Demographic effects on the use of vertical sources of guidance by managers in widely differing cultural contexts

Data provided by 7380 middle managers from 60 nations are used to determine whether demographic variables are correlated with managers’ reliance on vertical sources of guidance in different nations and whether these correlations differ depending on national culture characteristics. Significant effects of Hofstede’s national culture scores, age, gender, organization ownership and department function are found. After these main effects have been discounted, significant although weak interactions are found, indicating that demographic effects are stronger in individualist, low power distance nations than elsewhere. Significant non-predicted interaction effects of uncertainty avoidance and masculinity-femininity are also obtained. The implications for theory and practice of the use of demographic attributes in understanding effective management procedures in various parts of the world are discussed.

The MMPI-2 Gender-Masculine and Gender-Feminine scales: Gender roles as predictors of psychological health in clinical patients

Previous research measuring various biosocial factors such as age, sex, and marital status has found them to be essentially unrelated to measures of psychological health. Recent empirical studies have revealed that personality constructs may be more significant than demographic variables in the prediction of psychological well-being. The present study assessed the personality constructs of masculinity and femininity and hypothesized that the Gender-Masculine ( GM) scale of the MMPI-2 would be more effective than the Gender-Feminine (GF) scale in predicting psychological well-being. This hypothesis stems from previous research that has indicated the dominance of the masculinity model. It is suggested that previous research supporting androgyny as a primary indicator of well-being was influenced by the masculinity component of this gender orientation. One hundred and seventy-seven psychiatric patients from Australia (N = 107) and Singapore ( N 5 70) completed the MMPI-2. Hierarchical multiple regression revealed significantly stronger masculinity effects, with significance achieved on measures of ego strength and low self-esteem. No significant relationship between psychological well-being and the GF variable was found. Similarly, androgyny did not add any further variance to the model when masculinity was controlled for. Overall, the results are consistent with an interpretation that GM is a better correlate of psychological well-being as compared to the GF scale.

Pedagogies and critical reflection: key understandings for transformative gender justice

It is widely acknowledged that quality pedagogy is central to improving the educational outcomes of all students. In improving the social and academic outcomes of boys, and more specifically disengaged boys, the productive pedagogies model has been presented as a way forward. In terms of drawing on this model in socially just ways; to facilitate a broadening, rather than reinscribing of boys' narrow constructions of gender identity, this paper illustrates the imperative of teachers interacting with key feminist understandings of masculinity. Organized around the four dimensions of productive pedagogy, the paper draws on ( predominantly Australian-based) seminal work in the sphere of masculinities and schooling to discuss key strategies and initiatives for improving boys' educational outcomes. Against this backdrop, the paper demonstrates the importance of two principle understandings. The first relates to teachers understanding masculinity through feminist lenses, as constructed, regulated and maintained through inequitable social processes and the second relates to teachers understanding pedagogy as critical and transformative practice. These understandings are presented as vital to enabling gender justice.

'Hybrids' and the gendering of computing jobs in Australia

This paper presents recent Australian evidence on the extent to which women are entering “hybrid” computing jobs combining technical and communication or “people management” skills, and the way these skill combinations are valued at organisational level. We draw on a survey of detailed occupational roles in large IT firms to examine the representation of women in a range of jobs consistent with the notion of “hybrid”, and analyse the discourse around these sorts of skills in a set of organisational case studies. Our research shows a traditional picture of labour market segmentation, with limited representation of women in high status jobs, and their relatively greater prevalence in more routine areas of the industry. While our case studies highlight perceptions of the need for hybrid roles and assumptions about the suitability of women for such jobs, the ongoing masculinity of core development functions appears untouched by this discourse.

Gendered dichotomies and segregation patterns in computing jobs in Australia

Sex segregation in employment is a phenomenon that can be observed and analysed at different levels, ranging from comparisons between broad classifications by industry or occupation through to finely defined jobs within such classifications. From an aggregate perspective, the contribution of information technology (IT) employment to sex segregation is clear--it remains a highly male-dominated field apparently imbued with the ongoing masculinity of science and technology. While this situation is clearly contrary to hopes of a new industry freed from traditional distinctions between 'men's' and 'women's' work, it comes as little surprise to most feminist and labour studies analysts. An extensive literature documents the persistently masculine culture of IT employment and education (see, among many, Margolis and Fisher 2002; Wajcman 1991; Webster 1996; Wright 1996, 1997), and the idea that new occupations might escape sexism by sidestepping 'old traditions' has been effectively critiqued by writers such as Adam, who notes the fallacy of assuming a spontaneous emergence of equality in new settings (2005: 140).

