The Dynamics of Workplace - Women in Business - Research Paper Example

Women in Business The Dynamics of Workplace The dynamics of workplace have been changing with times and so is the face of the workforce. The predominantly male workforce slowly gave way to incorporate female labor during and after the industrialization era. However, the situation for women at workplace has not been as favorable. Women mostly worked at low-salaried jobs and were exposed to common workplace harassment and discrimination on the basis of their gender. The recognition of women as competent workers in the workplace evolved very slowly, over a period of centuries. Their dedication and hard work was not duly acknowledged and the nature of their jobs was limited to a few industries. Women have long been considered as home makers only and their professional skills and talents remained unacknowledged. The concept of women as bread-earners developed very slowly because society was not willing to admit their potential as professionals or heads of families. Women saw liberation from their domesticated roles after centuries of struggle and there are places even today in the world where the roles of women in the workplace have not been duly acknowledged. However, I shall limit my discourse to the changing roles of women in workplace in the developed world where many opportunities for women have been created, particularly for those with formal education in their respective professions. Education has played a vital role in changing women’s roles in workplace. As more and more women opted for formal education, their roles in workplace began to be redefined. Formal education assisted them in getting better jobs and promotions on the basis of their qualification and expertise. With their skills and expertise in their respective fields, women today are working at all levels of organizations in public and private sectors. The variation of women’s jobs from low-salaried jobs like waitresses in pubs to mid-salaried jobs like nursing to high-salaried executive jobs in the corporate sector indicates a massive change in the organizational structures of the workplaces. The way people view working women has also changed tremendously, but more needs to be done to tackle with the issues that women face at workplace. Women are now accepted as competent co workers, bosses, and leaders due to their hard work and resilience, and their capabilities are now acknowledged to a great extent as compared with the previously male-dominated workplace. Women are working in the corporate, legal, medical, engineering, legislative, academic, small scale business and industrial sectors etc. They are working at various levels in the departments of finance, accounts, human resource, product development, information technology, etc. They are also working as scientists, researchers, social and political activists, entrepreneurs, media, journalism and even in the armed forces etc. As the roles of women have changed in the workplace, the environment and work ethics have also changed- some in favor of women, while some go against them. Accepting women in important and decision making jobs has always remained a crucial issue. Women working on executive levels have to respond and deal with critical situations like hiring, promotion and firing etc. that require high level of responsibility, conflict resolution and decision making skills. Despite their positively changing roles in workplace, they have to face intensive constraints and challenges, particularly in the case of balancing their familial and professional activities. Challenges Faced by Women The common constraints that women face in workplace are “job insecurity; increased workloads and pressures; restricted opportunities; problems over child care; sexism from powerful males.” (Bradley, 1999, p.215) Sexual harassment and discrimination on the basis of gender are the most common problems unanimously shared by working women around the world. This is particularly true in gendered societies where it is hard for men to accept women in workplace. Sexual harassment can be of numerous forms but the underlying reason for sexual harassment remains universally the same- to discourage women from competing with men or from challenging the male supremacy of the workplace. Whatever the case may be, sexual harassment exists at all levels whether women are working in low-salaried, mid-range or high salaried jobs. However, women working in low salaried jobs are more likely to face such and other constraints than those that are working in mid-range or executive level jobs. A great number of women work in customer relationship jobs; or the nature of their jobs is such that they have to interact intermittently with consumers such as in marketing and sales jobs. Such women are at a greater risk of sexual harassment or mistreatment on the basis of their gender by both: employers and customers. Similarly, women face tougher competition when and if they are nominated for promotion. Their marital status, pregnancy, or having young children, or being a single mom may put them in jeopardy because it is assumed that generally women are more inclined to their domestic duties rather than their professional responsibilities. Even if married women with children are competent enough for a particular job, they might be overridden by male colleagues as they are free of such responsibilities. Women also face constraints while balancing their personal and professional lives due to excessive load of work or working overtime. In an attempt to save their jobs and show their professionalism, many women workers do not complain about it out of the fear of displaying non-professionalism. Consequently, it takes its toll over their domestic responsibilities and enhances the level of expectations of their employers. By showing weaker resistance to the constraints they face in workplace, they continue to be discriminated