GENDER & EMOTION IN THE WORKPLACE (CHAPTER 13)

Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason, COMS 404

Before you read…

Consider why there is a chapter on gender and emotion

Explore what you EXPECT this chapter will cover

Reflect on your own experiences in various organizations

Slow changes in the workplace

Women earned 62% of men’s wages

47% of mothers with children under 18 worked outside the home

Men earned the majority of degrees

Women earning 80% of men’s wages Equity increases at

younger age 71% of mothers with

children under 18 worked outside the home

Women earn over 55% of all bachelor’s degrees and 60% of master’s degrees

1970s 2008

Know the history

Equal Pay Act of 1963 Civil Rights Act of 1964 Pregnancy Discrimination Act Civil Rights Act of 1991 Family Medical Leave Act

Millennial women are just as likely as men to want jobs with great responsibility. The education gap between women and men has significantly decreased. The family structure has changed for both men and women.

Slow changes in the family structure The workplace isn’t the only aspect of

our society that has changed—so, too, has the family structure

Is this relevant? Absolutely!

Work-family and gender policies are tied together.

As our family structures have shifted, our expectations and needs from our workplace change

Think about the media! Have you seen “older” television or movies and wondered

about the treatment of men or women? How does that compare to present-day media?

Changing for employees’ needs Organizations are creating programs to

meet the needs of the diverse employees in their care. On-site daycare Flextime Various hours Dependent care Flexible spending accounts Employee Assistance Programs

Discrimination & Unequal Treatment Only about 15% of senior management positions in the U.S.

are held by women. The numbers decrease even more when you consider

minority women with only 5.2% of them holding professional management positions.

Daily and Dalton (1999) wrote about the glass ceiling, a metaphorical boundary, based on misconceptions, stereotypes, and beliefs that keep certain groups of individuals from advancing into management positions.

The metaphor of the concrete ceiling was later developed to describe the plight of minorities who try to advance through seemingly impenetrable barriers.

Women tend to occupy caring professions or even caring positions in professional fields.

Discrimination

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Sexual Harassment Quid Pro Quo Hostile work environment

Sometimes, discrimination is less visible than we may expect Consider the fact that women are often not included in

mentoring and networking opportunities (this impacts promotion/raises, etc.)

What is the difference between “glass” and “concrete” ceilings?

Have you seen discrimination at work in

organizations you belong to?

Pink Collar Work

How do you feel about the changing workplace? What

challenges might men face as they enter a traditionally

“pink” profession?

Sexuality and Gender Identity Issues around sexuality and gender identity have become

more open in society, challenging workplaces to craft policies that prevent workplace discrimination.

2 million transgender professionals LEAVE work due to discriminatory practices Sex – biolgoical classification Gender – culturally defined set of behavioral, cultural,

psychological, and social traits associated with one’s sex Transgender – umbrella term for individuals with non-traditional

gender identities Policies are shaping and changing as gender identity and

sexuality are more common topics in the workplace. Diversity awareness/training, among other suggestions, is essential to foster an inclusive work environment.

Emotions and employees

According to Rafaeli and Sutton (1989) it is important to know the rules for emotional management in order to understand organizational culture. Appropriate emotional management will help an

individual develop relationships and it can increase an individual’s chances of achieving career success.

Socialization research on a variety of service industries suggests that organizations choose employees who seem able to conform to certain emotional display rules.Do you feel it is important to know the rules for emotional

management? How have you seen emotions tie into your work/organizational

experiences?

Emotions and employees

Manage Emotions Deep acting – emotional display that stems from more of

a conditioned internal state Surface acting – external state of emotion, it is a public

display of emotions

Amplification Initiate or enhance public displays of

emotions Suppression

Reducing or eliminating public displays of emotion

Socialization and Expectations We typically have a set of thoughts

about how an organizational will be. Slowly, as we interact with its members, we learn what is expected Professional/Unprofessional

Consider how socialization occurs within the organizations you have been personally involved in.

Emotional Regulation

Emotional dissonance Strain Emotional labor

Frequency of appropriate emotional display Attentiveness to required display rules Variety of emotion required to be expressed

Burnout Socialization

Can you relate to these concepts? Have you seen them at play in our movies and television? What are

potential impacts of these concepts?

Work-Family Balance

Conflict Health outcomes “Second Shift” Domestic labor Career advancement implications Depends on occupations Stress Some positives may exist (Greenhous &

Powell) Consequently, although the policies do

exist in many organizations, working parents are still conflicted in how to balance their work and family lives in such a way that meets the needs of both their employee and their own families.

Telecommuting and Telework Nilles defined as:

Telework is “ANY form of substitution of information technologies (such as telecommunications and computers) for work-related travel” (p. 1).

What benefits exist with telework?

What drawbacks exist with telework?

What role does communication

play?

Gender & Emotion in the Workplace

Examine the role that gender may play in your major and in your anticipated profession.

In what ways are gender and emotions addressed in the company you have selected to follow this

semester?

How can socialization be used by employers when considering both gender and emotion in

the workplace?