Gender Bender: The female

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Recommended: Solutions to gender inequality in work

Gender Defender: Roles within the Workplace My research opened my eyes to the struggle of women in the job market. The differences range from how we speak, what we wear, to where our priorities exist in business. One of the first books I came across was Managing Like a Man by Judy Wajcman. The title alone highlights the severe psychological separation of men and women in the workplace. Everyone faces difficulty at some point or another in a working environment. Unfortunately for women, workplace issues can range from not getting along, not keeping the job, or simply not getting the job. ‘Bust through the glass ceiling’ is a term coined in regards to women and the seemingly impossible climb up the ladder of success. Multiple books and studies about women seeking leadership roles give the theory a legitimate hype. The female gender has to fight for their role in the workplace, even when they have more education, more experience, and a newly found focus on equality for women. Extended research is still being done because the issue has not been completely eradicated; even now in the 2000’s. Women are under constant scrutiny when it comes to the organizational world of work. Looking at the start, this type of wary behavior begins at the job interview. From experience, the moment an interviewer views a person’s application they have already begun their assessment of the person. The interviewee has less than a minute after introduction to give a good initial impression. However, the traits of two applicants who are male and female vary in expectation, “women are expected to be dependable, cooperative, intuitively perceptive, and exhibit ‘soft’ skills of management. Men, on the other hand, are required to be intelligent, ... ... middle of paper ... ...be more non-verbally involved, and appear to be very socially involved. This type of open relationship can be reflected by the positive scores and more satisfied employees. The changing face of the workforce climate is a slow decent. Like global warming it is a long way, way away from coming to completion, and half of the people involved tend to deny it’s a problem. Looking back to when women first entered the force, things have changed for the better, but it still could use some major work. Still, issues like female problems, maternity leave, sexual harassment, and missed communication which creates a hostile environment. Some men still hold to their belief system and attempt to eradicate women from the top. Many will rise to the top by determination and continue to raise the poor numbers of women in the higher levels of hierarchy in the workforce.

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