A recent study of 500 Canadian companies having 50 or more employees found that firms with predominantly female senior management have a higher return on investment than companies whose top tier is comprised of less than 45% women. Yet, overall, women occupy only 24% of the upper echelons. The study, says its author Peyton Zoldy, raises the question of why workplace gender imbalance still exists and how it’s best addressed. “It’s significant,” says Zoldy, “because in twenty-first century Canada, people tend to believe, rightly or wrongly, that advancement is based on achievements, not chromosomes.”

Lesley Ortlieb, who teaches organizational behaviour at the University of Manitoba, thinks the imbalance stems from women’s reluctance to lobby for promotion. While men tend to jump at the chance to advance to senior positions, says Ortlieb, women hold back until they’re sure they’re ready. "Women often view self-promotion as somehow distasteful or dicey," Ortlieb says. “Risk aversion often holds them back. Ironically, this is a quality needed in upper management roles."

Dalhousie University business professor Cassidy Novak believes that breaking through the so-called glass ceiling into top management roles is up to women, who should promote themselves more. "Women are usually better educated than men," Novak says, "yet they're less able to visualize themselves in senior positions. Historically, business culture has stereotypically represented male talent, not female talent. It's up to women themselves to aspire to top positions and be more strategic about how to get there."

Nevertheless, Kris Starowitz, human resources professional at consulting firm Taylor Moreau, thinks gender diversity isn’t the responsibility of women. "Women have lofty goals, but many companies don’t recognize them. Senior managers need to take an active role in achieving workplace gender balance.” For Starowitz, striving for gender balance is part of a good business strategy. "Companies must actively create an environment where women feel comfortable discussing their accomplishments and goals, because, ultimately, what’s good for women is good for the company. In successful companies, what you see at all levels, including the top, is diversity. Talent is genderless.”