Over an extended period of time, nearly since the end of World War II, the issues of social problems that surround the women have surrounded many topics in the workplace. However, the battle is not yet over. This paper investigates the negative and positive factors that revolve around the issue of women in leadership in the workplace. Also, it brings out their uniqueness as working groups, and the societal confrontations the women have had in the environment. Lastly, the paper suggests recommendations for improvement in this aspect. The initial point that warrants attention is the perspective the society haves on women in the workplace and especially in the leadership ranks.
Several studies have been conducted on the experiences of women. The feminist groups have come to the conclusion that most societies are patriarchal. In other words, men have more power and control over women. As a result, any opinion that is to be accepted for the women to be in leadership positions has to be subservient towards men. The women have to be submissive, as ingrained in their minds since birth. Also, the males have been brought up to believe that the other gender is weak and will always continue to be in front of the men.
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One of the negative influences of such thoughts is that the ability of the females to impact any social influence is thwarted. A study on the ability of women on the society, the result shows that the lack of power makes the ladies to have limited if no impact at all in every major social institution, which involves religion, government, economy, family, and education (Korgen, Korgen & Giraffe, 2015). In a counter effect, feminist theorists have tried their best to expose the social negativities towards women with much resolve, with their efforts paying off as there is a paradigm shift of these thoughts and the image of women in the work environment is improving. The duty of the theorists is to put into the limelight the patterns on a verge to reorganize the social forces and to promote an equal workplace of men and women and in the entire society. The standard picture that people are stronger than females bars the females from clinching the most prominent and influential positions in the workplace. The pay of labor offered to women is lesser than that of men, and are also exposed to discrimination when it comes to promotions and appraisals.
The result of such disparities in the work environment creates a place of gendered occupations. Therefore, the harsh environment makes it troublesome for ladies, however, simpler for men to accomplish and gain positions of administration in the workplace. In the late 1980s, Arlie Hochschild conveyed the matter of gendered occupation to the general population by composing a book entitled, "The Second Shift" (Hochschild, 1989). In this book, the author uncovers and addresses the impacts of sex occupation and divisions as expressed in the current society, and she uncovered another issue ladies were going up against in the society. The issue was the role strain that involved them overseeing family life while changing in agreement with their new parts in the work environment.
Despite the fact that the workforce was shifting, and openings for work and parts were forming up to ladies in the realm, the expanding concern was that conditions at home were not evolving. Women were as yet in charge of housework; childcare, maturing guardians, and, subsequently, they ended up plainly stressed and exhausted. These unaltered family life conditions made it practically outlandish for ladies to progress in their positions at work. They had the difficult circumstances of either taking care of the work or family. This situation is a dilemma that faces the working ladies even up to now. The bosses want jobs done while the family also demands its care. The role strain becomes too much for women. For women to change the negative societal mentalities, the past, present, and future created ones, they have to uncover them like Arlie Hochschild. Change drops by gathering examination, mindfulness, talk, and afterward making a fitting move. As expressed by Korgen, Korgen and Giraffe (2015) "Organizations and groups rapidly defeated hindrances like kid care by creating day mind focuses on or close work destinations."
To support positive changes in the working environment ladies ought not to be afraid of growing new skills, getting included in endeavors that advance equality in their jobs. Instead, they should utilize social impact in the public eye to refute stereotypes. They ought to make proper accommodations for their kids so that issues relating to their families will at no time in the future be the reason ladies can't progress up in their roles in the workplace (Korgen, Korgen, and Giraffe, 2015). The following point to audit is character viewpoints encompassing the part of ladies related with remarkable worker groups by considering what women's activist Patricia Hill Collins needs to say in regards to identity.
The perspective of Collins, a feminist, is that people have something other than a particular individual character and that identities are essential issues in the life of an individual. If the status of a leader’s personality is related to adverse stereotyping or discrimination, then this character is more than prone to affect their social position. As Collins (2000) states, "A Black lesbian lady can confront various types of discrimination at work. She can be viewed as less fit since she is a woman and because she is an individual from a racial minority aggregate that is related with negative generalizations."
This case of a Black lesbian lady highlights three special worker groups that she is probably going to be related with that would stifle her from getting an administration position in the working environment. There is the matter of race, sexual identity, and the minority gathering since she is a lady. As Collins (2015) adds, “Her experience will differ considerably from another woman who holds the same job and is White and heterosexual. This recognition of multiple, intersecting identities is crucial for anyone interested in understanding and organizing workers across racial, gender, ethnic, and other such groupings.”
The impact of stereotyping from the co-workers and officials reduces the productivity in the work environment. The managers and the workers are tempted to turn a blind eye to the ones they discriminate, regardless of their achievements. In a research conducted on stereotyping, the researchers found out that the general population of ladies feel incompetent in front of their male counterparts even when they possess the same professionalism. The fields studied were math, science technology, and engineering. The contention here is that the ones who stereotype them will give them an unfair treatment.
