The number of people in management jobs has increased by over 4% over the past year according to the ABS. Nearly a third of middle managers are women, continuing a trend that has become established over the past decade.

The number of management and administration positiopns has increased by one third over the last decade whilst the number of women in management positions has risen by 70%.Women now account for 31% of management positions up from 23% 10 years ago. There are now more managers than there are labourers!

However some of this increase may be explained by the definitions used. The ABS data classifies people according to skill level and skill specialisation, with managers assessed alongside professionals as having the most complex tasks and advanced skills.

Interestingly, organisations tend to be spreading out rather than up, flat rather than vertical. As a consequence, one of the challenges facing organisations is the need to facilitate different units working together. Critical to this process is an understanding of power...social power: the ability to develop networks and relationships; expertise power: the possession of knowledge and skkills; and personal power: a person's integrity and individuakl values. In flatter organisations it is more importnat to develop personal power yet when working across organisations social power becomes more important, according to Julie Gogin form the Australian Graduate School of Management.

BRW June 29-July 5, 2006, pgs 68-69