on the basis of their gender. Unfortunately, many women accept the norms of male-dominated culture as a matter of fact and thus unintentionally assert the supremacy of their male colleagues. The pay-scale of women workers is different in some cases than their male counterparts. This is particularly true for part-time jobs or hourly jobs where women willingly accept lower wages than men out of their financial needs. This willingness has negatively affected the market trends of paying women lower than average wages. Thus, women are not solely judged or hired on the basis of their abilities, experience or education; their appearance and age also matters which is not a stringent criteria for men. By giving importance to the appearance of women in certain categories of jobs that deal in customer-relationships in particular, women are being treated as sex objects to lure the customers. Feminists are utterly against this discrimination as it undermines their professional capabilities and expertise and rather focuses on their gendered roles in workplace. Effects of Socialization For many women, career and jobs hold a special meaning and purpose. Upon entering the job market, women come face to face with the ground realities of workplace. The responsibilities and expectations associated with any job for new female entrants in the job market are huge. It is natural for women to have certain expectations about themselves; their jobs and workplace; and the way they shall respond to the dynamics of the workplace culture. When they learn about the culture of their workplace through socialization, they have to come to terms with a number of situations that they might not have imagined before. The role they are supposed to assume in a workplace might not be something they ever wanted to play; or, they might be assigned huge responsibilities for which they are unprepared. This is where their dreams, aspirations, and hopes clash with the realities of their workplace. Upon realization that they have to comply with certain pre set notions or characteristics, the real personalities of such women have to take a back seat, while they learn to adjust to the demands of their new jobs. This process becomes more difficult if women have to switch jobs, as each organization has its unique culture and socialization becomes an authentic means of transferring the traditions of their workplace culture. In any case, socialization in workplace affects women’s expectations of themselves to some extent. One reason for this may be accounted for lack of training in the related job market. Handling job related issues require training and mentoring programs, which are lacking in most organizations in public and private sectors. Consequently, women face cultural shock on exposure to an utterly new and different job environment, and their expectations regarding their performance or response to critical job situations are affected deeply. Gender socialization theory posits that gender differences in career attributes stem from stereotypes, which are handed down through socialization… Conformity to these norms is enforced by culture; those who do not adhere to these behaviors are punished by isolation, lack of promotion, social exclusion, and ridicule. (Paludi, 2008, p.161) Female stereotypes in workplaces are to be followed by the new entrants and this fact changes women’s expectations of themselves. For example, a woman might take up a new job with the hope of being accepted in the workplace for her abilities and qualification. However, when she learns about the typical female stereotypes in a particular workplace that she is bound to be, her expectations about herself are likely to be affected. Socialization in a workplace is a great way of introducing new entrants to the norms and practices of any workplace. Sometimes, socialization also defines the parameters for women, within which they have to work and respond to various situational problems. Thus, they have to adapt themselves according to the predefined roles of a workplace by compromising their expectations of themselves. They may realize that they are perceived only as the weaker sex and cannot compete with men in the professional sense. Women working in low- and mid-salary ranges might not have such great expectations about their work and reward; but those working in top notch positions must have harbored strong passions for success and achievement. They might have believed that they have attained a certain status or achievement in their academic and later in their professional lives with zeal, hard work, and dedication. Therefore, they would be judged on the basis of their abilities and professionalism. However, socialization with their coworkers brings to them the realization that they are merely ‘women’. They are expected to fit into certain norms and standards set by the society, and whatever expectations they have of themselves stand in a sharp contrast with those set by their workplaces. This practice should be banned and the phenomenon of gendered stereotypes shall be removed permanently from all workplace cultures. Socialization has its brighter side too, when it comes to imparting knowledge and experience of others in similar job situations. When I started working in a nursing home as a medical assistant, socialization brought to me the real picture of my workplace. I learnt about my job requirements through others’ experiences and anecdotes which mostly had underlying meanings and messages. Nursing is a job that requires great deal of commitment to the patients and experience-sharing is one of the greatest ways of being good at this job. Socialization offered a vast resource of knowledge and experience of my senior nurses and changed my perspective and expectations about myself and my job. “The socialization of young women who enter nursing includes experiences and messages which insert a reduction of status expectations into