Power Structures and Patriarchy in Senior Management
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Power Structures and Patriarchy in Senior Management
Introduction
In every organization, employees are considered one of the most important assets. Equipped with different skills, knowledge set, and experiences in various fields, employees in an inclusive working environment engage themselves in the day to day activities of the firm with the aim of assisting the organization in the achievement of its short and long term objectives. Bearing this in mind, it is therefore imperative to note that, employees play some of the major roles in the organization which lead to the success, development, and growth of the organization. In this regard, it is therefore the responsibility of the organization to provide its employees with a safe, secure, and inclusive workplace that provide them with the ability and relaxation to perform their duties effectively and efficiently. One way to achieve this is by addressing some of the problems that occur in an inclusive work place through training and education. However, despite the management effort of various organizations to provide its employees with a safe, secure, and inclusive workplace, there is also existence of various diversity management issues such as power structure and patriarchy in senior management that affect employees’ workplace.
Implication of Power Structures and Patriarchy in Senior Management
Power Structures and Patriarchy in Senior Management is one of the major issues in diversity management that affects major organizations in the world today (Ramohai, 2019). For most organizations in New Zealand, the senior management level position has been seen as one of the cause to the endless day to day gender related issues. In most of these organizations, the power structures in terms of leadership is centered on the basis of patriarchy, a social system in which men are believed to hold primary power and predominate in various roles such as moral authority, political leadership, control of property, and social privilege giving them the power to exploit, oppress and govern women. In regard to this, it is therefore imperative to note that this concept does not provide a safe, secure, and inclusive workplace for both men and women who are consider pillars of many societies and drivers of organizational growth. This is because it creates inequalities in the labor market and hence the reason it is a major issue in diversity management.
Since the early periods of 1970s and 1980, New Zealand has always been faced by increased cases of inequalities in the labor market (McPherson, 2010). For instance, over the .years, New Zealand has been seen as a sexiest society and patriarchal panoply of male power suppressing and controlling women abilities. Despite being equally educated, experienced like men, or constituting nearly half of the workforce in many organizations, women labor force in New Zealand has been faced with challenges of being promoted to senior management positions due to the patriarchy concept, a social system indicating that leadership has been gendered. According to McPherson (2010) findings, women make up approximately 46.8 percent of the New Zealand’s workforce but despite having such huge numbers little progress in women occupying senior management positions in organizations have occurred indicating that power structure and patriarchy still remains a major diversity management issue in New Zealand.
Causes of Power Structures and Patriarchy in Senior Management
In New Zealand, the issue Power Structures and Patriarchy in Senior Management which causes discrimination among the women labor force occurs as a result of social, cultural and behavioral norms or mostly due to gender role (Aspinall et al., 2021). Historically, this issue of Power Structures and Patriarchy in Senior Management has been present in legal, political, social economic and religious organizations whereby a vast majority of cultures prefer that men occupy higher position of power in management or authority. Bearing this in mind, it is therefore clear that society has played a major role in encouraging this diversity management issues by providing the notion and belief that men are more superior as compared to women. In so doing, the society has created a workplace environment that lacks inclusivity as women are not considered fit to hold senior management positions likes men. From one generation to another, knowledge has been passed where women are expected to practice domestic roles and men to practice professional roles such as occupying positions of power in senior management positions in organizations. The society has enabled men to venture into careers of power while controlling and suppressing women abilities. In so doing, the society brings about the issue of gender inequality in the workplace. As McPherson (2010) indicates this very belief of power structure and patriarchy in senior management is still present in many organizations in New Zealand today where formal positions of senior management in prominent organization remain concentrated by the male gender.
Effects of Power Structures and Patriarchy in Senior Management
Creation of an inclusive workforce is one of the important responsibly that organizations should undertake. When employees feel included in a working environment, they develop a sense of belonging which in turn increase positive performance and a collaborative working environment where employees feel engaged. However, the development of Power Structures and Patriarchy issue in Senior Management creates inequality among women labor market in various organizations in New Zealand and as a result posing restriction to women as they strive to enter and rise through the ranks of senior management positions in organizations (Thompson, 1988). For instance, in various organizations in New Zealand such as rugby unions, women in many cases face opposition when applying for senior management role as these organizations are usually characterized by male control. By creating this inequality, women will feel unwelcomed and not valued and hence will not be able to contribute much in the attainment of the organizations objectives. For instance, during the 19th century, women in New Zealand encountered the challenge of being excluded from several senior management occupations such as businesses, banks, offices, nursing, and teaching. Instead, they were allowed to perform duties that did not require senior management leadership roles such as tailoring while men occupied the senior management positions. In most societies, this inequality would result to an inherent belief based on the notion that men are better equipped in handling various jobs, especially those which pay individuals lots of money.
