Chapter Sixteen The Changing Roles of Men and Women

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Chapter Preview: The Changing Roles of Men and Women Changing traditional roles of men and women Problems with gender bias in organizations Coping with gender-biased behavior Achieving work/life balance Forms of sexual harassment and how to avoid it

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Traditional Roles Are Changing All cultures promote a set of behaviors for boys and a set for girls Roles learned by age 5 Reinforced throughout life –Teachers –Parents –Authority figures –The media

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Traditional Roles Are Changing Traditional roles can be harmful to men and women due to biases in expectations –Assumes men should be aggressive and unemotional impacts sensitivity and creativity –Assumes women are emotional and weak impacts leadership positions

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Gender Bias Gender bias, also known as sexism, is discrimination on the basis of gender The women’s movement began in the 1960s Women have made tremendous strides toward equality Yet it still persists in the U.S. today

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Gender Bias Men have begun to realize the options women have experienced for generations –Choosing to work –Caring for the children Gender bias is no longer a female-only issue

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Gender Bias Human relations suffer when employers base decisions on gender: –Employment –Promotion –Job-assignment Many organizations are making the necessary adjustments

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Changes in the Roles of Women Women are entering the workforce in record numbers –Availability of birth control –Rise in affirmative action –Liberalization of state abortion laws

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Figure 16.1 Women in the U.S. Labor Force Source: From Patricia Sellers, “Patient but Not Passive,” Fortune, October 15, 2001, p ©2001 Time Inc. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Changes in the Roles of Women Challenges still exist –Balancing career with family –When and for how long to leave the workforce –Reentering the workplace –Limited access to top-level jobs

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Changes in the Roles of Men Many boys have been conditioned to be competitors and to win! They have been urged to –Be tough and aggressive –Learn teamwork –Select traditional male pastimes –Enter masculine professions

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Changes in the Roles of Men Girls could be tomboys, but a boy could not be a “sissy” A man was under pressure to prove himself and keep moving up the career ladder

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Total Person Insight We are living at an important and fruitful moment now, for it is clear to men that the images of adult manhood given by the popular culture are worn out; a man can no longer depend on them. By the time a man is thirty-five he knows that the images of the right man, the tough man, the true man which he received in high school do not work in life. Robert Bly Author, Iron John

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved The Burden of Stress Stress associated with being male has been neglected Many men are tired of –Being in control –Not expressing their feelings –Constantly striving for achievement

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved The Burden of Stress Many men are discovering that the traditional expectations are –Not healthy –Unrealistic Many are learning to define the kind of life they want

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Where Is the Balance? Both men and women –Face conflicting role messages as they re- examine their role in society –Realize that the joy of parenting can be just as satisfying as the achievement of career goals –Are often expected to maintain aggressive attitudes toward careers while being attentive parents and spouses

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Total Person Insight It took a revolution to get women where they are in business today. But now, to push hard-won gains wider and deeper, a different approach is necessary. It is a strategy based on small wins— incremental changes that have the power to transform organizations positively for both men and women. Debra E. Meyerson and Joyce K. Fletcher Professors, Center for Gender in Organizations, Simmons Graduate School of Management

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Problems Facing Women When women pursue careers, they often face three challenges: –The Wage Gap –The Glass Ceiling –Balancing career and family

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved The Wage Gap The wage gap is the difference between men’s and women’s earnings Women earn about 76 cents for every dollar earned by men The gap is even wider for minority women –63 cents for Black women –53 cents for Hispanic women

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved The Wage Gap In specific fields, women earn about 85 to 90 percent of what men in similar jobs earn Greater inequality exists in management positions –Women earn 60 cents for every dollar earned by men

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved The Wage Gap Factors that impact the wage gap –Discrimination –Taking time off to have children –Being willing to accept lower pay –Not negotiating

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Figure 16.2 Income Disparity

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved The Glass Ceiling A condition in the workplace that offers women a view of top management jobs, but blocks their ascent Only 4.1 percent of senior-level managers in the largest American companies are females More progress at middle-management level

