GSB 722 Gender Issues in Management
Gender—the socially constructed distinctions between female and male, feminine and masculine—is an important concept in understanding individuals’ experiences in their workplaces. In this unit, we examine the gendered nature of management. In particular we focus on the organisational processes and structures that privilege the ‘masculine’ and devalue the ‘feminine’ and we examine the consequences of these processes and structures. The exploration of both masculinity and femininity within organisations provides for some interesting insights into the workings of organisations!
After completing this unit, students will be able to:
- reflect on their own experience and its contribution to their perception of the gendered nature of management;
- recognise the gender practices institutionalised in organisations which limit the career opportunities of some relative to others; and
- identify the legislative, organisational and social changes required to ensure both women and men realise their full management potential.
This unit offers you the opportunity to reflect on many of the gendered practices within organisations. For many students it provides them the opportunity to challenge many of the taken-for-granted assumptions about how work is done. While the unit contains a broad range of readings, it does not have an excessive workload and could be done in conjunction with another unit.