is it possible to feminize a bureaucratic organisation?

Question

According to webers 'priniciples of organisations' and marx's 'reserve army of women' it is not economically viable to feminize organisations as they are masculine dependent. but the body shop has been feminized, what does 'feminizing' actually entail? please help folks its for my uni exam!

Answer 1

Actually the "feminization" you are referring to may have to do with the way women think about and go about accomplishing tasks. One of the main principles of feminism is cooperation not competition. Women want to maintain the peace through talking out problems and solutions.

In modern society most jobs do not require physical strength as in the past. Women's orgnaizational skills have always been practiced in the home throughout history and those same skills work as well in business.

Answer 2

I spent years working in bureaucratic organisations which attempted to encourage the advance of women up the managerial ladder, and I came regretfully to the conclusion that most of the women who made it were the ones who most successfully assimilated stereotypically male qualities and attitudes (especially competitiveness, assertiveness and, in some cases, aggressiveness). This may have been because in the initial stages it was the old generation of managers, practically all men, who appointed them on the same criteria as when they had been selecting only from among men.

If by "feminise" you mean instill some other qualities, more typical of women on average, into such organisations, then it may be right that it can't be done because most bureaucratic organisations such as they exist at present seem to be reflections of how the male mind works, on average.

I wonder if the writers you mention meant that bureaucratic organisations, which require continuity in order to survive, are not geared to being run by, or in a way which suits, staff who have to take leave from time to time to have children (i.e. mostly women). That's a different issue and, if it's true, it's the strongest argument for rethinking the way such organisations are structured and how they function in order to accommodate women more naturally and easily. And maybe only women can do that rethinking. The problem is for them to get into the managerial positions where it becomes their responsibility without turning into surrogate men on the way.

Answer 3

who says it is not economically viable to feminize organisations? Think about the differences in salaries between a male manager and a female manager, both doing the same job, yet the female gets 20 % less pay. If an entire organisation was run by female employees, and the government continued to do nothing in regards to legislation to stop this ridiculous shortfall in women's earnings, then ALL organisations would be more profitable if they hired more employees...

thank you very much.....I'm here all week!

Answer 4

Feminizing means to dilute the beaurcratic structures in the organisation such that rules and regulations become less stringent. Marx and Weber saw this as weakening the compliance rate of organisational rules which may be bad for such and organisation.

Answer 5

Women working in a body shop does not qualify the body shop as being feminized. The women however have adopted masculine abilities. They work in masculine clothing not in pink dresses with high heels. They don't show up for work with their fingernails manicured and their hair permed. Conversely men working in a female oriented employment situation do not make it masculine.

Answer 6

Define Feminize and masculine? What are feminine traits and masculines traits. I think you will find that stereotypes no longer are as applicable as they were in Marx's age.

Answer 7

Feminization of an organization means the following:
- Affirmative action for minorities (i.e. promotions for people who don't deserve them)
- Politically correct speech and actions
- Wildly negative over-reaction to traditional male pursuits such as dirty jokes, ethnic jokes, sexual references, touching, etc.
- De-emphasis on sports for men, emphasis on sports for women (Title IX)
- Drugs to calm active males
- Punishment for anger and conflict
- Over emphasis on discussions, meetings and consensus building vs. decisionmaking and action
- Group work vs. individual work
- Single minded emphasis on "feelings"
- Inane focus on gender, race, sexual orientation, ...
- Hatred of white males

Most organizations in the US are far along towards being feminized, and men are being turned into Eunuchs.

Answer 8

Painting the offices pretty colours and having plenty of plants around the place.

Answer 9

it is as we liove in a matriachical society a scoety dominated by women

Answer 10

It means when you bend a bloke over and give it to him up the shitter!