The primary hypothesis that the article presents is that there is often suppressed and subtle animosity and negative feelings amongst women working together in organisations. The researches mentioned in the article reveal that this inherent negativity between women in the corporate world has significantly influenced and shaped the experiences and expectations of women leaders who have progressed to the top tier of the management level . Unlike most research studies conducted on women’s increasing involvement in the workforce, this article has restricted its exploration on the interpersonal relations of women employees reporting to a female boss, as well as how this understated negativity shapes the behaviour and opinions of women leaders .
In addition to the central theme of intra-gender relations, the article also cites the possible roles women can play in organisations. Despite the fact that women have succeeded in breaking through the glass ceiling and now occupy Director or CEO level positions in Fortune 500 and 1000 companies, they continue to face ongoing challenges. The most frequently faced obstacle is the constant pressure to prove their worth to their organisation and dealing with both female and male subordinates who question their authority.
Since the predominant organisational culture in most large-scale corporations is patriarchal – a dominant male trait – in nature, women who excel in their professions are ultimately forced to agree with and join this power circle, in order to be taken seriously . This often requires them to turn into what the article’s author dub ‘Queen Bees”; powerful and successful women, who despite their seniority in the organisational chart, are perceived as the problem, rather than as positive and valuable contributors and drivers of organisational success.
An interesting fact highlighted is that while male negativity towards women in general, and their colleagues or supervisors in particular, is obvious and explicit, the negativity that women feel towards members of their own gender is more of a non-physical nature; consequently, it is expression is manifested in less overt behaviour patterns. Women, who have subjected themselves to accepting the prevalent male bias and have resigned themselves to be controlled by men, are more likely to negatively perceive the select few women who have managed to succeed in areas and at a level where they failed to do so .
This often leads to aggression at both the departmental and individual levels between women, and the article highlights the fact that this creates endless new problems for the women leaders who are battling on two fronts; with male peers and subordinates, as well as women subordinates.
The article aims to establish the conundrum that every woman faces throughout her career progression. Initially, her efforts are focused towards establishing her position and image as a skilled and capable worker, more than her male counterparts. Once having done so, the next obstacle is how to establish her influence over her subordinates while maintaining appearances by behaving as women are ‘expected to act’ while also conforming to the ‘expected leadership attributes’ that are masculine in nature .
I believe that the article has highlighted often ignored or little understood biases that women have to deal with once they start working at any level in private or public sector organizations by identifying the ‘unintentional’ as well as conscious mistreatment of successful women by both genders.
References
Billing, Y., 2011. Are women in management victims of the phantom of the male norm?. Gender, Work and Organization, Volume 18, pp. 298-317.
Ellemers, N., 2012. Women in high places: when and why promoting women into top positions can harm them individually or as a group (and how to prevent this). Research in Organizational Behavior, Volume 32, pp. 163-187.
Fotaki, M., 2011. The sublime object of desire (for knowledge sexuality: at work in business and management schools in England. British JOurnal of Management, Volume 22, pp. 42-53.
Lim, S., 2005. Interpersonal mistreatment in the workplace: the interface and impact of general incivility and sexual harassment. Journal of Applied Psychology, Volume 90, pp. 483-496.
Sczesny, J. B. &. S., 2011. Exploring the dynamics of incongruent beliefs about women and leaders. British Journal of Management, Volume 22, pp. 254-269.
Sharon Mavin, G. G. a. J. W., 2014. Experiences of Women Elite Leaders Doing Gender: Intra-gender Micro-violence between Women. British Journal Of Management, 455(Volume 25), p. 439-455.
