Analysis of women's
historical and contemporary role in American management.
3 Credits
M.W.F. 10:10 – 11:00 in
Todd 303.
SPRING 2015
INSTRUCTOR: Maggie
Reed
PHONE:
335-3989
OFFICE: Todd Hall 440D
E-MAIL:
mreed@wsu.edu
WEB
OFFICE
HOURS:
Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays 12:00 until 1:00, or by appointment.
I can
usually also be found between 9:30 and 10:00 on M.W.F.
Kristoff,
Nicholas D. & WuDunn, Sheryl. Half
the Sky. 2009 Vintage Books
The
reading schedule can be found in the Timetable at the end of the syllabus. Be
aware that reading entails more than giving passing recognition to
words. It requires comprehension and remembering what you have read, the
ability to integrate it with other material from the class, and maybe even
having an opinion about it. If memory is not your strong suit, take notes about
what you read and bring them to class. Questions will be asked about the
assigned readings. A correct response to such questions will not be, “I haven’t
read it”, or, “I think I read it”, or, “I know I read it but I can’t remember
any of it”. The Paul and Elder guide will help you with this and a Reading
Preparation Sheet is attached to this syllabus.
Additional readings
may be assigned on an ad hoc basis and students are also recommended to keep up
to date with current news, local, national, and international. Popular
newspapers and periodicals (New York Times, Washington Post, Christian Science
Monitor, U.S. News and World Report, etc.), televised news programs, and
business publications (Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Business Week, Working
Woman, etc.) are all good sources and provide information which may be of use
both in class and in some of the assignments.
The
class is organized into the following sections:
I To begin, it is
necessary to define some fundamental terms and concepts. For example, sex and
gender, gender identity, stereotypes, and so on.
II Next, we need to
understand what businesses are and what management and leadership
involve: what do managers and leaders do; what are their responsibilities
and what are our expectations of them; how do we measure their success; what
traits, abilities and characteristics comprise a good and effective manager or
leader? Research indicates that good managers and successful leaders all
demonstrate identifiable skills and competencies which may not be
gender-specific, but which tend to favor males rather than females.
Understanding these characteristics is of central importance to women who wish
to advance in the workplace. Understanding how women may be disadvantaged is
also important to male managers and leaders who wish to maximize the human
potential in their organizations.
History can provide us with numerous good
examples of women who have excelled in positions of management and leadership
both in this country and elsewhere in the world – women who have successfully
led countries and armies, owned and managed businesses and households, formed,
organized and run charitable endeavors and political causes, and women who have
demonstrated entrepreneurial skills. Yet women are only just beginning to play
a significant role in American business leadership, and still play no role in
some parts of the world.
IV Businesses do not
operate within a vacuum but within society, and can, indeed, be seen as
constructs of society. Attitudes and behaviors which are encountered in society
as a whole will also be present in the workplace. Thus, in order to more fully
comprehend what takes place in business, it is necessary to understand the
corresponding social mores.
Anthropologist
Marjorie Shostak observed that despite the substantial differences in how women
live and what they do in different parts of the world, one generalization can
be made: in the overwhelming majority of societies, women have lower status
than men – both by their own accounts and by observation of the culture as a
whole – and their activities are less highly valued than men’s activities.
Margaret Mead also recognized this when she wrote, “In every known society, the
males’ need for achievement can be recognized. Men may cook or weave or dress
dolls or hunt hummingbirds, but if such activities are appropriate occupations
for men, then the whole society, men and women alike, votes them important.
When the same occupations are performed by women, they are regarded as less
important”. At the heart of these observations are gender roles, gender
stereotyping, and gender stratification.
In
this section of the class the origins of gender roles will be investigated
together with the ways in which they have been justified and maintained over
time. Although the terms sex and gender are often used interchangeably, in
actuality they refer to different (although related) conditions. It is
necessary, therefore, first to understand the differences between sex and
gender in order to permit an informed understanding of gender roles. Reference
to gender categories and role expectations deriving from other societies and
cultures can be helpful in this area.
