MEN had organised work on the basis of their view of the world - one of competition, confrontation and conflict which militated against women entering senior management. This eventually eroded motivation, creative work and planning, according to Prof Eunice McCarthy of UCD, speaking at the fifth European Congress of Psychology yesterday.
Prof McCarthy was describing the position of women in corporate management in Ireland. Equality laws on their own did not fully open the doors to equality she said. "Equality is an active process that involves equality-building and the creation of a culture of equality."
Women crossing frontiers to positions of senior management provided a challenge to organisations typically shaped in a way which enhanced "hierarchical autocratic structures and communication as well as favouring male occupants", she said.
Existing managers were comfortable with well-worn ways and did not wish to risk other types of decision-making, even though these corresponded very well to the needs of modern management. "Glass ceilings have been aptly described as steel ceilings papered with stereotypic beliefs, customs and behaviours", she added.
Women managers had a very positive view of their ability, professionalism, fairness and helpfulness. However, there was a gap between how they viewed themselves and how they were seen by the higher echelons in organisations and political systems.
They were now the driving force in seeking new forms of work organisation, including family-friendly systems, and a new understanding in society of the importance of work and home in the lives of both men and women.
Dr Stevan Hobfoll, who spoke in a separate session on "Stress, Emotion and Coping", said that what contributed most to stress among working women was negative feedback about their work in any one of their roles as wife, mother or worker.
It used to be thought that taking on the additional burden of work outside the home created extra stress for women who also had family responsibilities, he told The Irish Times. However, it now appeared that women who worked outside the home were not necessarily either more or less stressed than those who did not.
What mattered most was the satisfaction they got from their different roles, and in particular whether or not they were subjected to criticism. Positive feed-back had much less impact on reducing stress levels than negative reactions had in increasing them, he said.