Beyond Glass Ceilings and Brick Walls - International Labour ...

CHAPTER TWO
Demolishing Brick Walls
Gender Dimensions of Organizational
Structures, Cultures and Micropolitics
Maithree Wickramasinghe
Gendered Work Structures and Practices
We have already argued that because work organizations are essentially male
dominated and because powers within these organizations are vested in men,
there is structural and cultural gender inequity/inequality in the work place. In
other words, work structures tend to be patriarchal in nature, while work practices
are androcentric-contributing primarily to the propagation of values, needs and
interests valorized by men as male, to the exclusion and detriment of women.
This can be attributed to the historical roots of patriarchy, or women’s
subordination or gender inequity in societies. There are, of course, many monocausal
theories explaining the phenomena, such as those founded on biology
or reproductive roles; or men’s innate violence against women; or the gender
division of labour. However, these explanations tend to essentialize the
complexities of the differential and inequitable situation of men and women in
socio-political, cultural, familial and personal relations. And it is not the objective
of this book to theorize on the reasons for gender inequity/ inequality.
Suffice to say, that this chapter, through the use of qualitative examples,
demonstrates the precise ways in which these patriarchal organizational
structures and practices of work institutions have differential implications
for men and women. In doing so, it is possible to see the resultant
organizational culture as constituting of a clearly discernible superstructure
and a less overt substructure. The superstructure consists of highly visible
organizational arrangements such as work/management tiers, promotional
ladders, labour/financial exchanges, corporate practices, institutional
mechanisms etc.
On the other hand, the substructure (Rao et al 1999) may be less tangible.
It consists of accepted gender relations, conventions of behaviour, family/
work splits, language practices and moral codes etc. The workings of the
superstructure and substructure give rise to the gender micropolitics within
organizations. Organizational micropolitics are tantamount to the conflicts,
resentments, competing interests and power imbalances, networks and
coalitions, political and personal strategies to effect or resist change at workplaces
(Morley 1999).
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