Researchers' work from University of Cincinnati focuses on life sciences.(Report)

"Despite penetrating the middle management ranks of many U.S. businesses, women continue to lag far behind men in their appointments to top leadership positions. Many explanations exist for why the glass ceiling exists, but few theories offer suggestions for how women break through this ceiling," scientists writing in the journal Leadership Quarterly report (see also Life Sciences).

"In this paper we propose that the concept of 'creative destruction' can help us understand why some women ascend to leadership positions. Using empirical research and anecdotal evidence from the experiences of several high-profile female executives, we argue that women may rise to leadership positions in turbulent environments that are receptive to new talent and open to innovative, bold ideas," wrote S.A. Furst and colleagues, University of Cincinnati.

The researchers concluded: "Further, we propose that under these conditions women may be seen as especially ...