Women in the Workplace

Kelly Carter

Stephanie Johnson

Jessica Paulson

Casey Windmuller

Chapter One

Women as Leaders

What defines a leader and their effectiveness?

Activity

Luong, A., Durgunoglu, A., Hennek, J., & Thao, M. Perception of leader effectiveness as function of gendered language in electronic mail. Communication Journal of New Zealand, 19-30.

Communication

“Recipients can identify the gender of senders due to the fact that men communicate differently from women, even online” (Guadagno & Cialdini, 2007)

Tag questioner, apologizer, indirect requestor VERSUS…

Devil’s advocate, direct requestor (Tannen, 1994)

Communication

Existing double-standard “which permits men to be aggressive and dominant, while women occupying the same leadership roles are expected to be kind and communal” (Luong et. al)

Competence – form of interpersonal influence (Madlock, 2008)

– Fulfilling communicative functions and goals (effectiveness)– Maintaining conversational and interpersonal norms

(appropriateness)

Role Congruity Theory

Gender = characteristics (Rutherford, 2001) – Masculine– Feminine– Androgynous?

Gender role sets– Expectation of individual– Perceived abilities & inabilities

Role Congruity Theory

Gender of leadership The “Feminine / Competency bind”

(Appelbaum, 2003) The stereotypical “B” (Eagly, 2003)

Fact-based perception of reality?

Goldberg paradigm experiment (1968) U.S. Army (Biernat et. al., 1998) & University

cadet corps (Boldry et. al, 2001) Airco Airlines (Rutherford, 2001) Residential Leadership Community at Virginia

Tech

We’re all employed on Earth…

“Women are the only oppressed group in our society that lives in intimate association with their oppressors” (Guillemets, 1998)

“Leadership” and the Generation Y Changing and calling for both gender roles

Chapter Two

Effects of Race and Image on Women in the Workplace

Income Differences

Men and women have significant differences in income.

Men still make twice as much than women in authoritative positions.

Men and women working in the same occupations have a 65 percent gap in salaries.

(Smith, 2002.)

Homosocial Reproduction

When faced with uncertainty, an authority will promote a person who shares similar social and demographic characteristics (Smith, 2002).

Not the same as social closure. This is why there are so many more white

males in authoritative positions. African American women also rely on this,

likely due to the multiple oppressions of being both female and black (Smith, 2002).

The Glass Ceiling

Idea that women can’t achieve higher levels of authority because of the glass ceiling, a barrier to their success (Daily, Certo, & Dalton, 2004).

Expanded to include racial and ethnic minorities.

Image and Women

Women within ideal weight ranges may more easily penetrate the glass ceiling.

Obese women earn $6710 less in annual income than thinner women.

Feminist theory of thin women in male-dominated occupations.

(Haskins & Ransford, 1999)

Goldman Sachs

10,000 Women Provides a business and management

education to 10,000 underserved women. Committed $100 million over the next five

years Found that strengthening education for women

is critical for economic growth (Lawson, 2008).

Activity

Activity Time!

Chapter Three

Facing Inequality and Discrimination in the Workplace

Facing Inequality and Discrimination in the Workplace

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxZ3A9giyIo

True Life: Women are Paid Less Than Men

White women are paid $.79 for every $1.00 a man makes and the inequality is even more of an issue for minority women (Kolb, Williams and Frohlinger, 2009).

The gap is higher when men and women both have very high levels of education and increases the more hours a woman works (Lips).

Women in management positions make 62.7% of what executive men make (Kolb, Williams and Frohlinger, 2009).

That really adds up!

Do Women Earn Less Because They Work Less?!

Gendered Notions of the Value of Work: Social Psychologists have said that occupations associated with feminine skills are rated as less prestigious and deserving of less pay than occupations associated with masculine skills (Lips).

Women are grouped at lower paying positions and instead of comparing what they make to a man they compare salaries to women they work with (Kolb, Williams and Frohlinger).

Women are also more likely to work part-time and take off for family reasons (Kolb, Williams and Frohlinger).

“Be A Woman Who Makes More Than a Man”

Men ask for things 8 times as often as women. Be a negotiator and “ask, ask, ask.” Learn to enjoy the game of negotiation and ask

for things even when its not the right time. Be ready for a promotion.

Slide: (Clark, 2008).

Better Hide That Baby Bump

It has been illegal to discriminate against pregnant employees for over thirty years (Couric, 2008).

The problem is still prevalent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvHQbpCN8z8

Sexual Harassment: No Occupation Is Immune

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sexual harassment is “a form of gender discrimination that is in violation of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (Sexual Harassment in the Workplace).

