Why women miss out on top corporate jobs: Study

Women aspiring to management are struggling against a deeply embedded model of male leadership, a new report has found.

The report, the Leadership Challenge: Women in Management by researcher Hannah Piterman, found that women were struggling to gain recognition and reward and the organisational climate undermined their confidence and experience of working life.

She interviewed more than 200 managers and senior executives at big companies, including Commonwealth Bank, AMP and Coles.

Many women happily conceded that part of the problem was their own reluctance to play by the masculine-orientated rules and by the schedules of large organisations.

Piterman says companies need transparency in recruitment and promotion, flexibility measures and mentors for women, they need to link diversity to business outcomes and to set realistic targets for flexible work.