Case Studies
The Road to a Meritocracy:
The Learning Journey at Carlson
Company: Carlson
"Our goal was to create a meritocracy where everyone had an even playing field. Our experience has been that, if women have equal opportunities, they succeed in equal numbers."
- Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Chair |
Introduction
Established in 1938 as the Gold Bond Stamp Company, Carlson is today a well established presence in the travel and hospitality industries and one of America's largest private companies. With 160,000 employees in 150 countries, its brands include the Radisson & Regent Hotels, Country Inns & Suites, T.G.I. Friday's restaurants, Carlson Marketing and Carlson Wagonlit Travel. Women comprise 49% of the company's management and the Carlson name is synonymous with strong female leadership. But this was not always the case. It took a determined female CEO to transform the corporate culture, not by mandating, but by modeling female leadership. Today, Carlson is known and recognized for its family-friendly work environment and gender parity.
Main Lessons
- Strong leadership at the top can quickly and radically transform the corporate environment to ensure women's advancement.
- The presence of other women in key management positions is important to further women's advancement, as well as listening to feedback, and being flexible to adjust existing initiatives to ensure their continued relevance.
- Leadership on gender is not only about what we say, but also about our symbols and value sets, and the messages we project with concrete actions to support women's empowerment.
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Win-Win Situation for Business and for Women
- CEO Champion creating strong support for meritocracy at the highest level in the company, and demonstrating commitment to promoting a level playing field for women in business nationally through the National Women's Business Council and Catalyst.
- Institutionalized processes and practices to level the playing field over time. These include family-friendly work arrangements and work-life policies to recruit and retain women, as well as strong women's leadership and mentoring programs.
- Outcome: 49% women in management positions.
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