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved The Glass Ceiling Men believe major barriers are –Lack of significant general management and line experience –Less time in the “pipeline” Women believe major barriers are –Preconceptions held by men –Exclusion of women from informal networks

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved The Glass Ceiling Women often quit large firms to work for more female-friendly companies Women who find their advancement blocked often start their own businesses

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved The Glass Ceiling Macho leadership styles often alienate women Companies should work to create a more balanced culture

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Total Person Insight As we enter the new millennium, we believe that it is time for new metaphors to capture the subtle, systemic forms of discrimination that still linger. It’s not the ceiling that’s holding women back; it’s the whole structure of the organizations in which we work: the foundation, the beams, the walls, the very air. Debra E. Meyerson and Joyce K. Fletcher Professors, Center for Gender in Organizations, Simmons Graduate School of Management

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Balancing Career and Family Choices Women will probably be working for pay for part or all of their adult lives Work often provides valued relationships and intellectual stimulation Performing multiple roles can be stressful and tiring Women contribute to family income and do most of the family household chores

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Balancing Career and Family Choices Long-standing work and family problems remain unresolved –Lack of quality, affordable child care –Inflexible work schedules –Time management problems

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved The “Mommy” Track Women who want a career and children may have to accept that it will have some impact on their careers Many women are delaying marriage and children to establish themselves in their chosen field

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved The “Mommy” Track Women who want both should consider –A career that will give the gift of time –A supportive partner –An employer that gives work/life balance a high priority –The need to push for policies and practices that are favorable to employees with children

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Problems Facing Men Men have also been rigidly stereotyped in their roles Men encounter resistance from family and coworkers when they try to break out of these stereotypes

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Men Working with Women Some men have felt discomfort and resentment as women became more visible in management positions Today male attitudes toward female ambitions are changing

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Men Working with Women Men who are now in their 30s attended professional schools with a large number of women They learned that women are as smart and as ambitious as they are

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Men Working with Women Many men seem to be secure in their talents and welcome the opportunity to work beside equally confident women They recognize that women can be excellent –Coworkers –Team members –Leaders

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Balancing Career and Family Choices Men now have more choices regarding marriage and family life and face many barriers to achieving work/life balance

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Balancing Career and Family Choices The role of breadwinner versus homemaker Conflicts of having it all –Marriage –Parenthood –Employment –Ownership Paternity leave and discrimination Healthy lifestyles and health care

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Challenges and Opportunities Organizations are recognizing the demands placed on working people and are attempting to address problems –Quality child care –Flexible work hours

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved The Challenge of Child Care Mothers and fathers face overtime and unpredictable hours Many day-care facilities close at 6 P.M. and on weekends Workers who cannot balance the demands of work and available child care are often disciplined or fired

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved The Challenge of Child Care Some companies offer –On-site day-care centers –Vouchers to help subsidize the parents’ costs for outside day-care –Deductions of child-care costs from pretax earnings

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved The Challenge of Child Care Attention to solutions for child-care issues can cause resentment to build in other workers without children They may be faced with absorbing extra work in order to cover for parents who are called away for child-related concerns

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Family and Medical Leave Act FMLA, established in 1993, allows employees to take up to 12 weeks unpaid time off to care for themselves or a family member Guarantees –Continuation of any paid health benefits –Plus a return to the same or equivalent job

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Flexible Work Schedule Opportunities Flexible work hours ranks high on the list of desired benefits Often used to recruit and retain top talent

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Flexible Work Schedules Flextime offers a typical core time when all employees work (i.e. 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. ) and flexible arrival and departure times A compressed workweek typically consists of four 10-hour shifts

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Figure 16.3 Flextime in Action Source: Robert Kreitner, Management (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000). Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved..

