All she needs to do is sit and look pretty`; `They shouldn`t have let her helm the project, I hear she`s trying for a baby`; `This job is too stressful for women`; `She gets to leave work early because of her kids`; `She`s PMS-ing.
Scary!` Raise your hands if you`ve heard these conversations directed at a female colleague. While the gossip is often relayed as a whine or with outrage, have you wondered why in this post-feminist age, some prejudices run deeper than others?
According to a recent study, it boils down to the male employee`s marital structure. The study suggests that men from traditional set-ups - where the husband is the breadwinner, and the wife stays at home - are more likely to carry a negative attitude towards women than those whose wives hold full-time jobs, said Sreedhari Desai, lead author of a book on marriage and the workplace.
Desai, assistant professor of organisational behaviour at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina was led to examine the difference in men`s attitudes towards women thanks to a family member. "In India, I couldn`t help but notice how women were sidelined even in domestic decision-making. However, I observed that one of my uncles treated women with dignity. What set him apart was that his wife was a working woman. I wondered how having a working wife as opposed to a stay-at-home one influences a man`s psychology," said Desai, who co-authored the study with Dr Dolly Chugh of New York University`s Stern School of Business and Dr Arthur Brief at the University of Utah`s David Eccles School of Business.
"Men with stay-at-home wives are in a situation where their spouses take care of the home and family so that they can be the breadwinners. As such, these men may become accustomed to the notion that women are meant to fulfill a domestic role, whereas men are uniquely qualified to work," said Desai.
Sairee Chahal, co-founder of Fleximoms, found the attitude that Desai talks of rampant among several senior executives. "Several executives I met were supportive. But when asked if they would employ women with flexihours, they would either direct me to their wives, or say, `our business is not for women`.
This attitude, said Chahal, stems from a couple of assumptions. The high-level executives saw women as inherently different on account of their specific needs. And they assumed that if a professional has other commitments, her efficiency at work would be suspect. As a result, confirms the study, the presence of women in the workplace is viewed unfavourably. Organisations with higher number of female employees are perceived to operate less smoothly and qualified female employees are denied promotion opportunities.
BDST: 1559 HRS, Dec-26, 2013
Edited by: Sharmina islam, Lifestyle Editor
