Managing Like a Man Women and Men in Corporate Management

by Wajcman, Judy

• ISBN13: 9780745617602
• ISBN10: 0745617603
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-10-15
• Publisher: Polity

Summary

"Why can't a man be more like a woman?" seems to be the catchcry of modern management gurus. They claim to be revaluing feminine "soft" skills as qualities necessary for corporate success. This book looks behind the rhetoric and investigates the gender relations of senior management in a post-equal opportunities world. The proportion of women managers has risen dramatically in the last twenty years, yet there are still very few women "getting to the top". Based on a major study of five multinational corporations with model equality policies, this book takes a critical look at women's and men's experience in a changing corporate climate. Wajcman brings to bear feminist theories on equality and difference in employment, together with organisational analysis, in her assessment of whether women really do bring a distinct feminine style of management to tomorrow's organisations. The main focus is on the process of masculine organizational culture that sexualizes women and excludes them from senior management. But how comfortable are men with the masculinity of management? This book presents fascinating material on the private lives of managers and looks at the interconnections between home and work for men as well as women. The author reveals how relations between the sexes are negotiated in the corridors of power and at the kitchen sink. The book will be of interest to undergraduates, postgraduates and academics in the fields of sociology, gender studies and management.

Author Biography

Judy Wajcman is Professor of Sociology at the Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University. Her books include Women In Control: Dilemmas of a Workers Co-operative, The Social Shaping of Technology (co-editor), and Feminism Confronts Technology.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Sex Equality in Organizations

The Gender Relations of Management

It's Hard to be Soft: Is Management Style Gendered?

The Corporate Career: 'Why Can't a Woman be More like a Man?'

Personal Management: Sexuality and Workplace Relationships

Managing Home Life

Conclusion

Bibliography

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.