Gender Differences In The Workplace

Battle among the sexes….ready, set, WORK! Today, it is common for a work environment to consist of both male and female, in attempt to contribute to the success of a business. With the significant rise of woman being in a workplace, gender has become a prominent aspect today. Though some experts believe that a balance of both genders are ideal in a workplace, studies show that women tend to excel in certain areas and men tend to excel in others. Research shows that gender characteristics do exist and plays an influential role on the in the workplace. With that being stated, my ethnography project is in regards to the gender and the results of performance and service provided for the customers in a workplace. More specifically, I will be observing

a fast food restaurant, which will be Wendy’s. The question imposed for this particular ethnography is “Does gender affect a company’s environment as well as the performance and service provided to the customers?”
According to dictionary.com, culture, in its simplest form, is defined as the sum of values, beliefs, arts, and customs in a particular group, society or place. In this case, I will observe the culture instilled in the Wendy's community among the crew members, managers presented on the specific night, and the environment “Quality is our recipe. We’re a cut above”. Because I am a crew member at Wendy’s, I was able to actually get an “behind the scene” insight of how the concept “gender” differentiate in the Wendy’s industry and the affect that it has on the environment and crew members working on that particular day. I was able to devote my observation to how each person interaction, behaviors, and practices instilled in this particular community.
The Wendy’s that I work at is located in Lithonia, Georgia.

The store is famous for selling fresh burgers, fries, chilies, and above all, frostys. Hierarchy is presented in the store, due to the general manager being the “top dog”, the shift managers being under, and then the crew members. The managers consist of 4 females and one male. Gender role is prominent in this fast food environment as well. Each male and female is assigned to a specific task in the store, simply because of their gender. The male and female differences clearly involve both physical and emotional factors. Certain influences may arise from psychological factors, such as the upbringing, or physical factors, such as a crew member’s ability to perform a certain task. More commonly, males perform task such as mopping the floors, taking out the trash, picking up heavy items and operating the grill. On the other hand, females are more prone to interact with the customers, such as cashier, drive thru order take, and remembering to keep a smile on their face. All roles completed by both male and females contribute to the success of the

business.
In regards to the management differences presented in the Wendy’s workplace, on the day of my first observation, I conducted the research during night shift.

The manager that was working was a lady named Tasha Bernard (name was changed to protect identity). The first thing that was rather noticeable to me while she was managing the store was she lacked the ability to actually manage the crew members, resulting in the lack of service provided to the customers. Additionally, she displayed complete apathy towards the job, especially when she blatantly answered her phone while distributing fries in a carton for a customer. I was able to interview a random customer named Pariss who witnessed this act and she stated, “Wow, is she really talking on her phone?”. “Where is the manager?. I sighed desperately and stated that she was in fact the manager of the night. This inevitably resulted in bickering among the manager and customer. In addition, the crew members displayed complete apathy towards providing “quality service” as well. They engaged in horse playing, texting, and someone was blasting music while “working”. Basically, everyone engaged in their own little world, lacking any sort of teamwork which is required in a fast food restaurant. Needless to say, the line extended all the way to the door and a roar of complaints filled the

air.
On the following day, I conducted my observation during day shift which consisted of two female managers, due to the rush we usually have around that time. Sherry and Davvy, managed the store that day and the affect on the crew members were more effective compared to Tasha. They were able to get the customers in and out in a timely manner. The crew member’s age ranges from 20-45. Many of them are scheduled during the day shift in order to return home to their children at night. Day shift crew members appear to be more concerned about getting the job done and getting it done right. They provided exceptional customer service, and in a sense, made it seemed like they were actually interested in what they were doing, then later complained that $7.25 just isn’t enough. I was able to interview a customer in the midst of the event. I asked her “What do you think about the service provided to the customers in this Wendy’s location”? She stated, “Aside from the fact that I had to wait in line for a triple for damn near three hours three nights ago, I am glad I am able to get it in three minutes today”.
On the last day of my observation, I returned to night shift which a male manager, Ty Francis, was scheduled for the night. Ty is considered to be the “man with a plan” in the work place environment. He is able to manage the store effectively all on his own, which everyone thinks is an arduous task. The night shift usually consists of crew members ranging from the ages 16-21. The crew members happened to be the same one from the previous night and the results were completely different. It was as if it was a different set of crew members were working this time around. Needless to say, No phones, horse playing, or blasting music were presented at all. Team work was prominent on this night and the orders were provided to the customers on time. I interviewed a crew member by the name of Malik and asked, “What’s the difference between working with Tasha and Ty? He stated,”Oh, we all know not to play with Ty, he does not play at all. He takes his job seriously and I ain’t trying to get sent home, I need these hours”. Malik nearly got in trouble for engaging in an interview with me instead of operating the grill. The customers appeared satisfied that night.
From my observation, I was able to conclude that the service provided in the Wendy’s restaurant varies among the manager that is presented on that specific day. The management of the crew member overall, has a significant impact of the result of the service as well. The crew members are in fact a true reflection of the manager. This links to an environment having a drastic affect on a human. In a business with a positive environment, where employees work together, and generally have a positive relationship with each other and the manager will result in great productivity. On the other hand, a negative environment will generally foster dissent and strife among the crew members will have a negative effect of the business. Businesses that emphasize positive reinforcement, self improvement, and some sort of discipline will result in complete success. Furthermore, from my observation, I learned that male management happens to be more effective due to their stern, unyielding, and dominating characteristics that are innate.
In conclusion, I have learned that gender and a company’s environment can lead to the success or failure of a company. Employees are influenced by the environment that they are in and the productivity of service. According to With males usually tending to be more dominating, unyielding, and stern, the productivity of the service usually turns out well.