The well-researched book cites many studies about the various obstacles women face in corporates — be it bias in evaluation or unfairness in rewards, be it the proverbial glass ceiling or fewer overseas assignments.

Thankfully, however, the common perception that women are their own worst enemies may be wrong, Basu postulates. While women relate workplace success equally to men and women managers, men seem to think of their own gender when it comes to accomplishment.

If that is an indication of the two genders living in their own worlds, what can be a cause of concern is a survey insight that women see men as achievers owing to their being devious, less grateful, and less reserved.

Another worrying observation in the book is that stereotypes held by men managers of women managers are more prejudiced than the stereotypes held in the West. “The Indian male manager seems to believe in the ‘think manager — think male’ phenomenon even more strongly than his counterparts in countries across the world.”

The author cautions that once inaccurate stereotypes set in, they have a tendency to self-feed their inaccuracy resulting in a host of negative consequences for women managers who want to make it to the top echelons of organisations.

She hopes that the real abilities and qualities of women managers can be tapped without prejudice or bias by hiring more women in management positions. Since Indian women managers are not influenced by stereotypical thinking, Indian organisations can expect their women managers to treat men and women more or less equally in selection and appraisals, Basu assures.

And, her advice to men managers can be quite sobering: that they’d need training and counselling before women managers could report harmonious and satisfying working conditions under them.

Too imperative a read to ignore.