Gender in the Gender in the Workplace Workplace

Dr. Heidi Strobel & Dr. Heidi Strobel &

Professor Meg Atwater-Singer 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 womenProposed June 4, 1919 & Ratified Aug. 18, 1920

Double bind: femininity quotientDoes this still exist today?

Inroads made during the Depression and World War II

Real increases after Title IX

Biology v. GenderBiology v. Gender

Biology = physical bodyBiology = physical body Gender = social organization of Gender = social organization of

sexual differencesexual difference

MasculinityMasculinity

IntelligentIntelligent CourageousCourageous HonestHonest MachismoMachismo

– Potent Potent sexualitysexuality

– Affinity for Affinity for violenceviolence

ProviderProvider Ambitious Ambitious ConfidentConfident CompetentCompetent StrongStrong

FemininityFemininity

SoftSoft PassivePassive DomesticDomestic NurturingNurturing EmotionalEmotional DependentDependent

SensitiveSensitive DelicateDelicate IntuitiveIntuitive FastidiousFastidious Needy Needy FearfulFearful

Women’s Double BindWomen’s Double Bind

Madonna Madonna – Chaste, domestic, caring motherChaste, domestic, caring mother

WhoreWhore– Sexy, seducing, fun-loving playmateSexy, seducing, fun-loving playmate

Contemporary’s Ideal Contemporary’s Ideal WomanWoman

SmartSmart CompetentCompetent IndependentIndependent BeautifulBeautiful Thin Thin

SexySexy LovingLoving SensitiveSensitive Competent Competent

domesticallydomestically Emotionally Emotionally

healthyhealthy

Key Leadership SkillsKey Leadership Skills

ConsultingConsulting DelegatingDelegating Influencing Influencing

UpwardUpward Inspiring OthersInspiring Others Intellectually Intellectually

StimulatingStimulating MentoringMentoring MonitoringMonitoring

NetworkingNetworking PlanningPlanning Problem-SolvingProblem-Solving RewardingRewarding Role ModelingRole Modeling SupportingSupporting Team-BuildingTeam-Building

Think-Leader-Think-MaleThink-Leader-Think-Male

Women are ATYPICAL leadersWomen are ATYPICAL leaders Gender stereotypes Gender stereotypes

– Emphasize “natural differences”Emphasize “natural differences”– Mutually exclusiveMutually exclusive– Men & women are more similar than Men & women are more similar than

differentdifferent– More variation among women than More variation among women than

between women & men between women & men

Numbers at a GlanceNumbers at a Glance

50.6 %50.6 %– all management & professional positions all management & professional positions

held by women in 2005held by women in 2005 1.8 %1.8 %

– FortuneFortune 500 CEOs who were women in 500 CEOs who were women in 20062006

0.7 %0.7 %– Increase in women’s representation in Increase in women’s representation in FortuneFortune 500 companies from 2002-2005 500 companies from 2002-2005

Some Corporate PracticesSome Corporate Practices

Gender Discrimination Lawsuits in Gender Discrimination Lawsuits in last 10 yearlast 10 year

Walmart, Home Depot, Lucky Stores, Walmart, Home Depot, Lucky Stores, and Smith Barney and Smith Barney

2004: Walmart vs. 1.6 million 2004: Walmart vs. 1.6 million plaintiffsplaintiffs

Potential Corporate-Gender Potential Corporate-Gender PitfallsPitfalls

““Women don’t want this kind of work” Women don’t want this kind of work” Gender-associated stereotypes in Gender-associated stereotypes in

evaluationsevaluations– ““a sweet person”a sweet person”

Influence of job assignments, training, or Influence of job assignments, training, or promotions promotions – Existence of gender-segregated job ladders or Existence of gender-segregated job ladders or

career pathscareer paths No incentives for bias-free decision-making No incentives for bias-free decision-making Disparate opportunities for advancement & Disparate opportunities for advancement &

pay for equal skillspay for equal skills

Catalyst’s Damned & Catalyst’s Damned & DoomedDoomed

Extreme PerceptionsExtreme Perceptions High Competence ThresholdHigh Competence Threshold Competent but DislikedCompetent but Disliked

Extreme PerceptionsExtreme Perceptions

Too Soft Too Soft – Acting in gender-consistent waysActing in gender-consistent ways– Cooperative, relationship-focused Cooperative, relationship-focused

mannermanner– Not a leaderNot a leader

Too HardToo Hard– Acting in gender-inconsistent waysActing in gender-inconsistent ways– Authoritative, ambitious, task-focusedAuthoritative, ambitious, task-focused– Leader-like, not ladylikeLeader-like, not ladylike

High Competence ThresholdHigh Competence Threshold

Prove again & again Prove again & again – More time and energy than male More time and energy than male

counterpartscounterparts Manage stereotypical expectations Manage stereotypical expectations Work harder to prove equal Work harder to prove equal

competencecompetence

Competent but DislikedCompetent but Disliked

Social disapprovalSocial disapproval Less likely to trust or follow instructionsLess likely to trust or follow instructions Less effectiveLess effective Less personableLess personable Less likely to exert interpersonal Less likely to exert interpersonal

influenceinfluence Appreciated for leadership style or Appreciated for leadership style or

interpersonal style – not bothinterpersonal style – not both

Women Leaders’ Strategies Women Leaders’ Strategies

Talk Openly Talk Openly Show them OtherwiseShow them Otherwise Use Clear & Effective CommunicationUse Clear & Effective Communication Minimize the IssueMinimize the Issue

Talk OpenlyTalk Openly

Immediately confront the inequitable Immediately confront the inequitable situationsituation– Clearly communicate concernsClearly communicate concerns– Note when a comment/behavior is Note when a comment/behavior is

inappropriateinappropriate Do not discount your own feelings or Do not discount your own feelings or

perceptionsperceptions Address assumptions to create Address assumptions to create

awarenessawareness

Show them OtherwiseShow them Otherwise

Show your competenceShow your competence Be consistentBe consistent Be visible, seek high-level Be visible, seek high-level

assignmentsassignments Speak up at meetingsSpeak up at meetings Find a mentorFind a mentor

Clear & Effective Clear & Effective CommunicationCommunication

Let people know what you wantLet people know what you want Ask questionsAsk questions Be diplomaticBe diplomatic Learn the jargonLearn the jargon

Minimize the IssueMinimize the Issue

Learn to ignore gender and act in Learn to ignore gender and act in gender-neutral waysgender-neutral ways

Reframe the issue to your advantageReframe the issue to your advantage Adapt yourself to the contextAdapt yourself to the context

Recognizing Current Recognizing Current Limitations Limitations

Women now comprise a majority of Women now comprise a majority of college graduatescollege graduates

Underrepresented in leadership Underrepresented in leadership positionspositions

Held to a different standard (Clinton)Held to a different standard (Clinton)

ConclusionsConclusions

No single “woman’s No single “woman’s point of view” point of view”

Acknowledge gender’s Acknowledge gender’s rolerole

Push for alternative Push for alternative (nonlinear) career path (nonlinear) career path optionsoptions

ConclusionsConclusions

Groups emphasize preexisting Groups emphasize preexisting gender inequities more than gender inequities more than independent projectsindependent projects

Gender differences impact leadership Gender differences impact leadership positionspositions

Mix assertion with sociabilityMix assertion with sociability