VI In section six students
will present their findings from a research project that they will have
undertaken. In addition to sharing information, this also allows students the
opportunity to practice another skill – effective communication – which is
important in the workplace and necessary to career advancement.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By
the end of the semester, students should be aware of the history of working
women, women’s capabilities in the workplace and the obstacles that women
continue to face in their careers.
Students
should also have a greater understanding of the complexities of gender on our
expectations of males and females and how those expectations are limiting to
both sexes.
An
appreciation of the gendered nature of world view should also be gained together
with cross-cultural comparisons of the differing social expectations of women
and men.
EVALUATION The workload for this
class is as follows:
Individual Research Assignment
150 points
Term Paper (a group/team assignment) 200 points
Proposal for Term
Paper 50
points
Class
Contribution/Participation 100
points
Total
500 points
As will be discussed during the semester, the
recognition of women’s contribution and advancement in the workplace can be
hindered by differences in communication style between women and men; many
females (and some males) have a reluctance to speak out, leading to a lack of
recognition.
The belief that students should be active
participants in their own education and that an interactive approach is more
conducive to learning.
Get
into the routine of contributing right from the outset; the habit of silence
can be difficult to break and a missed opportunity to contribute is precisely
that and will result in missing points that cannot later be recovered in
full.
Students
are encouraged to speak up and overcome any reticence they may have about
voicing their opinions and ideas or asking questions, and to take the
opportunity to practice a behavior which will be expected of them in the
workplace. Paul and Elder’s book on Critical Thinking should be helpful with
this. Be aware, also, that active participation provides you with the
opportunity to have some control over what goes on in class.
Points will be
awarded based on students regularly taking a meaningful part in class
discussion, (as opposed to chatting with your friends), responding to
questions, offering opinions, and actively engaging in other class activities.
The emphasis is on contribution, i.e. offering something salient,
pertinent, insightful, and worthwhile to class discussions, and not simply
rambling on about the irrelevant or otherwise making noise.
Do
not mistake attendance or listening for participation; no matter how good your
attendance record or how attentively you listen to others, being present but
remaining silent will not earn you contribution points. However, attendance is
a prerequisite for contribution, and a poor attendance record will have a
negative effect on participation.
Bear
in mind that contribution is a behavior that will be expected of you from your
future employers; this class provides you with a good opportunity to practice.
Participation also gives students a chance to take some initiative in directing
class discussion and, hence, to make this more of an interactive experience.
94% -
100%
A
80% -
82.99%
B-
65% - 69.99% D+
90% - 93.99%
A-
77% -
79.99%
C+
60% - 64.99% D
87% - 89.99%
B+
73%
- 76.99%
C
Below 60%
F
83% - 86.99%
B
70%
- 72.99% C-
Grades will not be
"curved" (i.e., made fit to a pre-specified distribution) nor will
the cutoff points be adjusted downward, thereby raising student grades. Neither
will grades be “adjusted” to accommodate individual need or sense of what is
deserved.
Your work will be graded
according to output. While this may be associated with input, remember that the
two are not always equivalent; effort and hard work do not always produce
results of a high standard.
Requirements to
earn specific grades (letter-grade equivalencies such as, numerical scores for
an A, B, C, D, or F or other grading criteria to determine student progress and
grades) can be found at http://www.registrar.wsu.edu/Registrar/Apps/Acadregs.ASPX/#90).
EXPECTATIONS
This is an elective
class and consequently my expectations of students are high. Anyone who is not
prepared to give the class their full attention and best effort should closely
examine their reasons for being enrolled.
Students are expected
to conduct themselves in a civil and appropriate manner. Anyone engaging in
conversations, reading non-class related material (either electronically or in
hard copy), sleeping or other forms of unacceptable behavior will be asked
to leave. Repeated occurrences of such behavior will result in an F for the
class.
