1. Gender in the Workplace
Dr. Heidi Strobel &
Professor Meg Atwater-Singer

2. 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

3. The 20th Century 19th Amendment extended suffrage to women
Proposed June 4, 1919 & Ratified Aug. 18, 1920

4. Double bind: femininity quotient
Does this still exist today?

5. Real increases after Title IX
Inroads made during the Depression and World War II
Real increases after Title IX

7. Biology v. Gender Biology = physical body
Gender = social organization of sexual difference

8. Masculinity Intelligent Courageous Honest Machismo Potent sexuality
Affinity for violence
Provider
Ambitious
Confident
Competent
Strong

9. Femininity Soft Passive Domestic Nurturing Emotional Dependent
Sensitive
Delicate
Intuitive
Fastidious
Needy
Fearful

10. Women’s Double Bind Madonna Whore Chaste, domestic, caring mother
Sexy, seducing, fun-loving playmate
Double-bind: 1) psychological impasse created when contradictory demands are made of an individual…so that no matter which directive is followed, the response will be construed as incorrect. (2) A situation in which a person must choose between equally unsatisfactory alternatives; a punishing and inescapable dilemma.

11. Contemporary’s Ideal Woman
Smart
Competent
Independent
Beautiful
Thin
Sexy
Loving
Sensitive
Competent domestically
Emotionally healthy

12. Key Leadership Skills Consulting Delegating Influencing Upward
Inspiring Others
Intellectually Stimulating
Mentoring
Monitoring
Networking
Planning
Problem-Solving
Rewarding
Role Modeling
Supporting
Team-Building
Ask audience:
What are key “female” leadership skills?
Which are key “male” leadership skills?
Research shows that both male & female leaders buy into gender stereotypes believing that women excel at female skills and men at male skills. This limits both male & female behavior in the workplace because of the false dichotomy (either/or).

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. Catalyst’s Damned & Doomed
Extreme Perceptions
High Competence Threshold
Competent but Disliked
Catalyst is the leading advisory & research organization working work businesses and the professions to build inclusive environments and expand opportunities for women at work.
The Double-Bind Dilemma for Women in Leadership: Damned if you Do, Doomed if you Don’t was published in 2007.

18. Extreme Perceptions Too Soft Too Hard 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

19. High Competence Threshold
Prove again & again
More time and energy than male counterparts
Manage stereotypical expectations
Work harder to prove equal competence

20. 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

21. Women Leaders’ Strategies
Talk Openly
Show them Otherwise
Use Clear & Effective Communication
Minimize the Issue

22. 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

23. Show them Otherwise Show your competence Be consistent
Be visible, seek high-level assignments
Speak up at meetings
Find a mentor

24. Clear & Effective Communication
Let people know what you want
Ask questions
Be diplomatic
Learn the jargon

25. Minimize the Issue
Learn to ignore gender and act in gender-neutral ways
Reframe the issue to your advantage
Adapt yourself to the context

26. Recognizing Current Limitations
Women now comprise a majority of college graduates
Underrepresented in leadership positions
Held to a different standard (Clinton)

27. Conclusions No single “woman’s point of view”
Acknowledge gender’s role
Push for alternative (nonlinear) career path options

28. Conclusions
Groups emphasize preexisting gender inequities more than independent projects
Gender differences impact leadership positions
Mix assertion with sociability