the socializing environment.” (Statham, Miller &Mauksch, 1988, p.135) As women are expected to act according to the gendered stereotypes or role-models, they may not find it easy to adapt themselves to such expectations. Their personal expectations might be related to moving up in their careers, according to their potentials rather than befitting the roles of gendered stereotypes. They also might have dreams of working innovatively and creatively, and to bring about a positive and healthy change in their workplace environment. Such aspirations cannot be achieved single handedly. If our workplaces continue to be governed by pre-set norms and gendered stereotypes, the new entrants shall fail to bring in the fresh breath of air into our organizations. By following the stereotypical model in workplace cultures, we are trying to halt the natural process of change and transformation in workplace. Handling ground realities is something many women might not be prepared for. A workplace where they are expected to take up only certain jobs or work in limited capacities is likely to lower their expectations of themselves. Once the expectations of women about themselves are changed, then it is not easy for them to carve out a niche for themselves, which is highly important for their career growth. Dealing Legally with Discrimination Women are discriminated for various reasons: age, race, appearance, marital status, care-giving responsibilities, pregnancy etc. In fact, such women are not encouraged to apply for important managerial positions or decision making jobs, as they are not considered to be reliable. The US government has been working to implement anti-discriminatory laws towards women in workplace. A number of commissions and legislative bodies oversee the implementation of anti-discriminatory laws against women in workplaces. Penalties and fines are also imposed on such organizations that fail to provide equal employment opportunities for men and women both. The EEOC guidelines are of great importance in this regard. EEOC guidelines: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) aims at creating jobs for women on the same basis as that of men. “The law forbids discrimination when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment.” (EEOC.gov) According to the guidelines of EEOC, employers are bound to deal fairly with women right from hiring. Setting the same pay scale has also been made mandatory to assure equality between men and women at workplace. It has been made imperative upon the employers to ensure that women get as many opportunities of growth in their careers as men. Sometimes it so happens that women are intentionally ignored while assigning important job assignments. Therefore, they hardly get any credit for doing something extraordinary, as they never got a chance to do it! “The Equal Pay Act requires that men and women in the same workplace be given equal pay for equal work. The jobs need not be identical, but they must be substantially equal. Job content (not job titles) determines whether jobs are substantially equal. All forms of pay are covered by this law, including salary, overtime pay, bonuses, stock options, profit sharing and bonus plans, life insurance, vacation and holiday pay, cleaning or gasoline allowances, hotel accommodations, reimbursement for travel expenses, and benefits. If there is an inequality in wages between men and women, employers may not reduce the wages of either sex to equalize their pay.” (EEOC.gov) Women have greatly benefitted from such measures that have been taken to address their grievances about their wages. This act also acknowledges women as bread earners or the heads of their families which was merely a dream till the last century. Having the same job benefits gives women incentives to work in an equal opportunity environment. Other than that, women have to juggle between their familial lives and jobs at all stages of their lives. Whether they are pregnant or have a new born to take care of, they try to show their commitment to their jobs as far as possible. EEOC guidelines instruct the organizations with such female workers to provide them certain facilities like break time or nursing break. “Employers are required to provide “reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk.”  Employers are also required to provide “a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk.” (US Department of Labor) Such work policies are a source of great relief for women like me, who have minor kids to nurse. The nursing home I worked for made sure that I and other nursing mothers had a private place to express breast milk. This greatly helped me during the years when I nursed my three kids while I was at work. This is one of the reasons why I have remain committd to my job up till now. EEOC policies urge the organizations to do away with the common misconceptions about women, such as: …assuming that female workers’ caretaking responsibilities will interfere with their ability to succeed in a fast-paced environment; [or those] who work part-time or take advantage of flexible work arrangements are less committed to their jobs than full-time employees; [or] male workers do not, or should not, have significant care-giving responsibilities; [or] female workers prefer, or should prefer, to spend time with their families rather than time at work; [or] female workers who are caregivers are less capable than other workers; [and] pregnant workers are less reliable than other workers. (EEOC) Such assumptions undermine the capabilities and professionalism of women who are as dedicated and committed to their work as their male counterparts. It can be noticed in the above passage that all assumptions are based on the fact that women are only interested in their domestic responsibilities and prefer home over their work. These assumptions are a way to assert the viewpoint of a patriarchal society that despite