How often do bosses care so much about their employees that they become counselors, helping them face everyday situations?

 

Dai Hong, who owns the Longer Advertising Company in Shanghai, does exactly that.

 

Dai, 36, admitted that she was anything but an easygoing boss. She said she used to scold her workers often. And her lack of patience also was apparent at home, as well.

 

"After I set up the company 10 years ago, I always tried my best. But it seemed I was always short of time," Dai said.

 

Then she heard about the Excellent Women Program, a course offered by Fudan University designed for women entrepreneurs.

 

It helped her find a solution to a life torn between business at work and being mother to a 7-year-old son.

 

Her personal image improved, and her visions were broadened, Dai said, because the course is based on the particular characteristics and backgrounds of female managers,

 

"I found the lectures useful as they addressed the problems which had bothered me for years," Dai said. "This knowledge has been never taught in ordinary schools, nor by parents."

 

She then has been able to convey that knowledge to her workers. And she benefits as well by gaining not only the knowledge but also the experience, which has made her a better person to work for.

 

"Such training is especially meaningful for women bosses at my age who might face problems dealing with both family and work," Dai said.

 

Students practice yoga at a female managers' leadership forum at the Guanghua Management School of Peking University in Beijing. The forum is part of a Women Development Program the school set up three years ago. 

 

Like her, hundreds of female business leaders across China have applied for training schemes advertised as tailor-made for them by renowned management schools in prestigious universities over the past two years.

 

The Guanghua Management School of Peking University set up a project called the Women Development Program (WDP) in 2003. The Management School of East China Normal University set up its Perfect Women Program this year.

 

According to the organizers of these projects, they were set up as it was found that female entrepreneurs led firms differently to their male counterparts.

 

"The difference mainly lies in how to lead employees, how to handle risk, how to persuade others on an issue and how to ease pressure," said Lu Feng, organizer of the Beijing-based WDP.

 

Different to skill-oriented courses for male leaders, courses for women are more comprehensive and cover aspects like family relationships and personal image creation.

 

According to the organizers of such programs, their projects emphasize not only their attendants' role as elite company managers, but also the role as a "perfect" woman at work and in life.

 

Organizers said there has been a huge demand from women entrepreneurs for the training and re-education .

 

Statistics from the Beijing-based Female Entrepreneurs Association show that more than 43 percent of female enterprise leaders in China (there are 20 million female bosses across the country) said they felt they lacked management and professional skills.

 

Most of the women who attend the programs are from private enterprises and are aged around 40, according to statistics from program organizers.

 

According to Chen Liangwen, a researcher in economics with the China Regional Economics Centre, female owners of private enterprises are more in need of improvement than female bosses at large-scale State-owned enterprises.

 

"State-owned enterprises have pre-designed procedures and regulations. Their operation does not depend so much on the ability of a single leader. But in a privately owned enterprise, the leader's own ability can decide the destiny of a whole enterprise, so they are more motivated to improve themselves," said Chen.

 

However, the high fees and application requirements of the courses have sparked controversy among the public.

 

On average, it costs around 30,000 yuan (US$3,650) for about 20 classes spread over several months. One class might cost more than 1,500 yuan (US$185) if the lecturers are very renowned in their fields.

 

The projects set high thresholds for applicants, recruiting only those with college degrees and from companies boasting more than 50 million yuan (US$6.25 million) in fixed assets.

 

Some people say such courses are just a market ploy to entice people to gain a passport to the so-called rich club. "They are just paying to find more business partners in these classes," said Chen Yunyun, an office lady in Beijing.

 

Some people wondered whether the training can truly make a woman "perfect" within several classes.

 

"To get a 'perfect' woman with the right personality and leadership skills needs years. It is not something a woman can become in a few classes," said Wang Xiongjun, a university student in Beijing.

 

Critics also point out that the society is still male-dominated and that the values for the so-called "perfect women" are largely determined by men, not by women themselves.

 

The 2001 Report for the Business Development of China Women Entrepreneurs, issued by the Female Entrepreneur Association, said that that 60 per cent of the country's female entrepreneurs shoulder the dual responsibility of work while also caring for the elder and younger generation and dealing with the housework.

 

They are often overworked, with the most diligent working an average of 17 hours a day, said the report.

 

According to professor Tong Xin, Dean of the Sociology Department at Peking University, judging from the popularity of such courses, it is good to see that society and the marketplace are beginning to address the social dilemma confronting female leaders.

 

Tong said she didn't know the details of what the lecturers taught in the seminars, but said that if the management courses can do something to improve women's sense of self-worth in terms of gender equality and independent thinking relating to family and society relationships, it is a good thing.

 

According to Tong, an important role the programs may play is providing a platform for bewildered female entrepreneurs to exchange and seek support and confidence.

 

Tong mentioned that society still has different expectations for the two genders.

 

For example, management courses for men seldom address issues like family relationships and how to spend more time with their children. But female leaders are still expected to cope with various social roles.

 

"The long-accumulated pressure on these successful women has to find a way to be released; perhaps these classes offer a way," Tong told China Daily.

 

"They may help the women dispel their confusion and gain social support through communicating with women from similar backgrounds," said Tong.

 

Despite all the debate, many of the course participants said they welcomed the courses, citing different parts as their favorites.

 

Deng Jia, a 36-year-old advertisement company leader with a bachelor's degree in economics from a Japanese university, joined one of the training programs last year. She said management skills based on female peculiarities were her favorite part.

 

Deng said she had problems managing beforehand.

 

"For example, I used to adopt a more masculine way of management, using scolding and fury to discipline employees. It made me firm but not so popular," said Deng.

 

The classes taught her how to integrate both soft and firm measures to impress her employees and manage them more harmoniously.

 

"There has been real progress in many aspects of my work," said Deng.

 

But she said attending a course was not an instant way to success.

 

"It is impossible for a training course to change somebody completely," said Deng.

 

"I found the experience from my years at work helpful on the course and was supported by theories and my fellow students. The whole thing has given me enormous encouragement and confidence."

 

According to Dai Hong, her favorite part might have been the lectures on how to balance work and family and improve her personality.

 

Dai said previously she had been unsure of what society expected from her as a woman.

 

Traditional values said women are adored for being loyal, caring and at home, while men are expected to be successful in business or politics.

 

"But society has changed. And I, like many women who manage a company and a family, found myself lacking a distinct role," said Dai.

 

She said her internal struggle eased after listening to experts in the classroom.

 

"Family and work are both important to a modern woman. By managing our dual roles skillfully and more effectively, we can still enjoy every role this era has granted us," said Dai.

 

Dai also said that communicating with friends from similar backgrounds was a valuable part of the training.

 

"All these years, I was forging ahead by myself, sometimes facing questions from friends and family members, which made me feel lost. But after talking with so many of the participants, I feel I am not alone," said Dai.

 

She has applied for another term of training this winter.

 

(China Daily October 12, 2006)