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Creating and recreating gender order in organizations

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  • Gherardi, Silvia
  • Poggio, Barbara

Abstract

This article examines the organizational dynamics responsible for maintaining the gender asymmetry in organizations, by considering the narratives of women and men working in male dominated jobs and positions. Using a symbolic-interpretative approach we analyze the rules and the rituals by which gender is created and recreated in organizations and we show the ambiguity that characterizes social expectations towards women entering traditionally male territories. We present gender as a set of social practices which define the relations between men and women and which, in the organizations that we studied, are based on a dichotomous and hierarchical symbolic order. Viewing gender as something organizations 'do' and not as a natural attribute of people, can help organizational actors, and in particular the management, to be aware of the hegemonic masculinity underlying the dominant social practices and, therefore, to change the strategies for change.

Suggested Citation

  • Gherardi, Silvia & Poggio, Barbara, 2001. "Creating and recreating gender order in organizations," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 245-259, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:worbus:v:36:y:2001:i:3:p:245-259
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kvande, Elin & Rasmussen, Bente, 1994. "Men in male-dominated organizations and their encounter with women intruders," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 163-173, June.
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    3. Mussolino, Donata & Cicellin, Mariavittoria & Pezzillo Iacono, Mario & Consiglio, Stefano & Martinez, Marcello, 2019. "Daughters’ self-positioning in family business succession: A narrative inquiry," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 72-86.
    4. Giulio Marini & Viviana Meschitti, 2018. "The trench warfare of gender discrimination: evidence from academic promotions to full professor in Italy," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 115(2), pages 989-1006, May.
    5. Ingeborg C. Kroese, 2023. "Sex/gender‐blind training maintains and creates inequity," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 917-936, May.
    6. Marita Haas & Sabine T. Koeszegi & Eva Zedlacher, 2016. "Breaking Patterns? How Female Scientists Negotiate their Token Role in their Life Stories," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(4), pages 397-413, July.
    7. Bitbol-Saba, Nathalie & Dambrin, Claire, 2019. "“It’s not often we get a visit from a beautiful woman!” The body in client-auditor interactions and the masculinity of accountancy," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    8. Marta Equi Pierazzini & Linda Bertelli & Elena Raviola, 2021. "Working with words: Italian feminism and organization studies," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 1260-1281, July.
    9. José Manuel Lavié Martínez, 2011. "“Feminizing†Middle Management? An Inquiry Into the Gendered Subtexts in University Department Headship," SAGE Open, , vol. 1(2), pages 21582440114, July.
    10. Sharon Mavin & Marina Yusupova, 2023. "‘I'm competitive with myself’: A study of women leaders navigating neoliberal patriarchal workplaces," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 881-896, May.
    11. Himanshi Tiwari, 2019. "Encounters with Gendered Realities in Career Decision-making While Scouting Women Participation in the Indian Workforce," Business Perspectives and Research, , vol. 7(2), pages 147-162, July.
    12. Ionuț Viorel Herghiligiu & Ioan-Bogdan Robu & Marinela Istrate & Maria Grosu & Camelia Cătălina Mihalciuc & Adrian Vilcu, 2023. "Sustainable Corporate Performance Based on Audit Report Influence: An Empirical Approach through Financial Transparency and Gender Equality Dimensions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-28, September.
    13. Parsons, Donna Boone & Mills, Albert J., 2012. "I’ve got a Gal in Kalamazoo: Rotary International, change and the outsourcing of gender," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 311-320.
    14. Susan Marlow & Maura McAdam, 2012. "Analyzing the Influence of Gender upon High–Technology Venturing within the Context of Business Incubation," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(4), pages 655-676, July.
    15. Heikkinen, Suvi & Lämsä, Anna-Maija & Hiillos, Minna, 2014. "Narratives by women managers about spousal support for their careers," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 27-39.
    16. Carmona, Salvador & Ezzamel, Mahmoud, 2016. "Accounting and lived experience in the gendered workplace," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 1-8.
    17. Tair Karazi‐Presler, 2020. "Note passing as gendered practices of public ambiguity in a hyper‐masculine organization," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(4), pages 615-631, July.
    18. Anna‐Liisa Kaasila‐Pakanen, 2021. "Close encounters: Creating embodied spaces of resistance to marginalization and disempowering representation of difference in organization," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(5), pages 1805-1822, September.
    19. Janssens, Maddy & Cappellen, Tineke & Zanoni, Patrizia, 2006. "Successful female expatriates as agents: Positioning oneself through gender, hierarchy, and culture," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 133-148, June.
    20. Koveshnikov, Alexei & Tienari, Janne & Piekkari, Rebecca, 2019. "Gender in international business journals: A review and conceptualization of MNCs as gendered social spaces," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 37-53.
    21. Theresa Moyo & Rogers Dhliwayo, 2019. "Achieving Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons from the Experience of Selected Countries," Journal of Developing Societies, , vol. 35(2), pages 256-281, June.
    22. Cuervo-Cazurra, Alvaro & Dieleman, Marleen & Hirsch, Paul & Rodrigues, Suzana B. & Zyglidopoulos, Stelios, 2021. "Multinationals’ misbehavior," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(5).
    23. Suvi Heikkinen & Anna‐Maija Lämsä, 2017. "Narratives of Spousal Support for the Careers of Men in Managerial Posts," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(2), pages 171-193, March.
    24. Brecht, Stacy & Le Loarne-Lemaire, Séverine & Kraus, Sascha & Maalaoui, Adnane, 2023. "The role of time management of female tech entrepreneurs in practice: Diary and interview results from an innovative cluster," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    25. Sibel Yamak & Ali Ergur & Mustafa F. Özbilgin & Ozan Nadir Alakavuklar, 2016. "Gender as Symbolic Capital and Violence: The Case of Corporate Elites in Turkey," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(2), pages 125-146, March.

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