Message From MD – August 2018

Dear friends,
Monsoon was close to our body and mind in July. The wet weather added charm to the NRI home-coming festivals in the initial days whereas the continued rain disrupted the business prospects. Natural calamities like floods always keep people away from money stream and investment moods. The situation across Kerala was difficult for business as well as construction last month. Yet we must appreciate the great job accomplished by our colleagues on many fronts. It was miraculous to keep going amidst bad market and worse environment conditions. Congratulations to all achievers and best wishes for an auspicious August!
We were looking at our lady members and were surprised to note that there is a huge increase in female employees during the past few years. We are almost 30% female employed organisation which is considered a higher percentage in the construction industry, as most of the employment is generated at work sites.
About 62 years ago, the market research firm Gallup asked a group of adults in the US: “If you were taking a new job and had your choice of a boss, would you prefer to work for a man or a woman?” A whopping 66% said they preferred a male boss; 5% said they preferred a female boss; and 25% claimed it made no difference to them.
Fast-forward six decades to Gallup’s latest report reveals a slight shift in those numbers. In 2018, only 30% said they preferred a male boss, while 26% said female, and 44% said they had no preference. But perhaps more people should strive to work for female managers. Why?
They tend to be better leaders than their male counterparts, finds Gallup.
The survey discovered that employees who work for a female boss are, on average, 6% more engaged than those who work for a male manager. Female employees who work for a female manager are America’s most engaged of any group of workers.
But unfortunately the women managers are the most tensed and frustrated group in the Indian scenario. They are worried and more concerned about their family, kids’ studies, food and home management. They are also worried about their neighbourhood and personal matters. As working mothers, many are troubled by the fact that they are not spending enough time with their children. Sandwiched between work and personal life, many struggled to find time for family matters. I am sure there are many parents out there who feel guilty about not spending enough time with their children and wondering if this will lead to developmental problems. But here’s some heartening news for all worried working mothers.
The latest survey by a research team of Harvard Business School has come out with wonderful findings. Kids whose moms worked outside the home are more likely to have jobs themselves, are more likely to hold supervisory responsibility at those jobs, and earn higher wages than kids whose mothers stayed home full time. According to the study, men raised by working mothers are more likely to contribute to household chores and spend more time caring for family members. The research team found out, growing up with a working mother has positive influences on several factors, including employment, supervisory responsibility, earnings, allocation of household work, and care for family members. It is conclusively proven that children have a lot to gain by having a working mother. The link between home and the workplace is becoming more and more critical as we have two-wage-earning families. We tend to talk more about inequality in the workplace, and yet the inequality in the home is really stuck. So working mothers need not worry any more, as they are part of building up a responsible organisation and a responsible generation. Check out a few famous quotes.
Former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama:
“For me, being a mother made me a better professional, because coming home every night to my girls reminded me what I was working for. And being a professional made me a better mother, because by pursuing my dreams, I was modeling for my girls how to pursue their dreams.”
YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki:
“People assume it’s hard to have a child with the job I have, but my energy level is high. I also have a lot of resources at home and at work, not to mention the skills to run a big organization.”
Facebook COO and Lean In author Sheryl Sandberg:
“When a couple announces that they are having a baby, everyone says ‘Congratulations!’ to the man and ‘Congratulations! What are you planning on doing about work?’ to the woman. The broadly held assumption is that raising their child is her responsibility. In more than thirty years, this perception has changed very little.”
No matter what the reason, we can conclude that organizations should place more emphasis on recruiting and promoting managers without gender considerations. Wish you all amazing performance in August!

Regards,
Sunil