Approaches to Ensuring Women leadership
Power structures and patriarchy especially in senior management is a diversity management issue that has been going on for generations, and will certainly continue before it is fully eliminated. However, there are certain strategies and approaches that can be used to help reduce or do away with the system of practicing patriarchy. When observed keenly, it is noticed that patriarchy is implicit in the manner in which we do certain things, the language we use and the manner in which we address ourselves. Therefore, for change to occur towards the end of patriarchy each and every individual is needed to play their part (Thompson, 1988). This can be achieved by, ensuring that education is equally provided to both men and women. Globally women still encounter with challenges of less access to education system as compared to men. This however should not be the case but instead, there should be equal access and opportunities to education to help deal with the diversity issue of patriarchy in organizations and the society at large.
Apart from education, individuals with power structure should ensure employment equality. Women should also be given high positions in the workplace. Many times men are given jobs that pay best due to the notion that certain jobs can only be handled best by men, leaving women with simple and the less paying jobs. This should change and women’s effort should equally be recognized within organizations. In addition, society plays vital role in enabling patriarchy. Changing the mindset of the society based on the value and differences of women vs. men can help greatly to reduce patriarchy. Significant change in patriarchy is delayed by the society’s belief and social norms that govern gender roles. However, this should stop and instead individuals should embrace equality to both male and female in legal, social, religious, political and economic organizations.
Encouraging women leadership in the organization is one of the ways of ensuring and supporting an inclusive workforce. With this in mind it is important to adopt various strategies that counter the issue of power structure and patriarchy in senior management position for organization s in New Zealand and the entire world. One of the major approaches used to counter patriarchal concept ensure women inclusivity is the cyborg leadership approach. Carbajal (2018), cyborg leadership approach, suggests that for women to be considered for top position in the organization, they should adopt some of the male characteristics in the organization. In so doing, women are able to create a super leader personality which top female managers can use to fight against gender stereotyping and be able to attain some of senior positions in the organization. In regard to the cyborg leadership approach, Carbajal (2018) indicates that by adopting the characteristics of male workers, women are likely to be seen as very successful leaders and therefore stand the chance to attain powerful positions in the organization.
Apart from adopting the cyborg leadership approach, the transformational approach is another major approach that can be useful in ensuring women leadership in the organization and help reduce cases of gender inequalities among women. According to Vinkenburg et al. (2011), the transformational leadership approach unlike the cyborg leadership approach is not related to femininity or masculinity, but the nature of leading efficiently and effectively. Bearing this in mind, Vinkenburg et al. (2011) indicates that women who use the transformational leadership approach and the contingent reward style are more likely to be promoted to senior management positions in the organization. This is due to the fact that promotion is used as a motivation for good performing leadership style.
Recommendations
In its part to ensure an inclusive working environment of men and women, the organization is charged with the responsibility of creating a corporate culture that supports both men and women leadership. Regardless of the society norms, organizations have the responsibility of creating their own norms and rules as long as they contribute to the growth, success, and an inclusive workplace. Therefore, due to the fact that gender inequalities create a bad reputation for organizations, it is the management’s responsibility to create an organizational culture that counters the patriarchy perception and support an inclusive and diverse leadership in the organization.
Within any organization, the best and most appropriate method of dealing with any issue in the organization is by acknowledging that the issue exists and that it needs to be addressed. To deal with the issue of power structure and patriarchy in senior management the perception of the issue needs to change to a balanced view of acceptance that gender is necessary within the organization (Carbajal, 2018). It is important to note that men and women characteristics are balanced especially when they are both put together in harmony. In fact none is better than the other but they are both complementary of each other. By breaking down the sexist association in gender, the issue of power structure and patriarchy in senior management within the organization will be limited.
Conclusion
In conclusion, employees are considered one of the most important assets. By engaging themselves in the day to day activities of the firm they are able to assist the organization in the achievement of its short and long term objectives. Despite the important roles employees play in the organization, it is important to note that there various diversity management issues such as power structures and patriarchy in senior management that affect the inclusive workplace environment. Bearing this in mind, it is therefore the role of both the management and employees to adopt various strategies and approaches that ensure a safe, secure, and inclusive workplace that is free from issues of diversity management issues such as power structure and patriarchy in senior management that affect employees’ workplace.
References
Aspinall, C., Jacobs, S., & Frey, R. (2021). The impact of intersectionality on nursing leadership,
empowerment and culture: A case study exploring nurses and managers’ perceptions in an acute care hospital in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Journal of Clinical Nursing.
Carbajal, J. (2018). Women and work: Ascending to leadership positions. Journal of Human
Behavior in the Social Environment, 28(1), 12-27.
McPherson, M. (2010). Women in Senior Management-Why Not?. Labour, Employment and
Work in New Zealand.
Ramohai, J. (2019). Women in senior management positions at South African universities: Their
movement in, out and across universities. Gender in Management: An International Journal.
Vinkenburg, C. J., Van Engen, M. L., Eagly, A. H., & Johannesen-Schmidt, M. C. (2011). An
exploration of stereotypical beliefs about leadership styles: Is transformational leadership a route to women’s promotion?. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(1), 10-21.
Thompson, S. M. (1988). Challenging the hegemony: New Zealand women’s opposition to rugby
and the reproduction of a capitalist patriarchy. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 23(3), 205-212.