62% of companies now offer sexual harassment prevention training programs and 97% have a written sexual harassment policy (Sexual Harassment in the Workplace).

How big of an issue is this? Women in less traditional female occupations are most likely

to be harassed (Sexual Harassment in the Workplace).

Where Does the Venus and Mars Analogy Come From?

Men and women really do seem to be from different worlds at times.

Many believe that gender issues in the workplace are because of the different ways women and men think of the world (Banducci, 2009).

The following are differences in cultures and perceptions of men and women (Banducci, 2009).

Why Cant We All Just Get Along?

Although men and women are very different there are ways to get past that and work together for a productive and enjoyable working environment (Banducci).

The most important thing men and women can do is realize that they are different and learn to manage that.

Be respectful of each others ideas There also are many ways that organizations can

alleviate the tension and make it a more enjoyable working environment for men and women (Cooper and Lewis, 1995).

Medical Equipment Services Troutman, North Carolina Dale Allman Women in this business

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxZ3A9giyIo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvHQbpCN8z8

Other Organizations Who Have It Right

Xerox has been named one of the top ten companies in the world for women leaders (Predictive Communications).

Benefits of women in the Xerox company (Predictive Communications).

IBM has also been named a top company where women succeed (IBM).

Women at IBM (IBM).

Chapter Four

Stress, Depression and Women

Stressed out World

According to a recent report by the World Health Organization, stress alone will be the leading cause of mortality worldwide over the next 20 years.

– Labeled as an epidemic In a National survey throughout the 90s, 36-40 percent or

more of workers report high levels of stress in the workplace.

– More women then men – 60 percent of those women report job stress as their number one

life problem

(Swanson, 2000)

What is stress?

According to Naomi Swanson from the National Institute for Occupation Safety and Health: “ Occupational stressors are working conditions that overwhelm the adaptive capabilities and resources of workers, resulting in acute psychological, behavioral, or physical reactions. Prolonged exposure to a stressful working condition may lead to illness or disease” (Swanson, 2000).

Two Big Types of Sex Specific Stressors

Sex Discrimination Combining Work and Family

Every woman’s biggest fear is being labeled acomplainer

(Burke, 2002), (Swanson, 2000)

Link between Stress and Disease

High strain jobs have been linked with psychological distress, pain and reduced physical function among nurses

Increased sickness absenteeism and depressive symptoms among all workingwomen

Significant increase in blood pressure among more highly educated white female workers

(Swanson, 2000)

Depression

According to the American Psychiatric Association: Depression is a mood disorder by at least two weeks of feeling down at least one of the four:

– Changes in sleep – Changes in weight – Changes in appetite – Decreased energy – Feelings of guilt or worthlessness – Difficulty thinking, or concentrating – Recurrent thoughts of death

Depression is expected to become one of the world’s LARGEST health problems by 2020, with women twice and likely to receive this diagnosis

Causes of Depression

Biochemistry Genetics Personality: “people with low self esteem, who are

overwhelmed with stress appear to be venerable to depression”

Environmental factors Since more women report job stress as being their number one life problem, there is obviously a link between the increased depression and stress for women

(American Psychiatric Association, 1994, p. 317)

What stress and depression can do to the body?

Old studies of fight or flight hormone – Your heart speeds up – Blood flow to your brain increases 400 percent– Digestion stops – Breathe faster – Produce hormones

In Women: – Women actually “tend and befriend” – Even animals from different species respond much differently to

stress then men – Women nurture themselves, and form alliances with others

(Azar, 2000)

Organizations

Mary Kay– Flexible work hours (helpful for mothers) – Offer support systems for home sales team – Website offers resources for de-stressing – Opportunity for philanthropy: Mary Kay calls her own personal

stress reliever “The success of Mary Kay is much deeper than just dollars

and cents and buildings and assets. The real success of our company is measured to me in the lived that have been touched and given hope” –Mary Kay Ash

(Mary Kay)

Organizations (cont.)

Henderson County Public School System– Women employees at West Henderson started a

meditation time/area during lunch – Allows for break from stress, and gives teachers break

from lunch duty

Ways to Reduce Stress in the Workplace

Plan each day Prioritize your tasks Learn to say no Delegate Take the time you need to do a quality job Break large tasks, into smaller ones Practice the 10 minutes rule Evaluate how you’re spending time Limit distractions Get sleep Take a break

(American Psychiatric Association)

Activity

Meditation Activity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Hp1SpEKv3c&feature=related

Thank you!!!