Your proposal for an organizational design and culture that supports women in leadership. Base your draft on what you’ve learned from course learning. Your proposal should include the following sections:
You will incorporate your reflection and analysis from the journal assignments you completed throughout the course in this proposal. The work you do for this milestone will contribute toward the final project.
Create and describe an organizational design and culture that supports women in leadership.
Include a graphical representation of the design. This representation can be a chart or graph. Use seventh-edition APA formatting for tables and graphs.
Discuss the cultural elements of your design. For example, include mission statements, values, philosophies, expectations, experiences, and the like.
Explain your reasoning for including the supporting elements in your design.
| Role | Responsibilities | Reporting Structure |
| CEO | Overall leadership; ultimate accountability for DEI goals | Reports to Board |
| Gender Equity & Inclusion Committee | Provides oversight on DEI goals; reports directly to the CEO | Comprised of leaders from various departments, including HR |
| Department Heads | Manages departmental functions; accountable for gender diversity within their teams | Reports to CEO |
| Project Leads | Manages cross-functional projects; reports to Department Heads and Project Steering Committee | Reports to Department Head for their functional role, and to the Project Steering Committee for project tasks |
| Employees | Day-to-day work; actively contributes to project teams | Reports to Department Head |
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Figure 1. Proposed Organizational Design for Gender Equity in Leadership
This design intentionally places a Gender Equity & Inclusion Committee with a direct line of communication to the CEO. This ensures that DEI initiatives are not siloed within HR but are a strategic priority for the entire organization. The matrix structure, by encouraging collaboration across departments, breaks down traditional silos and allows women to build a broader network, reducing the risk of being overlooked for opportunities.
Sample Answer
A Proposal for a Gender-Inclusive Organizational Design and Culture
This proposal outlines a framework for an organizational design and culture specifically crafted to support women in leadership. It moves beyond superficial diversity initiatives to create a truly equitable and supportive environment where women can thrive and advance into senior roles. The design is based on the principles of equity, flexibility, and conscious leadership.
1. Organizational Design
The proposed organizational design is a matrix structure combined with a strong, centralized HR function that prioritizes gender equity. This design allows for both traditional hierarchical management and cross-functional project teams. This structure provides women with diverse experiences and exposure to different leaders, which is critical for career development. The key elements of this design are illustrated below.