Once upon a time, only men became CEOs of big corporations and everyone just sailed along. The big corporation sponsored the Augusta National and the big corporation's head honcho was given a membership and no one had to kick up much of a fuss about women members because everything fell nicely into place.
Tradition! All about tradition! Women were never part of that tradition, until someone at IBM got cute.Who didn't get the memo about women executives and the Augusta Golf Club?
Virginia Rometty was present at the tournament when Bubba Watson won the sartorially challenged green jacket.
She was not, however, extended membership like every other CEO of every other tournament sponsor. Because she's not of the male persuasion.
The woman who is capable of running IBM (my stock's doing very nicely thank you very much) as much as had a door slammed in her face by all those charming gentlemen who run the club and think of themselves as refined and polite to the fairer sex.
They're not.
But no amount of criticism from the real world is going to change their minds. Their heels are dug in. They will not let women soil the sacred ground of their club, and if they have to be rude in the process, that's how things go sometimes.
Boycott IBM? Why? Boycott Augusta National? Only if you're a member.
What might get the attention of the closed minds? How about if all the other CEOs declined the invitation, refusing membership unless Ms. Rometty (their equal and in some cases their better) is extended the same courtesy.
Of course, IBM could pull out, but Ms. Rometty didn't get where she is by thinking with her heart instead of her business brain.
The dinosaurs died out, grown too large for the changing environment in which they lived.
Eventually, August will change its policy. But it won't happen right now
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