You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Some people think that managerial posts in private companies and in government are more suitable for men. Others think that given the opportunity women can be successful managers. Discuss both these views and give your opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer
People have different opinions about leadership in a corporation or government institution. A group of people believe that managerial and similar high-level positions should only be occupied by men, while others think that women could also be good leaders. The following essay will discuss both views, but I personally believe that competency is the most important aspect in term of leadership.
For a number of reasons, many people believe that men should be the leaders in companies or government bodies. Firstly, based on the psychological approach, men use ratio when they make decisions. Therefore they decisions would be more logical and reasonable. Secondly, men are the better decision makers when they have to make a sudden or urgent choice. Again certain jobs demand responsibilities that could be better performed by man than women.
On the other hand, another group of people believe that women should also be given the chance to occupy important positions in a company. They believe that leaders should not be elected based on genders, but based on their competency. They also believe that leader is not purely a natural gift, as leadership could also be learned. Some of the examples would be Margaret Thatcher who successfully led England in the eighties and Hillary Clinton who became one of the ministers in the USA and now running for the presidential election. These women have shown that they have all the competencies of becoming a good leader.
In conclusion, some people still believe that gender would have a significant effect on leadership, but I disagree with the statement. I personally believe that competency and experience of the individual, be it a man of woman is the most important aspect of choosing a leader in an organisation.
[Written by – Darwin Lesmana]