The whole scenario prompts the women to crawl into the manner they behave. They feel weak, they act in a subservience manner, and it promotes their worry in the workplace and personal life. As a result, the effect makes them avoid interacts with the opposite sex in the work environment. They start developing notions that they are not needed and cared for in their places of work. Even in matters such as repair of automobiles or investment advice, the women feel reluctant to seek help from men despite their (men) proficiency in the subject matters. Also, stereotyping interferes with the advancement opportunities. The denial factor that the women are weak makes the company be on the losing path as the inputs of qualified ladies is not considered. Therefore, the organization is not able to benefit from the forgone skills of women in the workforce. The bottom line becomes that the roles of women in the work environment become diminished and in some cases, nonexistent. As illustrated by Ely, Ibarra, and Kolb (2011), the identity of a leader is attached to his or her sense of drive. The leaders are most effective when the purpose which they pursue are in alignment with their personal interests and values. These values define how the individual will behave and make ethical decisions in the workplace.
One way of overcoming the negative effects of identity in the society that is attached to discrimination and stereotyping is to recognize the worth of oneself, affirm, and strengthen their self-identity of leadership. This activity is the fuel to firming up the start to seek after development openings notwithstanding the difficulties, and the courage is expected to rehearse and create skills of leadership. One must be enthusiastic to go out on a step to repudiate the negative parts of advancing characters for ladies in positions of authority. The following point addresses the negative and active roles of females in an influential position among workers. The battle for women in positions of power is genuine.
Numerous work environments still see men as the commonly conceived leader, and there is a more prominent bolster that people ought to, truth be told, be the ones to lead. Likewise, men have a more noticeable inclination than ladies to hinder and over talk ladies to guide the specialist consideration towards them. Baker (2014) suggests that “Despite what it may appear, the underrepresentation of women in executive positions is not the result of blatant discrimination. However, the disparity is a consequence of invisible barriers and cultural beliefs surrounding gender and structures that favor men in leadership positions in the workplace.”
For the effect of women in the workplace to be felt, it is imperative for them to create and nature their skills and style. They should not make a mistake of comparing themselves to other characteristics of the male counterparts. They should have an inventory of their abilities and skills that would rather give them a cutting edge in the work environment. This would provide them with the heed of identifying the skills and abilities that require reworking. The women in the fight for equity would be the people to make the difference in the organization role through reinforcing positive aspects towards the worker groups. The action contributes to a real empowerment to others. The empowerment, in turn, contributes to their leadership roles. Involvement of all the stakeholders in the equitability matter is a sure way of achieving success. This should be done in open communication, having empathy towards the other workers, and focusing on the strengths.
Of all the negative contenders of social control, just two will be considered for this ultimate purpose of discussion they are pink collar positions, and lacking decent pay. In the 1950s, areas of services businesses were made particularly for ladies, and they were frequently alluded to as women's' work. Companies regularly guide ladies into performing parts they thought to be restrictive to women. These positions incorporate excellence salon administrators, assistant, carrier flight attendants, eatery specialists, secretaries, and primary school teachers. Ladies were offered less insufficient pay amid a period when they were consistently joining the workforce despite the fact that they were playing out an indistinguishable occupation from men. Subsequently, The Equal Pay Act turned into a law in1963 that corrected the Fair Labor Standard Act. This demonstration was to preclude sexual orientation discrimination, and its motivation was to lessen the wage crevice for equivalent employments. As expressed by Korgen, Korgen, and Giraffe (2015) "The pay hole amongst men and ladies who hold parallel employments and have a square with capabilities is diminishing."
Women have sacrificed after some time by revising their calendars, evolving positions, and declining promotions. The sacrifice is made on the effects of taking care of family issues, making the employers justify the argument that the pay gap was because men cannot cut their hours. However, this notion makes women struggle with the perception that they deserve less pay than their male counterparts. The lower pay results from entering the job market when the labor market demand was harsh towards them, the job sector, and because the women entered the workforce when in the low end of the pay scale. Women need to stand up for their worth and value their skills. Also, they should be up to present educational demands by striving for further education. Many employers are willing to pay higher for highly educated individuals. As Ely, Ibarra, and Kolb (2011), "A leader identity is not merely the counterpart to a formally held leadership position but rather evolves as one engages in two core, interrelated tasks: internalizing a leader identity and developing an elevated sense of purpose."
In conclusion, the existence of negative perception of the leadership role of women in the workforce is an inevitable affair. There will be challenges always through opinions, stereotyping, discriminations, bias, and negative perspectives. It will happen among extraordinary specialist gatherings, laborers, and it exists in the endeavors of social control. The countering force to this harmful segregation is to take a risky, but more difficult steps, believing that everyone matters and can make a difference, given a chance. Positive achievement is the ingredient of change, and it has to be productive, influential, and effective.
References
Baker, C. (2014). Stereotyping and women's roles in leadership positions. Industrial and Commercial Training, 46(6), 332. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1660133543?accountid=32521
Collins, P. H. (2000). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. New York: Routledge.
Ely, R. J., Ibarra, H., & Kolb, D. M. (2011). Taking Gender into Account: Theory and Design for Women's Leadership Development Programs. Academy Of Management Learning & Education, 10(3), 474-493.
Hochschild, A. R., (with Machung, A.). (1989). The second shift: Working parents and the revolution at home. New York: Viking Penguin.
Korgen, K. O., Korgen, J. O., & Giraffe, V. (2015). Social issues in the workplace (2nd Ed.) [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/