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Flexible Work Schedules Job sharing involves two employees sharing one job Telecommuting allows employees to work at home on a personal computer linked with their employer’s computer

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Coping with Gender-Biased Behavior Woman in nontraditional roles may encounter resistance It may not be clear how to act Learn to –Control your own behavior –Confront of the real obstacles

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Unwelcome verbal or physical behavior that affects a person’s job performance or work environment Employers have a legal and moral responsibility to prevent it

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Costs of sexual harassment include –Absenteeism –Staff turnover –Low morale –Low productivity

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Under the law, sexual harassment may take two forms: –Quid pro quo –Hostile work environment

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Quid pro quo (something for something) occurs when management threatens the job security or career potential of subordinate who refuses to submit to sexual advances –Comments of a personal or sexual nature –Unwanted touching and feeling –Demands for sexual favors

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Hostile work environment occurs when a “reasonable person” believes behavior is sufficiently severe to create an abusive working environment –Use of sexual innuendo –Sexually oriented jokes and conversations –Explicit photos Can be a gray area

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved How to Deal with Sexual Harassment Women entering fields dominated by men are common targets of harassment Unwelcome is the key word to determine if behavior is harassment Companies should have written policies stating that such behavior will not be tolerated

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved How to Deal with Sexual Harassment Victims should –Tell harasser that behavior is inappropriate –Record occurrence with dates and details –Talk with coworkers who can provide Emotional support Verification of incidents –Speak with a higher supervisor, if actions continue

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved How to Deal with Sexual Harassment Two court rulings –Companies can be held liable for a supervisor’s behavior –An employer can be liable when supervisor threatens to punish a worker for resisting sexual demands

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved How to Deal with Sexual Harassment Companies can –Develop a zero tolerance policy –Communicate it to employees –Make sure victims can report abuse without fear or retaliation

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Learn to Understand and Respect Gender Differences Gender often acts as a filter that interferes with effective communication Differences between men and women are often attributed to linguistic style A series of culturally learned signals that we use to communicate what we mean

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Learn to Understand and Respect Gender Differences Linguistic style is the characteristics of a person’s speaking patterns –Directness or indirectness –Pacing and pausing –Word choice –Use of elements such as jokes figures of speech stories questions apologies

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Generalizations Concerning Gender- Specific Communication Men More direct Dominate discussions Interrupt to take turns Work our solutions alone Women Emphasize politeness Work out solutions with others Speak with frequent pauses which are used for taking turns

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Generalizations Concerning Gender- Specific Communication Men Speak in a steady flow, free of pauses Humor based on banter, teasing, witty exchange Minimize doubts Women Humor based on anecdotes More likely to make fun of self than others Downplay their certainty

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved A Few Words of Caution Stereotypes are often too strong and inflexible Overextension of a strength can become a weakness Flex your style

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Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Total Person Insight Men and women should learn from one another without abandoning successful traits they already possess. Men can learn to be more collaborative and intuitive, yet remain result-oriented. Women need not give up being nurturing in order to learn to be comfortable with power and conflict. Alice Sargeant Author, The Androgynous Manager

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Learn New Organizational Etiquette As more women enter into upper levels of management, new rules of etiquette may be required There are some guidelines for helping us understand how to act in these new situations

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Guidelines for New Organizational Etiquette Both men and women should rise when a visitor enters the office Whoever has a free hand should assist anyone in need Men and women should share clerical duties –note taking, answering phones, getting coffee

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Guidelines for New Organizational Etiquette Whoever arrives at a door first should open it Whoever extends an invitation for lunch or dinner should pay the tab Written materials should use gender- free language

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Summary Gender bias is discrimination based on beliefs about men’s and women's –Abilities –Characteristics –Behaviors Traditional roles assigned to both genders can limit their opportunities to choose best career or lifestyle

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Summary Many men and women are breaking out of traditional roles More women have entered the workplace and in nontraditional jobs over the last few decades

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Summary Men and women have a wider range of options regarding marriage and children Organizations are responding by offering more flexible scheduling options address family concerns

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Summary Women are still subject to –The wage gap –The glass ceiling Men are choosing new roles for themselves

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Summary Formerly rigid male roles are recognized as restrictive and perhaps having adverse effects on health Men are learning to make conscious choices about marriage, children, and career paths

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Summary Sexual harassment may be a problem for men and women There are two forms –Quid pro quo –Hostile work environment Most organizations have taken steps to develop guidelines to help employees avoid harassment or fight it when it occurs

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Summary Methods of coping with gender-biased behavior include –Learning the communication differences between men and women –Observing new rules of etiquette in the workplace