新视野三版 读写 B2 U7 Text A

Woman at the management level

1 When Monica applied for a job as an administrative assistant in 1971, she

was asked whether she would rather work for a male or a female attorney.\

immediately said a man,\ she says. \ felt that a

male-boss/female-employee relationship was more natural, needing no personal accommodation whatsoever.\ asked the same question, she said, \was pleasantly surprised that female

bosses are much more accessible to their employees; they're much more sensitive and intimate with their employees.\

2 Female bosses today are stil finding they face subtle resistance. There is

stil a segment of the population, both men and, surprisingly, women who report low tolerance for female bosses. The growing presence of female bosses has also provoked two major questions that revolve around styles:Do

men and women manage differently, and, if so, is that a good thing?

3 Monica is disposed to think so, on both counts. Now a 40-year-old mother of

four, she is president of a public sector labor union with 45,000

members. \of

male managers preceding me,\to cal

and say my kid got the mumps so I won't be coming in. I have a more flexible

style — not soft, just more understanding.\The man who is Monica's assistant

agrees, \tends to delegate more and is always looking for a consensus.

People are happy and flourish because they have an input into decisions and

they are not mere bystanders; their energies are harnessed. On the other

hand, consensus takes longer.\

4 So, are the differences symbolic or real? Plausible studies suggest

that men

are typical y hierarchical, goal-oriented and feel entitled. Women, by contrast,

manage diplomatical y, and share power. That point of view is often chal enged and argued. Some proclaim that men and women of similar backgrounds, experience and aspirations basical y manage in the same way. This view is echoed by younger women, especial y those who have encountered little gender discrimination. That was certainly the lesson for

Nicole. When her father died of a heart attack, she was an employee at a petroleum products export company. She quit and took over her family's

160-acre fruit farm in 's County. On her first day in the field, a worker

cal ed her \\was trying to test me. I was shaking with anger,\

Nicole, now 34. \father

darling and you're not going to take that liberty with me. If you do, I'l fire you.'\

5 When women work for women, a different dynamic often takes over. Susan,

a cashier in a Toronto auction house, says that she has explored friendships

with some of her female bosses and feels she can rely on them more. While

women may feel more at ease with a female boss, men often have to

make concessions to the new working styles. Brian, a marine biologist, says,

\around a

female manager. In fact, my relations with her were much more businesslike.\

6 To some extent, the male-female differences come down to conflicting styles. One female vice-president discussed the time she burst into tears

during a meeting. \think that tears are a nuclear weapon in a conventional

war. They take exception to a woman crying, inferring that she's feeling

unhappy or violated.\her

tears was not hurt but genuine rage. \al

this valid rage that has no appropriate release,\men

get relief by going on with the offense or by veiling their feelings to appear composed.\

7 Deborah, president of a firm with its headquarters in Toronto, says that even

********if men do understand, they sometimes react differently to

the identical information and to her cooperative management style.

8 Deborah says that her authority is sometimes undermined by

perceptions

about her gender. \stems from the whole social context of traditional roles for

men and women,\you

wouldn't take as much notice as when Dad told you to do things. Men also

have a stronger urge to control,\

9 For female bosses, the great expectation of some female employees is one

more obstacle. Junior women assume a female boss wil promote them more quickly than a man would. But, they also expect female bosses to be more

self-sufficient. \ask, ‘Why can't you scan your own stuff?' or ‘Why can't

you do your own filing?'\

10 On the other hand, there is no dispute that a few decades ago they would

*********rarely have had a female boss in the , a

management consultant says she's vaguely optimistic. \looking forward to

the day, before I die, when we recognize that the best management styles wil