[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 35 (Thursday, March 24, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: March 24, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
McDONALD'S CORPORATION WINNER OF 1994 CATALYST AWARD
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HON. BLANCHE M. LAMBERT
of arkansas
in the house of representatives
Thursday, March 24, 1994
Ms. LAMBERT. Mr. Speaker, I want to pay special tribute today to a
company that is providing real leadership in an issue that is
tremendously important to every working woman in America: making
certain that equal opportunity is alive and well in corporate America.
That's why I want to recognize the McDonald's Corp., for its ongoing
efforts to help break the glass ceiling, that invisible barrier that
for too many years has kept women from advancing into the board room or
whenever else they deserve to be in the ranks of top management.
McDonald's Corp., has earned the prestigious 1994 Catalyst Award for
its continuing efforts to promote women within its ranks. Catalyst is a
non-profit organization dedicated to helping women gain equal footing
in corporate America, which is why its award is so meaningful, because
it symbolizes the kind of bold leadership it will take to break through
the status quo along with the glass ceiling itself.
McDonald's has long been a pioneering company when it comes to
employment leadership, from its long-standing record of hiring persons
with disabilities, senior citizens, and minorities to its commitment to
helping women advance commensurate with their talents and abilities.
McDonald's is being honored by catalyst for its Partnership with Women
program, an initiative that has helped expand entrepreneurial
opportunities for Women throughout the McDonald's system. This
partnership has produced the Women Operators' Network, a growing
organization of women with growing clout within the company. It
includes a training program for the wives of current McDonald's
restaurant owners that helps them become qualified operators
themselves. Additionally, the Women Operators' Network also makes
certain that its members have access to top management and to the
company's own business planning.
As a result, McDonald's has shown an impressive 300 percent increase
in women franchise owners during the past 5 years. And these women have
quickly demonstrated an excellence in store operations, bottom line
success, and quality community involvement.
Once again, McDonald's has taken the lead in an area of real
importance to its customers. I commend McDonald's. I urge other
companies to follow its lead. Congratulations to the McDonald's Corp.,
on winning the 1994 Catalyst Award.
Life Gets Better for Women at Work--Three Companies Win 1994 Catalyst
Award
January 11, 1994.--Bank of Montreal, McDonald's Corporation
and Pitney Bowes Inc. have won the 1994 Catalyst Award for
their bold new initiatives to shatter the glass ceiling.
Catalyst, the not-for-profit organization that works with
business and the professions to effect change for women, has
helped spur the most significant labor market development of
the last three decades: the dramatic increase in the number
of working women. Since 1987, companies have vied for the
prestigious Catalyst Award, which annually honors American
business for innovative efforts to advance women.
Bank of Montreal, the first non-U.S. based company to win
the award, ensures equal opportunity for women and minorities
and have achieved impressive result: women represented 54
percent of executive level promotions in 1993, up
dramatically from 29 percent in 1991. A 300 percent increase
in female ownership of McDonald's franchises during the past
five years reflects the leading fast-food restaurant's
outstanding commitment to women's progress. Finally, Pitney
Bowes' comprehensive diversity plan for each of its ten
business units formalizes the company's long-standing culture
of fairness and equality.
``Women today are better educated and better trained than
ever before. They are filling the management pipelines,''
said Catalyst President Sheila Wellington. ``By investing in
women, this year's winning companies foster leadership by the
most able and promote their future economic viability.''
Through its research and advisory efforts, Catalyst
continually learns about and monitors company programs and
policies; those nominated for the Catalyst Award are
benchmarked against the organization's comprehensive database
and undergo rigorous scrutiny. Members of the Awards
Committee carefully evaluate nominations on the following
criteria: originality, accountability, replicability,
measurable results, top-down support, percentage of women in
senior management, communication of and rationale for the
program and a supportive environment. Catalyst conducts
intensive, on-site audits at finalist companies in order to
gauge the programs' effectiveness. Evaluations include
interviews and focus groups with executive management, high-
level women, human resources professionals and employees at
various levels.
``The Catalyst Award competition prompts genuine progress.
It educates the business community about model initiatives to
develop women's potential,'' said Wellington.
Bank of Montreal, McDonald's Corporation and Pitney Bowes
Inc. will be honored for their winning programs at a dinner
to be held on March 23, 1994 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New
York City. Gary L. Tooker, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of Motorola, will serve as chairman and host of the
dinner; Evelyn Lauder, Senior Corporate Vice President of
Estee Lauder Companies, will present the awards. F. Anthony
Comper, President and COO of Bank of Montreal; Michael R.
Quinlan, Chairman and CEO of the McDonald's Corporation; and
George B. Harvey, Chairman and President of Pitney Bowes
Inc., will accept the awards on behalf of their companies.
Representatives from each winning company will outline their
programs earlier on the afternoon of March 23 at a Catalyst-
sponsored research conference.
about the winners
A fully integrated approach to cultural change, Bank of
Montreal's Workplace Equality initiative was implemented to
address the barriers to women's advancement. A task force
researched and dispelled beliefs commonly held by employees
about women's lack of progress. The newly created Workplace
Equality division monitors a business plan that includes
goals for all managers on hiring, retaining and advancing
women and minorities. Quarterly tracking of progress is
undertaken through a variety of channels, including employee
feedback compiled in a report to the chief operating officer.