Gender, computing and the organisation of working time: public/private comparisons in the Australian context

Professional computing employment in Australia, as in most advanced economies, is highly sex segregated, reflecting well-rehearsed ideas about the masculinity of technology and computing culture. In this paper we are concerned with the processes of work organisation that sustain and reproduce this gendered occupational distribution, focusing in particular on differences and similarities in working-time arrangements between public and private sectors in the Australian context. While information technology companies are often highly competitive workplaces with individualised working arrangements, computing professionals work in a wide range of organisations with different regulatory histories and practices. Our goal is to investigate the implications of these variations for gender equity outcomes, using the public/private divide as indicative of different regulatory frameworks. We draw on Australian census data and a series of organisational case studies to compare working-time arrangements in professional computing employment across sectors, and to examine the various ways employees adapt and respond. Our analysis identifies a stronger ‘long hours culture’ in the private sector, but also underlines the rarity of part-time work in both sectors, and suggests that men and women tend to respond in different ways to these constraints. Although the findings highlight the importance of regulatory frameworks, the organisation of working time across sectors appears to be sustaining rather than challenging gender inequalities in computing employment.

GÊNERO E PODER: MULHERES DOCENTES EM INSTITUIÇÕES TEOLÓGICAS PROTESTANTES DA GRANDE SÃO PAULO

Ao escolher o tema Gênero e Poder em Instituições Teológicas Protestantes da Grande São Paulo, a intenção é problematizar as relações de gênero nestes ambientes, a partir da realidade social diferenciada em que vivem homens e mulheres na docência. Partimos do pressuposto que há relações de poder aí engendradas que encurralam as mulheres naquele gueto de disciplinas que denominamos femininas , bem como um jogo de representações sociais que justificam a estereotipação das disciplinas e naturalização destas disparidades, uma vez que o poder a todo tempo se serve da diferença para referendar a dominação e a supremacia de um sobre outro, neste caso de homens sobre mulheres. A noção de gênero no enfrentamento do problema mulherSeminário tem um lugar central quando se quer descobrir o modo pelo qual os saberes e as práticas produzidas nestes ambientes estão estreitamente ligados à produção social do feminino e do masculino - enquanto categorias consideradas atemporais e permanentes - e as relações de poder endógenas a instituição, posto que é parte de um sistema religioso, onde a política é da dialética constante, pois um ratifica o outro, ou seja, o Seminário só tem a força de exclusão que tem porque encontra legitimidade na Igreja. Todavia, ainda que as diferenças formais permaneçam, formas de resistência sempre surpreendem a dominação, especialmente pela sutileza com que se firmam. A presença de mulheres nos Seminários, algo raro há alguns anos, pode ser lida com uma estratégia para irromper a dominação, sendo um meio seguro de entrar num espaço essencialmente masculino.

Rompendo velhas mortalhas: a violência contra a mulher e sua relação com o Imaginário Androcêntrico de Deus na Igreja Metodista do Chile.

