Women ‘Becoming Valued’ by Businesses, Think Tank Says

U.K. Women Moving Up Ladder: Get used to hearing this term: ‘womenomics.’ Coined by the Future Laboratory, a British think tank, it is said to describe the ascendancy of women to influential positions in the workplace. “The natural strengths of female thinking are driving new business models at all levels of corporate life. Intuition, creativity and the ability to collaborate are all associated with female right-brain thinking and are becoming as valued in the business world as the more traditional left-brain rational approach usually associated with men,” according to the Living Britain Report, which was prepared by the Future Laboratory and commissioned by insurance company Zurich.

The report continues: “Women are increasingly calling the shots, so much so that the way businesses attract and retain women is now seen as a sign of progressiveness and innovation. Women are demanding and obtaining an increasingly flexible working life, including compressed hours and remote working agreements.” It is estimated that about 80 percent of U.K. employees rank flexible hours as the most attractive employee benefit. Nevertheless, at least in the U.S., complaints persist regarding women not being given a fair shot to climb the corporate ladder.