Some of the programs that Workplace Equality monitors for the
entire bank include work/life initiatives, a series of gender
awareness workshops for executive and senior management, a
revision of all training and education programs to include
diversity perspectives, and a national career information
network. The success of the initiative is borne out by
statistics: between October 1991 and October 1993, women's
representation at the executive level has increased from nine
to 13 percent; in senior management, from 13 to 17 percent;
and in middle management, from 34 to 39 percent.
A key component of the McDonald's Corporation's Partnership
with Women is its Women Operators' Network (WON). Dedicated
to the expansion of entrepreneurial opportunities for women
through the McDonald's franchise system, WON has the full
support of the chairman and senior management. The network
offers women participation in the corporation's business
plan, with its management liaison reporting directly to the
top officers of the company. An important element of the
network is the Spouse Certification Program, which offers the
spouse of an existing owner/operator who is already active in
running a restaurant the training necessary to gain his or
her own owner/operator status. Through the partnership,
McDonald's has produced a 300 percent increase in female
franchise owners during the past five years; their stores are
producing some of the top level financial rewards in the
system; women are gaining recognition for operational
excellence; and contributions made by women operators are
recognized by business and community organizations.
In August 1992, Chairman and President George Harvey
initiated the development of an overall Strategic Diversity
Plan at Pitney Bowes Inc. A task force drafted a diversity
vision statement and created a strategic plan that functions
as a model for each of the company's ten business units. The
various units' individual plans incorporate such actions as
mentoring, preparing competency models for management
positions, strengthening the employee career planning
process, conducting and analyzing exit interviews, and
including a diversity component in orientation and manger
training. Each unit's progress in carrying out its diversity
strategies is measured monthly; the bonus of each business
unit head will be affected by the unit's year-end diversity
results rating. Through various communication channels,
including an employee publication and a corporate video,
employees are kept apprised of the goals of the Strategic
Plan.
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About Catalyst--1993-1994
Founded in 1962, Catalyst works with business and the
professions to effect change for women--through research,
advisory services and communication.
An independent not-for-profit organization, Catalyst has a
dual mission--to enable women in business and the professions
to achieve their maximum potential and to help employers
capitalize on the talents of their female employees. With a
dedicated staff and board of corporate and professional
leaders, the organization works with senior managers to
create programs enhancing the development and retention of
female employees.
Catalyst's pragmatic and solutions-oriented approach has
earned the confidence of business leaders, who know they can
count on Catalyst to help them address workplace challenges
and develop cost-effective responses. Following are
highlights of Catalyst's programs and services.
Research
Catalyst researchers study and evaluate the best ways for
companies to move women to their highest levels of
achievement. Researchers conduct national studies as well as
confidential projects for individual companies. Recently
completed are studies of the impact of flexible work
arrangements on employees' careers, the obstacles facing
female engineers and corporate child care programs. Soon-to-
be published research explores the experiences and
contributions of female directors of Fortune 500 and Service
500 companies, and women's success in nonretail sales within
a broad range of industries.
Advisory Services
As partners in the strategic planning process. Catalyst
works closely with human resources professionals to help them
maximize the talents of a changing work force. Each year,
Catalyst conducts environmental assessments and advises
nearly 500 companies and professional firms on a range of
issues: women's leadership development, work and family
supports, mentoring, flexible work arrangements, succession
planning and valuing diversity. Catalyst also monitors and
advises 60 corporate women's groups nationwide, providing
them with publications, speakers and networking
opportunities.
Corporate Board Placement
Increasingly, business leaders are seeking women to join
their boards of directors. Since 1977, Catalyst's Corporate
Board Placement, a confidential service, has helped over 100
companies identify and recruit carefully selected women to
service on their boards.
publications
Catalyst publications give companies the facts needed to
respond to the challenges of a changing work force. Some
examples: the organization's monthly newsletter, Perspective,
reports on issues affecting women and business, as well as
current research findings, model corporate programs and
action steps for policymakers. Catalyst's recently published
Flexible Work Arrangements II: Succeeding With Part-Time
Options examines how part-time arrangements function over
time and how flexibility affects employees' career growth.
Catalyst's Mentoring: A Guide to Corporate Programs and
Practices is the first publication to profile innovative
mentoring programs that show how companies can identify and
advance high-potential women, recruit and train new employees
and address the challenges of a diverse work force.
information center
Catalyst's Information Center specialists regularly screen
hundreds of business publications for data on emerging work
force issues and provide guidance and printed information to
contributors and the media. Containing hundreds of
periodicals, thousands of topically field articles, books and
statistical fact sheets, the Information Center represents a
vast resource on women's workplace issues.
The Catalyst Award
The Catalyst Award is presented each March to three
corporations or professional firms that demonstrate
outstanding achievement in promoting women's career and
leadership development. The 1993 Catalyst Award winners were
Con Edison, Morrison & Foerster and Motorola.
media outreach
Catalyst has a strong relationship with the media, which
relies on the organization's balanced perspective and its
Information Center for the most up-to-date facts and
statistics. Each year, Catalyst's research findings are cited
in over 500 publications, and its issue specialists featured
on major business and news broadcasts.
speakers and conferences
Catalyst staff specialists annually deliver over 50
presentations to professional organizations, companies and
universities. Catalyst also communicates research findings
through regional conferences cosponsored by major
corporations. Recent conferences focused on workplace
flexibility, strategies to recruit and retain female
engineers and glass ceiling issues.
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