Women and men in senior management – a “different needs” hypothesis

Whilst agreeing wholeheartedly that a “glass ceiling” exists and restricts entry of women into senior management positions, this article postulates that this factor only partly explains why there are fewer women in senior level management positions than there are men. Suggests that some women are less interested than men in reaching senior management ranks. It is proposed that differences in the proportion of women and men who wish to be senior managers may be explained by differences in the way they choose to have their needs met. Postulates that the need for affiliation, achievement, power and self‐actualisation in men and women are, in general, met in different ways. One implication of the “different needs” hypothesis is that it is equality of opportunity rather than numerical equality for which we should be striving.