having a huge women workforce, is oblivious to its real potential. “The impact of work-family conflicts also extends to professional workers, contributing to the maternal wall or “glass ceiling” that prevents many women from advancing in their careers. As a recent EEOC report reflects, even though women constitute about half of the labor force, they are a much smaller proportion of managers and officials. The disparity is greatest at the highest levels in the business world, with women accounting for only 1.4% of Fortune 500 CEOs1.” (EEOC) Such statistics are alarming in the sense that speaks of global constraints that women face in workplace. If women are not let in the upper tier of the job market, how would they influence decisions regarding the fate of female workers? While the EEOC is actively engaged in bringing about a transformation in the workplace to make it women-friendly and to base all laws on equality, it should do more to encourage women to grow in their careers instead of following a linear pattern in their career. Affirmative action: The job insecurity of women is dealt with the Affirmative Action in the following way. “For federal contractors and subcontractors, affirmative action must be taken by covered employers to recruit and advance qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. Affirmative actions include training programs, outreach efforts, and other positive steps”. (US Department of Labor) Such steps will maximize the number of women being hired by federal contractors and sub contractors and continue to support them through training programs, outreach efforts and other positive steps. The issues of women are not just restricted to finding good jobs, but retaining and growing in their careers are far graver issues. According to Affirmative Action, it would not be possible for any covered employer to show discrimination towards women while hiring. In any job, training programs pay a vital role in the development of skills and expertise of the newly hired workforce. In many job areas, women lack formal education or training and thus, the training programs under Affirmative Action shall enhance their workplace productivity and ensure rapid career growth. According to this law, women are also allowed to file complaints against any sort of discrimination online . Civil rights regulation: “Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964… prohibits recipients of federal financial assistance from discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin in their programs or activities. Title VI itself prohibits intentional discrimination.” (EPA) The woes of working women are addressed according to this law that protects them from any sort of discrimination for receiving financial assistance from the federal government. “The Environmental Protection Agency is committed to providing equal employment opportunity; eliminating discrimination in employment; and maintaining an environment that is free from any form of prohibited discrimination. The Agency will provide a prompt, fair and impartial review, and adjudication of any allegation of discrimination. We are committed to equal employment opportunity principles and practices in all of our management decisions and personnel practices.” (EPA) Such commitments towards providing equal opportunities to women are attempts to change the existing discrimination against anyone on the basis of gender, race, or color etc. Coping with Challenges Certain strategies can be really effective for overcoming constraints in workplace. Instilling the qualities of leadership can bring about the much anticipated changes in the workplace. Leaders do not necessarily have to belong to a certain gender- he/she should be able to have a deep insight of the prevailing issues in workplace and he/she should have the will to change it. “Transformational leaders are visionaries and agents of change who motivate people through mentorship, vision, and bringing meaning to their work.” (Sigma Theta Tau International, p. 20) As career growth is a common issue of most women, therefore, such factors need to be analyzed that prohibit the promotion of women. Women today are University graduates and there is apparently no reason why they can’t reach the top positions in an organization. Therefore, “In the bid to attract and retain qualified and talented employees, organizations are increasingly concerned about providing opportunities for women to enable them to reach management positions and are taking a hard look at workplace practices that block women’s chances.” (Wirth, 2000, p. 102) There are some inherent flaws in the organizational structures of public and private workplace that block women’s chances of growth. Such flaws need to be addressed in a strategic manner in order to change the dynamics of the workplace scenario, particularly for women. “While it is true that there is very little an individual woman can do about it, women can do a lot if we join together to insist on change.” (Litwin, 2008, p.117) Joining hands to bring about a social change from group efforts is actually possible if women are determined about it. One way of doing so is developing mentoring networks across organizations that teach women the importance of working together and creating leaders. Thus mentoring network provides a viable solution to this problem. Mentoring programs can initiate the process of creating leaders from the existing workforce and leadership qualities can be transferred across the network. This strategy shall ensure that the organizational structures of workplaces shall not be dependent upon a few individuals, but the process of creating leaders shall continue in a chain reaction across a mentoring network. Personal ties across those lines of division are essential to building the citizens’ will and ability to overcome divisions, to craft compromise and consensus in the face of conflict, and to combat the subtle