Transcript Gender in the Workplace - University of Evansville

Gender in the Workplace
Dr. Heidi Strobel &
Professor Meg Atwater-Singer
Women Working Outside the Home
Detail from Winslow Homer etching of women filling cartridges at the
U.S. Arsenal in Watertown, MA; Harper’s Weekly cover, July 20, 1861
The 20th Century
19th Amendment extended suffrage to women
Proposed June 4, 1919 & Ratified Aug. 18, 1920
Double bind: femininity quotient
Does this still exist today?
Inroads made during the
Depression and World War II
Real increases after Title IX
Biology v. Gender
Biology = physical body
 Gender = social organization of sexual
difference

Masculinity
Intelligent
 Courageous
 Honest
 Machismo
– Potent sexuality
– Affinity for
violence

Provider
 Ambitious
 Confident
 Competent
 Strong

Femininity
Soft
 Passive
 Domestic
 Nurturing
 Emotional
 Dependent

Sensitive
 Delicate
 Intuitive
 Fastidious
 Needy
 Fearful

Women’s Double Bind

Madonna
– Chaste, domestic, caring mother

Whore
– Sexy, seducing, fun-loving playmate
Contemporary’s Ideal Woman
Smart
 Competent
 Independent
 Beautiful
 Thin

Sexy
 Loving
 Sensitive
 Competent
domestically
 Emotionally
healthy

Key Leadership Skills
Consulting
 Delegating
 Influencing Upward
 Inspiring Others
 Intellectually
Stimulating
 Mentoring
 Monitoring

Networking
 Planning
 Problem-Solving
 Rewarding
 Role Modeling
 Supporting
 Team-Building

Think-Leader-Think-Male
Women are ATYPICAL leaders
 Gender stereotypes

– Emphasize “natural differences”
– Mutually exclusive
– Men & women are more similar than different
– More variation among women than between
women & men
Numbers at a Glance

50.6 %
– all management & professional positions held
by women in 2005

1.8 %
– Fortune 500 CEOs who were women in 2006

0.7 %
– Increase in women’s representation in Fortune
500 companies from 2002-2005
Some Corporate Practices
Gender Discrimination Lawsuits in last 10
year
 Walmart, Home Depot, Lucky Stores, and
Smith Barney
 2004: Walmart vs. 1.6 million plaintiffs

Potential Corporate-Gender Pitfalls
“Women don’t want this kind of work”
 Gender-associated stereotypes in evaluations

– “a sweet person”

Influence of job assignments, training, or
promotions
– Existence of gender-segregated job ladders or career
paths
No incentives for bias-free decision-making
 Disparate opportunities for advancement & pay
for equal skills

Catalyst’s Damned & Doomed
Extreme Perceptions
 High Competence Threshold
 Competent but Disliked

Extreme Perceptions

Too Soft
– Acting in gender-consistent ways
– Cooperative, relationship-focused manner
– Not a leader

Too Hard
– Acting in gender-inconsistent ways
– Authoritative, ambitious, task-focused
– Leader-like, not ladylike
High Competence Threshold

Prove again & again
– More time and energy than male counterparts
Manage stereotypical expectations
 Work harder to prove equal competence

Competent but Disliked
Social disapproval
 Less likely to trust or follow instructions
 Less effective
 Less personable
 Less likely to exert interpersonal influence
 Appreciated for leadership style or
interpersonal style – not both

Women Leaders’ Strategies
Talk Openly
 Show them Otherwise
 Use Clear & Effective Communication
 Minimize the Issue

Talk Openly

Immediately confront the inequitable
situation
– Clearly communicate concerns
– Note when a comment/behavior is
inappropriate
Do not discount your own feelings or
perceptions
 Address assumptions to create awareness

Show them Otherwise
Show your competence
 Be consistent
 Be visible, seek high-level assignments
 Speak up at meetings
 Find a mentor

Clear & Effective Communication
Let people know what you want
 Ask questions
 Be diplomatic
 Learn the jargon

Minimize the Issue
Learn to ignore gender and act in genderneutral ways
 Reframe the issue to your advantage
 Adapt yourself to the context

Recognizing Current Limitations
Women now comprise a majority of
college graduates
 Underrepresented in leadership positions
 Held to a different standard (Clinton)

Conclusions
No single “woman’s point of
view”
 Acknowledge gender’s role
 Push for alternative
(nonlinear) career path
options

Conclusions
Groups emphasize preexisting gender
inequities more than independent projects
 Gender differences impact leadership
positions
 Mix assertion with sociability
