Fall 2005 Tonja Wissinger

ISGS 3312 Office: GR 2.604

MW 12:00-1:15 Telephone: 972.883.2814
GR 2.816 E-mail: twissin@utdallas.edu
Office Hours: MW 11:00-12:00

Women in Management

According to Powell and Graves, women have made strides in

corporate America. In the United States the proportion of women managers,
which was 26% in 1980, now is 45%. Despite this positive trend, women
still remain clustered in lower and mid-level positions. The proportion of
women in top management is only 13% in Fortune 500 corporations.
Additionally, women are paid less than men in the same occupation and
often in the same job.
In this course we will examine the history of women in management,
the key issues facing women managers today, and the outlook for the future.
We will explore a variety of topics including the concept of the “glass
ceiling”, workplace diversity, legal solutions to discrimination, leadership
styles, work and family issues, and sexual harassment. The topics will be
examined from the perspectives of organizational behavior, sociology,
psychology, history, and gender studies.
This is not a “self-help” course. It is an examination of women’s
progression in the field of management. Both women and men are
encouraged to enroll.

Required Texts:
Managing Like A Man: Women and Men in Corporate Management
Judy Wajcman
Women and Men in Management
Gary N. Powell and Laura M. Graves
The Time Bind: When Work Becomes Home and Home Becomes Work
Arlie Russell Hochschild

Additional readings on reserve.

Course Requirements:
1. Attendance and class participation. More than three absences will
result in a lower final grade.
*If you are unable to attend class, you are responsible for obtaining
the lecture notes from another class member.
2. Completion of assigned readings prior to class.
3. A midterm exam.
4. Two written assignments.
*The assignments will be explained on the first day of class and
discussed throughout the semester. Late assignments will receive
a substantially lower grade.
**Written assignments must be well organized, free of spelling
and grammatical errors, double-spaced, and printed in a 12-14
font. Do not e-mail the written assignments to me.
5. A final exam.

Your course grade will be based on the average of the written

assignments (one-third), the midterm (one-third), and the final exam (one-
third). Make-up exams will be given only in unusual circumstances and at
my discretion. There will be no extra credit work.
In addition to the requirements listed above, I expect every student to
review the course schedule and catalogue for information on withdrawals,
incompletes, and academic dishonesty. Remember that academic dishonesty
includes cheating, plagiarism, collusion, and falsifying academic records. I
expect all work to reflect each student’s individual efforts. If you have any
questions about this, please see me.

Schedule

Aug. 22 Introduction.
24 The Hidden History of Women Managers.
Required reading on reserve.
Fagenson, chapter 2.
Essay #1 is assigned today.

Aug. 29&31 The Hidden History of Women Managers continued.

Wajcman, Introduction.
Powell, chapters 1 and 2.

Sept 5 No Class!
Sept. 7 Masculinizing Management.
Required reading on reserve.
Men and Women of the Corporation.
By R. M. Kanter pp. 3-28.
The Organization Man
By William H. Whyte. Chapter 11

Sept. 12 Masculinizing Management continued.

Hochschild, chapter 5.
Sept. 14 Growing Up Female.
Powell, chapter 3.

Sept. 19 Discussion: What is a “good” woman?

Essay #1 is due.
Sept. 21 Beyond the Metaphor: Defining The Glass Ceiling.
Wajcman, pp. 31-41, 62-65, 108-112, and 121-125.
Powell, 133-140.

Sept. 26 The Glass Ceiling continued.

Sept. 28 Women of Color in Management.
Required reading on reserve: Fagenson, chapter 4.

Oct. 3 Women at the Top: Insights from the Successful.

Hochschild, chapter 6.
Mid-term essay is assigned.
Oct. 5 “Aren’t there laws against that?” Legal Solutions.
Powell, pp. 217-225.
Wajcman, pp. 10-20.

Oct. 10 Review Mid-term essay is due!

Oct. 12 Midterm!! (Bring a blue exam book and an ink pen).

Oct. 17 Diversity Management: A Corporate Solution.

Powell, pp. 225-239.
Wajcman, pp. 20-30.
Essay #2 is assigned.
Oct. 19 Lifestyles of Women Managers.
Wajcman, chapter 6.
Hochschild, chapter 8 and pp. 45-52.
Oct. 24&26 Corporate Responses to Work and Family Conflict.
Powell, chapter 8.
Hochschild, chapters, 3, 7, and pp. 244-259.

Oct. 31 Discussion: Dimensions of Diversity.

Essay #2 is due.
Nov. 2 Defining Sexual Harassment.
Powell, chapter 7.

Nov. 7 Sexual Harassment continued.

Wajcman, pp. 112-121.
Nov. 9 The Corporate Career.
Leadership and Power: Style and Substance.
Wajcman, pp. 55-59 and pp. 65-77.
Powell, pp. 140-153.

Nov. 14 Leadership continued.

Nov. 16 Let’s Talk. Management and Communication.

Nov. 21 Women Managers in Popular Culture.

Readings TBA.
Nov. 23 Mentoring, Networking, and Teamwork.
Wajcman, pp. 125-131.
Powell, chapter, 5.

Nov. 28 Review for final exam.

**The time and date of the final exam will be announced.