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The results of four research studies aimed at identifying and reducing the barriers for women within banks show that “structural” and “attitudinal” factors exist. Structural factors include personnel procedures and practices, organisation structure and the existence of all‐male jobs. Attitudinal factors can be found among managers, women and in unions. In British banks many managers are convinced that women are not interested in or not prepared to commit themselves to mobility and professional study for their career. Women who are prepared to do so are not asked to do so, or have been discouraged. More than 200,000 women now form the majority of employees in banks but only just over 1 per cent of managers are women. Banking is currently in a state of change. These trends are creating uncertainty and pessimism about women's future in banking. At the same time some of the larger clearing banks are taking active steps to remove some of the barriers which women face. Positive action programmes introduced by Barclays Bank, National Westminster Bank and the Midland Bank are outlined. These illustrate how different cultures and circumstances can result in different if equally effective strategies for change. The historical development of women's employment in banking is outlined and issues for the future discussed.

The traditional and conservative image of the banking sector now misrepresents the true situation. Banks are in a process of experimentation, rethinking and change. Within this context efforts to create greater equality of opportunity for women must be made, since women form a larger proportion of the labour force in banks than in the economy as a whole. Characteristics of the industry and the position of women within it are examined in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Britain, Canada and the USA. Some of the issues related to change, and key efforts to bring about equality of opportunity in any organisation, are addressed. Both internal and external factors have contributed to and inhibited change.

Composed earlier this century, the distribution of men′s and women′s jobs in the 1980s demonstrates a concentration of women in low‐paid, low‐opportunity jobs despite women having longer working lives and being better educated. Barriers to women′s progress, both attitudinal and structural are examined, with examples from banking and other industries. The role of legislation in stimulating questioning of women′s under‐representation in management positions is acknowledged, and the reasons for starting positive action programmes are explored. An explanation is given of these programmes, which are similar to the American affirmative action programmes. How positive action can break down barriers is discussed in relation to the European banks studied. It is concluded that without positive action the position of women at work will deteriorate, but that employers will increasingly become involved in the programmes, as will unions and consultants.

There are three recurring themes in the media that present three very different images of women—woman as the top executive, (as yet another woman becomes “the first to…”); woman as the mother who is contributing to unemployment and juvenile delinquency by taking “men's” jobs and woman as the unemployed victim of technological change.

Background in Germany In the Federal Republic of Germany the employment of men and women in the public service is governed by the Basic Law (constitution) and labour laws, which also apply to employees in the private sector. Except for the provi‐sions protecting working women, the laws do not make any distinction according to sex.

The librarian and researcher have to be able to uncover specific articles in their areas of interest. This Bibliography is designed to help. Volume IV, like Volume III, contains features to help the reader to retrieve relevant literature from MCB University Press' considerable output. Each entry within has been indexed according to author(s) and the Fifth Edition of the SCIMP/SCAMP Thesaurus. The latter thus provides a full subject index to facilitate rapid retrieval. Each article or book is assigned its own unique number and this is used in both the subject and author index. This Volume indexes 29 journals indicating the depth, coverage and expansion of MCB's portfolio.

The Spring 1984 issue of Public Personnel Management includes an article by Joy Ann Grune and Nancy Reder entitled “Addendum — Pay Equity: An Innovative Public Policy Approach to Eliminating Sex‐Based Wage Discrimination”. The authors are both members of the National Committee on Pay Equity, founded in 1979. The article explains the goals of the National Committee, the extent of the problem, reviews the new approaches and solutions in place or underway, and looks at the challenges facing public policymakers and advocates of pay equity.

The why and how of the changing relationship between women and work in post‐war Italy is examined as a preliminary to consideration of the emergence of women in management. Research and literature on women in management is scarce in Italy; the data presented here are from only two sources. Information is provided on the personal backgrounds, marital status, employment sectors and professional fields of women managers. The problem areas of family commitments, men's attitudes, organisational discrimination and lack of role models are discussed. The article makes detailed proposals for actions can be taken to enhance Italian women's career opportunities.