A presente tese tem como objetivo abordar e analisar a violência contra a mulher e a relação que existiria entre essa conduta e a imagem androcêntrica de "Deus", em um contexto específico: homens e mulheres da Igreja Metodista no Chile. Fizemos uma leitura analítica da maneira de se relacionar as mulheres e os homens nos matrimônios, e as mulheres e os homens com "Deus". O intuito é explorar as similitudes que existem entre a atitude hierárquica do homem na sociedade e na família e o modelo de "Deus" masculino presente no imaginário coletivo da sociedade. A questão foi desenvolvida tendo como eixo principal a imagem indrocêntrica de "Deus" e as variáveis que desde essa imagem se desprendem, a saber, a construção e a ideologia androcêntrica, a sobrevalorização da hegemonia e a linguagem masculina e a legitimação da violência contra mulher. Esta situação é analisada desde um contexto específico a Igreja Metodista no Chile, mas este fato é apenas o contexto de onde começamos a observar os casos de violência contra a mulher, o que permitiu sair desse contexto restringido, para um contexto mais abrangente. Por conseguinte, na procura de fundamentos para elucidar as hipóteses, levantamos alguns elementos antropológicos herdados das ideologias e crenças dos espanhóis e dos indígenas, os quais foram fundamentais na construção do ethos e da idiossincrasia chilena. Para a análise e a crítica do imaginário masculino de Deus, privilegiamos a produção da teologia feminista e, para o conceito de violência que contem a noção de poder, privilegiamos a concepção de micro-poder, estimando que a violência contra da mulher se concretiza, primordialmente, em nível de micro estruturas, ainda que o fato esteja legitimado em nível de macro estruturas. O objetivo desta tese é contribuir na reflexão teológico-pastoral desde a perspectiva da mulher, visando fornecer elementos de debate no caminho à superação da violência.(AU)

Religião e modernidade: uma análise de gênero do trânsito religioso de homens no contexto da Universidade Metodista de São Paulo

Essa pesquisa estabelece uma relação entre gênero, religião e modernidade, demonstrando quais as implicações deste fenômeno para a religiosidade contemporânea. Nosso objetivo principal é o de compreender o fenômeno do trânsito religioso de homens no contexto da Universidade Metodista de São Paulo, para isso a pesquisa está desdobrada em três momentos: na compreensão das principais características da modernidade e sua influência na constituição da religiosidade dos sujeitos; na análise da representação social da masculinidade e seu processo de constituição das identidades de gênero; e na verificação da ocorrência do trânsito religioso entre homens e mulheres por intermédio da pesquisa quantitativa, e as principais motivações sócio-religiosas para a ocorrência deste fenômeno entre os homens

O GIZ COR-DE-ROSA E AS QUESTÕES DE GÊNERO: OS DESAFIOS DE PROFESSORES FRENTE À FEMINIZAÇÃO DO MAGISTÉRIO

Historicamente, em nosso contexto educacional, a atuação de docentes na Educação Infantil (EI) e nas Séries Iniciais do Ensino Fundamental (SIEF) sempre esteve relacionada a um predomínio feminino, porém, muito recentemente, é possível observar um movimento de entrada de alunos do sexo masculino nos cursos de Pedagogia e, consequentemente, em salas de aula na EI e SIEF. Nesse contexto, a presente pesquisa investigou os desafios enfrentados por esses sujeitos que se inserem em um universo predominantemente feminino, buscando desvelar se há indícios de preconceito ou mesmo de estigma, relacionados às questões de gênero. Para tanto, contou com sujeitos homens na graduação em Pedagogia, professores homens na Educação Infantil e nas Séries Iniciais do Ensino Fundamental, atuantes no estado de SP, na capital e cidades do entorno. Com uma breve revisão bibliográfica sobre o conceito de gênero e suas relações e, também, acerca da feminização do magistério, a pesquisa objetivou compreender e problematizar os significados entre as relações de gênero dos locais nos quais se inserem os sujeitos pesquisados. De maneira específica, a investigação buscou responder às seguintes indagações relacionadas aos alunos de pedagogia e aos professores: Por que a escolha pelo curso de Pedagogia? Por que estudar/atuar em um campo predominantemente feminino, podendo, assim, sofrer preconceito? Ser homem nesse campo muda o significado da formação e atuação? Para responder a essas inquietações, a dissertação foi composta por metodologia de pesquisa qualitativa, com a aplicação de questionário para elaboração de perfil, além de entrevistas gravadas com um roteiro previamente estruturado. Foram entrevistados 22 sujeitos: 10 (5 homens e 5 mulheres) são alunos e alunas de cursos de Pedagogia e 12 (6 homens e 6 mulheres) são professores e professoras em escolas de EI e SIEF. As análises realizadas apontam que, de um modo geral, a entrada dos homens na pedagogia e a sua reinserção no exercício docente nesses segmentos da educação provocam reações de preconceito e estigma. Ao constatar isso, nossa indagação ficou em torno de buscar como essas reações ocorrem para com os sujeitos entrevistados, discutindo as relações de gênero, e masculinidade em ambientes feminizados. Através dessas discussões, trouxemos uma pequena contribuição para a área acadêmica, no que diz respeito à masculinidade e docência.