and intransigent sources of inequality that remain in American society. The proliferation of those ties depends upon the existence of a domain in which people find it necessary to get along and get things done with others with whom they would not otherwise choose to associate, or with whom they would not choose to associate on terms of equality. (Estlund, 2003, p.116) This means that no communication gaps shall be left in any network that may create a void and become a problem later on. Mentoring network is of particular importance in the field of nursing, from my personal experience. I have learnt a great deal from my mentors who taught me how to go ahead and fight back. Fighting back for a cause is vital for personal survival and for bringing about a change in the system. The values of a profession are transferred from mentors to the new entrants and this way, a mentoring network becomes the custodian of the values of the workplace cultures. Mentoring is crucial and needs to be promoted among professional nurses and integrated into the nursing curriculum. It is important for individual nurses to identify skills they wish to work on and then choose someone to work with who possesses these attributes or skills. In order to prepare leaders, we must mentor them. Other leadership skills such as managing conflict, maintaining credibility, communicating effectively, taking risks, being flexible, being creative, having visions, and critically thinking are important for leaders to assist individuals in developing. Nurses will need to think about new ways of providing care. Collaboration, partnering, and networking skills will be important to acquire for these new health care delivery methods to be successful. (Grossman, 2007, p.73) Mentoring is essential not only for professional but for personal growth of professionals working in various fields as well. Mentoring also makes multi-tasking easy and manageable. The most important skill one can learn within a mentoring network is the ability to think critically. Importance of Teamwork Teamwork focuses on the goals of a given task which is achieved by the collective efforts of any team. Thus, teamwork is all about collective efforts in contrast with individual efforts. Perhaps the second most important thing in an organization next to creating mentorship is building teams. The objective of doing so is to teach individuals coming from various backgrounds to work towards a common goal. They will learn to overcome their personal differences or prejudices, and thus any sort of discrimination shall naturally be dissolved. In the nursing profession, teamwork is of particular importance because teams of nurses take over the shifts from one another and this is how round-the-clock patient care is made possible in a nursing home or a hospital. Each team member follows the given instructions of their leader and learns to take responsibility of his/her individual actions. Working in a team gives numerous opportunities to learn from peers and leaders. The credit of teamwork is equally shared by all team members that give a sense of satisfaction to each and every team member. Having a sense of satisfaction in one’s profession carries huge meanings for any professional. Women have come a long way in the job market. Even though they face numerous challenges in workplace, yet they are determined to work their way up in their careers. The laws and regulations of the government have rendered significant improvements in the organizational structures of workplaces. Other strategies like mentoring networks and teamwork promise to instill the qualities of leadership across mentoring networks for a better and brighter furure for women in business. References Affirmative Action.(2011) US Department of Labor. Retrieved from http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/hiring/affirmativeact.htm Bradley, H. (1999). Gender and power in the workplace: Analyzing the impact of economic change. Great Britain: MacMillan Press. EEOC. Accessed 6 Aug 2011. Retrieved from http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/sex.cfm Employment complaints resolution staff. EPA. 11 Feb 2011 Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/civilrights/crshome3.htm Employers best practices for workers with care-giving responsibilities. EEOC. 19 Jan 2011. Accessed on 6 Aug 2011. Retrieved from http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/caregiver-best-practices.html Estlund, Cynthia. (2003)Working together : How workplace bonds strengthen a diverse democracy. Cary, NC, USA: Oxford University Press. Grossman, Sheila. Mentoring in Nursing : A Dynamic and Collaborative Process. New York, NY, USA: Springer Publishing Company. Litwin, A. (2008) Shadow and light: A study of patterns of relationship among women in the workplace. California: Fielding Graduate University. Paludi, A. M. (2008). The psychology of women at work: Career liberation, history, and the new millennium. USA: Praeger Pblishers. Statham, A., Miller, M. E., & Mauksch, O. H. (1988) The worth of women's work: A qualitative synthesis. New York: State university of New York Press. Nurse-Advance collection on leadership and mentoring in nursing. (2008) Sigma Theta Tau International. Indianapolis, IN, USA: Sigma Theta Tau International. Title VI- Law and EPA’s Regulations. 11 Feb 2011 Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/civilrights/t6lawrg.htm Wirth, Linda. (2000) Breaking through the glass ceiling : Women in management. Geneva 22, CHE: International Labour Office Bureau International du Travail. Fact Sheet #73: Break Time for Nursing Mothers under the FLSA. Wage and Hour Division. December 2010. Retrieved from http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs73.htm ‘Work-family conflicts’. Enforcement guidance: Unlawful disparate treatment of workers with caregiving responsibilities. EEOC. 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