Human Resource Management

Research also shows society’s conflicting opinion towards women in the workplace, which has had a tremendously oppressive effect

These perceptions however may not be true. According to organizational behavior scholars, ‘women are evaluated negatively when they adopt a stereotypically male leadership style and occupy traditionally male-dominated positions’. The employees in the case assume that Sally being a woman should be ‘nurturing and … care about their workers’ suggesting preconceived notions of how women should behave. This notion of stereotyping can result in misinterpretation of information because not all people are the same, and many in the same social category may demonstrate inconsistencies with the stereotype.

According to Metz (2011), women are being deprived of opportunities and being squeezed out of organisations due to preconceptions about their dedication to a long term role, based on outdated gender stereotypes. In general, women experience higher rates of harassment at work, compared to men(McLaughlin, Uggen and Blackstone 2012).

In the fight for equality, it is obvious to defend against forms of sexism that are used for antagonization. However, chivalrous attitudes that cast women as weak and in need of men are often ignored. Social psychologists have studied the effects of benevolent sexism using experiments testing one’s performance shortly after being labeled as incompetent. Benevolent sexism is not a series of compliments, but rather a threat to one’s ability to think, learn, and perceive information. The workplace is an environment of which benevolent sexism occurs most often and one of which most are familiar with. Benevolent sexism in business does not allow men and women to achieve the same goals within the work place. Forcing an individual into a social role can limit them to only specific simple tasks that do not allow for maximum personal growth.

Stereotyping can come in many different forms and have many different subjects. One form of stereotyping is of gender. Just about everyone holds stereotypes of women and men – some positive and some negative. Women are more empathic and talkative; men are more competent and aggressive. For example, are women really “more empathic” than men? Which women? Empathic toward whom? When women’s and men’s actual behavior is observed systematically under a variety of conditions, the sexes do not differ in having feelings of empathy or in its expression (book, p. 365). Social pressures influence how we conform to these stereotypes, however it does create a problem when people are victimized by the negative stereotypes of their gender or group. There are different connotations that can be identified when stereotyping: positive, women are better caregivers and men are better breadwinners or money makers. These positive connotations can be taken negative towards the other gender or even their own gender – men can be caretakers too and women can make money. In the early 1900’s there was a high discrimination towards women, women entering the work force worked in factory lines, while men worked management which resulted in lower pay for women kept the men in charge. Over the years gender roles have taken a turn and there is now a significant increase with women working and taking on management roles. Roles in society are different between genders and those differences either positive or negative will hopefully diminish after time.

231). While women have come a long way from the days that they were expected, and frankly only allowed, to just take care of the home, sexism in the workplace is not something that should be tolerated whatsoever. After years of advocating for women’s rights in the workplace, why is this still happening? A study done by Vala and Verniers (2018) found that the reason why sexist remarks are made in the workplace could be due to that fact that naturally people think that if women are spending their time at work, their families and home must consequently be suffering (p. 1). Surprisingly, belief in these myths, and furthermore sexist remarks, are more like to come from the “decision makers,” (Song Hing & Starmarski, 2015, p. 1). Therefore, the initiative to completely abolish the ill treatment of women in the workplace must start with those higher up in the companies (Song Hing & Starmarski, 2015, p. 13). Song Hing and Starmarski (2015) concluded that “…if organization structures, processes, and practices clearly communicate the importance of gender equality then the discriminatory behavior of sexist organizational decision makers should be constrained,” (p.

Gender inequalities are evident in today’s society. In recent years there has been an increase in identifying the existing disparities among genders, especially in institutions. The workplace is a common institution in which gender roles are highly distinctive. Whether it be an office environment or elsewhere, women have higher social expectations than men. This regards the way in which women physically present themselves through professional dress and behavioural expectations. Women work in a male-dominant industry, which has created gender inequalities. Through the use of Erving Goffman and Dorothy Smith’s theories, one can attempt to understand the true impact of gender inequalities in the workplace.

The workplace is an environment that can be a source of conflict. In the workplace environment it is important to realize the causes of conflicts, effective ways to prevent destructive conflicts and different problem solving techniques for conflicts. A conflict is when a person is or is about to cause harm or damage to something else another person cares about (Lamberton & Minor, 2014). Additionally, conflict can be viewed in a constructive or destructive manner (Lamberton & Minor, 2014). Conflict are a common part of the workplace environment (Oore, Leiter, & LaBlanc, 2015).

Gender stereotype in workplaces is an endless issue that one may experience. Women for example, has gone through great efforts in demonstrating the capabilities of what a female can do in workplaces. However, some up to now, experience significant disparities and negative criticisms on how they act and behave in workplaces. According to Madelaine E. Heilman, on the effects on how women behave:

Gender discrimination in the workplace is a recurring issue in businesses today. Employees are given the right by their employers to be protected from discrimination and inequality in the workplace. In just about every business setting today, men and women work together in the same fields, jobs, and projects. However, it has only been up until (relatively) recently that men and women have been in competition for the same jobs. With the predetermined assumptions of the different roles between both men and women, there can be the tendency to see bias in the workplace. Discrimination can occur in many ways and impact anyone within that organization.

Gender stereotypes are fallacious claims that seem to be inevitable. Labels on individuals create many barriers for their progress in their everyday lives. Aside from assaults of all kinds and being demoted on a regular basis, women are treated unfairly and are seen in a dominant position for stereotypical matters. Jobs and hard work seem to be male dominated fields only. Though they do get pushed down in certain circumstances, it is not as nearly as much as women do. Gender discrimination influences one’s mind to believe that gender is a factor in one’s value and the problem seems to be persistently extending.

Got Conflict? You are not alone. Conflict is a natural part of our lives. It can occur anytime and anywhere, but it is especially prone to raise its ugly head in the workplace when working with a team. We all have unique differences based on age, sex, race, culture, religion, personalities, and education to name a few (Shetach, 2012). The conflict that arises at work, however, not only includes these differences, but also that of differing opinions, conflicting priorities, and the ego needs of colleagues.

We live in a world where communication is significant to help build better relationships and understand others better, even though it can have some positive and negative connotations. The work environment is a difficult place for individuals to communicate because of the competition and judgment people get from other workers. Within the workplace, it is important for those to behave and speak in a professional manner in order for others to see them as assertive. The communication style of men and women creates gender stereotypes in the workplace such as gender role behaviors, social scripts and biological determinism. According to Western Society’s hegemonic norms, the gender binary is given a certain role in which they have to behave to prove their masculinity or femininity, as well as their social scripts. In addition, the idea of biological determinism says that a person’s biology proves his or her own behavior.

Unconscious bias is a term described as ‘ingrained stereotypes that we hold that inform our decision-making but of which we are unaware‘ (AIM, pp 5). This relates to the mind-set’ people have in the work place that causes them to discriminate against women even when they do not intend to. The concept of the ‘boys club’ is a good example of this as male bosses are often drawn to promoting like-minded men as opposed to females, which they may feel more detached from. Another example is instinctively not promoting a female if they are likely to take maternity leave because females are presumed to be the primary carers. (AIM, 2012, 11). This essay will draw on these examples in

Conflict is inescapable, having the ability to recognize, understand, and resolve conflicts are important in both personal and professional lives. Myatt (2012) states that conflict in the workplace is unavoidable; if left unresolved, workplace conflict may result in loss of productivity and the creation of barriers that can inhibit creativity, cooperation, and collaboration. It is vital to embrace conflict and address problems through effective conflict-resolution tactics because if not handled appropriately, conflict will escalate. “If not handled properly, conflict may significantly affect employee morale, increase turnover, and even result in litigation, ultimately affecting the overall well-being of