to sneaky tricks to get ahead.
An online survey of 200 working women by Sphinxx, a women’s business group, shows only 2 per cent of CEOs are women, 27 per cent have turned down a promotion because they lacked confidence and 44 per cent felt they had been overlooked for a top job because of their gender.
However, Suzi Dafnis, Australian Businesswomen’s Network community director, believes women are no more prone to playing dirty tricks than men. From her point of view, there are some people who will resort to playing dirty tricks when they are under extreme pressure. But that is down to the individual not the gender of a person.
Marilyn Bakes, a Women’s Network Australia member, is adamant that as a rule those that resort to such tactics don’t last.
To be a successful entrepreneur, you need to have the respect of your colleagues, peers and clients. So it doesn’t matter whether you are a man or a woman, being a sneaky weasel may get you a little way ahead for now but in the long run it’s down to your code of honour and conduct that people will react to.
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