The Paula Principle: how and why women work below their level of competence - Softcover

Schuller, Tom

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1911344013 ISBN 13: 9781911344018

Publisher: Scribe UK, 2017

Synopsis

An expert on innovation and work argues that many highly capable women are not being recognised, and that this harms businesses, societies, and individuals alike.

Whereas The Peter Principle, a four-million copy bestseller from the 1960s, argued that most (male) workers will inevitably be promoted to one level beyond their competence, Tom Schuller shows how women today face the opposite scenario: their skills are being wasted as they work below their competence levels.

Schuller blends interviews and case studies with examples drawn from literature and popular culture to examine how attitudes have changed, from the advent of higher education for women in the 19th century to female dominance at all academic levels today. He also reveals how this has translated or failed to translate into the lived experiences and careers of professional women, whether they are nursery workers, council employees, journalists, or oil company executives.

Engrossing and full of everyday insights into how gender impacts on working life, The Paula Principle is a well-reasoned analysis of the obstacles that many women face, and a call for us to challenge them on a personal, organisational, and societal level.

About this title

Review:

'Tom Schuller writes candidly on an issue too many men would rather not confront -- why working women operate below their level of competence. The glass ceiling in learning is all but shattered. This book brilliantly establishes why now it's time for the work place.' --Jon Snow

'It's almost 50 years since the Equal Pay Act, women are doing brilliantly in education -- and yet gender, and gender inequalities, are still huge issues. 'The Paula Principle' tells us both why and why we should care. It's a splendid analysis, a fascinating read -- and a great way to understand just how differently women, as well as men, experience today's reality. Just try Schuller's test on page 230 with yourself and your family.' --Alison Wolf (Professor the Baroness Wolf of Dulwich)

'A really interesting book -- and an encouraging one, despite its central premise. It provides an absorbing and accessible look at what exactly holds today's women back --and what we can do about it. The Paula Principle deserves to become an instant classic.' --Melissa Benn , author of What Should We Tell Our Daughters?

About the Author:

Tom Schuller is an independent social and educational researcher. He has held senior positions in academia and policy bodies, and written or edited around 20 books. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, and a visiting professor at the UCL Institute of Education and Birkbeck, both in London.

About this edition

• Publisher: Scribe UK
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1911344013
• ISBN 13: 9781911344018
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256