„‚ CONDITIONS THAT HINDER EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

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SEXUAL DIFFERENCES IN THE WORKPLACE:
THE NEED FOR TRAINING
Arlette C. Ballew and Pamela Adams-Regan
THE WORK FORCE IS CHANGING
Since the Second World War, women have entered the work force in increasing
numbers. Sex-role expectations have changed as a result of economic necessity. Women
have become a factor in the success of business and industry in most Western nations
and in many other parts of the world as well.
In the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., the increased number of women in the work
force has prompted legislation regarding sexual discrimination and harassment. But
legislation alone cannot help men and women to learn to work together.
Making the transition from a home environment to a business environment has been
difficult for some women; they also need help in “catching up”in terms of job skills,
professional connections, and job opportunities. Making the transition from a maledominated
work environment to a male-female work environment has been difficult for
some men; they need help in learning to deal with women in a manner that is
appropriate to the business environment.
The success of many women in today’s businesses and industries reinforces the fact
that women are an integral part of today’s work force; it also may increase some men’s
feelings of resentment and resistance regarding the encroachment of women into the
workplace. Without a doubt, women will continue to be a major presence in modern
business life. Trainers and consultants will have to address the unique challenges of
integrating women into the workplace if the full productivity of men and women, as they
work together, is to be realized.
MALE-FEMALE DIFFERENCES CREATE ISSUES IN THE
WORKPLACE
In training and developing women to take positions in the work force and in
management, trainers need to focus on more than just traditional areas of employee
development: career management, résumé writing, presentation skills, interviewing
techniques, technical skills, project management, and meeting management. These areas
of training are just as relevant to men as they are to women, although men tend to
Originally published in The 1993 Annual: Developing Human Resources by J. William Pfeiffer (Ed.), San Diego, CA: Pfeiffer &
Company.
The Pfeiffer Library Volume 6, 2nd Edition. Copyright ©1998 Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer ❚❘ 421