Muslim Women Managing Women's Shelters : Somaya, the Muslimwoman and Religion as Resource

This article focuses on Sisters’ Shelter Somaya in Sweden, an organization unique in its claim to be a women’s shelter by and for Muslim women, and in its combining of Islamic and secular feminisms. Examining the organization’s self-presentations, the author argues that there is, however, an ongoing shift from an emphasis on its Muslim profile to a dissolution of the very same. Looking into potential loss in the process (for clients, activists, allies, and feminism at large), the analysis draws on current research on anti-Muslim intolerance and normative secularism. The concept of the “Muslim woman” is employed to illustrate the stereotyping that continuously associates Muslim women with “victims” inhabiting shelters rather than capable “managers”. Intersectionality is pointed at as an emic strategy adopted by Somaya to overcome division, but also critically analysed as a consensus-creating signifier that hinders diversity. Thus,the article raises the increasingly important issue of the relationship between religion, gender, and feminism in the post-secular turn, and the author calls for critical self-reflection and creative affirmation in the interaction with heterogeneous others.

Perceptions of earnings management:the effect of national culture

Manipulating, or "managing," reported earnings is a temptation faced by every accountant and corporation around the world. This study investigates whether national culture influences perceptions of the acceptability of earnings management. Participants from eight countries evaluated 13 vignettes describing various earnings management practices (Merchant & Rockness, 1994). Our results demonstrate considerable variation in perceptions across nations to the earnings management scenarios, providing strong evidence that the practice of earnings management was not perceived similarly in all countries. Using Hofstede’s (1991) cultural indices, we find that the differences in aggregate perceptions across countries were not closely associated with any of the cultural dimensions examined. We do, however, find that perceptions of earnings manipulations involving the timing of operating decisions were associated with both the Power Distance Index and the Masculinity Index.

Implicit leadership theories in applied settings:factor structure, generalizability, and stability over time

The present empirical investigation had a 3-fold purpose: (a) to cross-validate L. R. Offermann, J. K. Kennedy, and P. W. Wirtz's (1994) scale of Implicit Leadership Theories (ILTs) in several organizational settings and to further provide a shorter scale of ILTs in organizations; (b) to assess the generalizability of ILTs across different employee groups, and (c) to evaluate ILTs' change over time. Two independent samples were used for the scale validation (N 1 = 500 and N 2 = 439). A 6-factor structure (Sensitivity, Intelligence, Dedication, Dynamism, Tyranny, and Masculinity) was found to most accurately represent ILTs in organizational settings. Regarding the generalizability of ILTs, although the 6-factor structure was consistent across different employee groups, there was only partial support for total factorial invariance. Finally, evaluation of gamma, beta, and alpha change provided support for ILTs' stability over time.

A cross-national comparative study of the roles of men in contemporary France and Britain

The purpose of this thesis is to increase understanding and contribute to knowledge about the attitudes and behaviour of men in contemporary France and Britain. The thesis has three main aims: firstly, to provide the first cross-national comparison of French and British writing and research on the place of men in contemporary society; secondly, to identify similarities and differences in the roles of men in France and Britain; and thirdly, to determine to what extent and in what way such similarities and differences are linked to the social structures and cultural background of each country. The thesis focuses on two main facets of the male experience: the relationship between men and women and the interaction between fathers and their children. Men's attitudes and behaviour are examined in relation to issues such as the division of household tasks and child care within the family, parental roles, female employment, role reversal, gender stereotyping and changes towards a new image of masculinity in society. Particular consideration is given to differences in governmental attitudes in France and Britain towards the introduction of family policy measures for men as fathers. The thesis ends with a discussion of legislative, social and educational measures which could be introduced in France and Britain in order to promote greater flexibility in men's roles and consequently improve gender equality in each country. The data analysed in the thesis are derived from a questionnaire-based empirical study involving 101 men in Britain and seventy-five men in France. The respondents' experience of and attitudes towards their roles in society are analysed and interpreted in the light of profile data relating to their family circumstances and with reference to knowledge about the broader socio-cultural context.