The fact that there are
no tests or quizzes does not mean that the class is an easy option.
Some students may be tempted to think that
skipping class, not taking notes, and/or not keeping up with the readings is
acceptable behavior. It isn’t. The assignments are a method of testing
and I expect to see material from lectures, discussion, videos, and so on
incorporated into and applied to the written assignments. Hence the importance
of getting notes for any class you may miss. Equally, I expect students to be
up to date with the readings, have knowledge of and opinions about what they
have read and be able to respond to questions about the material during class
discussions. This, also, is a form of testing. If it becomes evident that
students are not completing the assigned readings, tests or pop quizzes will be
introduced as an incentive.
It
is the individual responsibility of students to ensure that they remedy
deficits resulting from missing a class. To this end, I suggest that you
establish an arrangement with a fellow student who can provide you with notes
for any class you miss.
I expect classes to start and finish on time.
If you must arrive late or leave early please find a seat near the door and
avoid interrupting the class. I can, and will, take action to the detriment of
anyone who, in my opinion, consistently disrupts the class; I will lower
her/his final grade by one full letter grade, e.g. from a B to a C.
Commit
yourself to attending class, keeping up with the readings, and participating in
class exercises and discussions. Approach the class with a positive attitude as
this will help you both to get more out of the experience and make it more
pleasurable for you and for the rest of us. You, and you alone, are in control
of this.
If
you are unsure about any aspect of the class it is your responsibility to ask
for clarification or further information. Do not rely on the omniscience of the
instructor to anticipate your every need.
Academic
integrity is the cornerstone of the university. Any student who attempts to
gain an unfair advantage over other students by cheating, will fail the
assignment and be reported to the Office Student Standards and Accountability.
Cheating is defined in the Standards for Student Conduct WAC 504-26-010 (3).
STUDENTS
WITH DISABILITIES
Students with
Disabilities: Reasonable accommodations are available for students with a
documented disability. If you have a disability and need accommodations to
fully participate in this class, please either visit or call the Access Center
(Washington Building 217; 509-335-3417) to schedule an appointment with an
Access Advisor. All accommodations MUST be approved through the Access Center. For more information contact a Disability Specialist on
your home campus: Pullman
or WSU Online: 509-335-3417, http://accesscenter.wsu.edu, Access.Center@wsu.edu
SAFETY ON CAMPUS:
Washington
State University is committed
to enhancing the safety of the students, faculty, staff, and visitors. It
is highly recommended that you review the Campus Safety Plan (http://safetyplan.wsu.edu/) and visit the Office of Emergency Management
web site (http://oem.wsu.edu/)
for a comprehensive listing of university policies, procedures, statistics, and
information related to campus safety, emergency management, and the health and
welfare of the campus community.”
TIMETABLE
H&M = Heim & Murphy
K&W = Kristof & WuDunn
I & II
1, 2*, 3 Introduction to the class. Topics
to be covered,
expectations and assignments.
Basic terminology (sex, gender, stereotypes,
metrics, etc.)
Background history.
*Monday, 19th January is Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day. Class will not meet.
III
4, 5, 6* Management & Leadership H&M
Intro.
What managers & leaders do
Characteristics of good managers and leaders
Existing research on the subject
IV
7, 8, 9 Gender inequality in the
workplace H&M Chs. 1-5
Pay differentials
Glass ceiling
Hiring practices
Harassment
Legislation
*Monday, 16th February is Presidents’ Day. Class
will not meet.
10 Spring
Break
V
11, 12, 13 Gender
roles and stereotypes - origins, justifications, K&W All
perpetuation.
History and changes.
The views of different
disciplines
VI
14 -16
Differences in female and
male communication. H&M Chs.6-11
As
you will see, this is an outline timetable. If the class is to be interactive,
we need some degree of flexibility to accommodate your input.