Sex and sexuality in the workplace context

This short article aims to explore the relevance of sex and sexuality to the understanding of organisational behaviour, and whether the concept of ‘emotional labour’ useful in understanding gender stereotypical behaviour at work.

Image via Unsplash

Sex and sexuality are relevant to the understanding of organisational behaviour because despite the genderless world of organisations (Wilson 2012, p. 289), sexuality is explicitly and implicitly on display at work. The way individuals perceive their sexuality is influenced by societal norm and in anticipation of judgment from others.

Even in this day and age, the norm of ‘think manager-think male’ stereotype (Schein, 1973, 2001), means senior managerial positions are associated with masculine gender. Men have a presumed authority and often seen as more aggressive, ambitious and a natural leader; Women are seen to be more cheerful and compassionate. This leads to sex-typing of male and female roles in organisation. Individuals — particularly women — are expected to suppress their negative emotions at work and exhibit positive emotions. Hochschild (1985) coined the term ‘emotional labour’ to describe this process (p. 7).

‘Emotional labour’ is a useful concept to understand gender stereotypical behaviour at work because there is a cost attached to this labour. Women are assumed to be a natural-fit for emotional labour work that involves caring, listening and being empathetic. Men are therefore are ‘released’ from this form of labour to pursue tasks that afford them rapid career advancement (Müller 2019, p. 849).

References:

Hochschild, A. R., 1985. The managed heart: Commercialization of human feeling. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press.

Müller, M 2019, ‘Emotional labour: a case of gender-specific exploitation’, Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, vol. 22, no. 7, pp. 841–862.

Wilson, F 2012, Organisation Behaviour and Work, 5th edn, Oxford University Press

This article was originally written for my post-graduate study in Management.