Confessions of a Y chromosome
Danielle Tomassini, Evening MBA dgt@umich.edu
Issue date: 2/2/04 Section: Opinions
- Page 1 of 4 next >
I've read business books written for and by women, I've listened to female speakers talk about their rise in the business world, and I've engaged in numerous conversations with women about our role in society and business. But all of these activities have lacked one key ingredient - a man's perspective. Women talk about increasing female involvement within business schools and within corporate management. But I wondered if all our talk about a glass ceiling was true. So I wanted to find out if the group holding the majority of the spots in MBA programs and executive positions viewed the world in the same way.
I spoke with several male MBA students, from day and evening programs, differing in age, experience, and race. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to each of these gentlemen for being very honest and candid with me. I have done my best to write from their perspective, and have not included my own personal beliefs (except one spot that I clearly identify). Everything you will read has come from the mouth (or keyboard) of a man. All names have been changed to protect their identity.
Each man I spoke with agreed that women face obstacles in business to varying degrees. Although men also face obstacles, there are some that are unique to women. The most obvious one is motherhood. Bart explained "to get ahead in any job, the worker - man or woman - is expected to be able to do anything you can to get the job done." This usually means working overtime. Bart believed that this was easier for a man with a family; he could just call his wife and tell her to go ahead and eat with the kids because he'd be late. Society doesn't make it as easy on the woman. Women are typically expected to cook the dinner, take care of the house, and be the primary caretaker.
But Apu explained, "for men and women, family should come first." Organizations are becoming better at maintaining a flexible work atmosphere that allows men, as well as women, to maintain a priority of family and then work. However, there are still many companies that force employees to make difficult choices.
I spoke with several male MBA students, from day and evening programs, differing in age, experience, and race. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to each of these gentlemen for being very honest and candid with me. I have done my best to write from their perspective, and have not included my own personal beliefs (except one spot that I clearly identify). Everything you will read has come from the mouth (or keyboard) of a man. All names have been changed to protect their identity.
Each man I spoke with agreed that women face obstacles in business to varying degrees. Although men also face obstacles, there are some that are unique to women. The most obvious one is motherhood. Bart explained "to get ahead in any job, the worker - man or woman - is expected to be able to do anything you can to get the job done." This usually means working overtime. Bart believed that this was easier for a man with a family; he could just call his wife and tell her to go ahead and eat with the kids because he'd be late. Society doesn't make it as easy on the woman. Women are typically expected to cook the dinner, take care of the house, and be the primary caretaker.
But Apu explained, "for men and women, family should come first." Organizations are becoming better at maintaining a flexible work atmosphere that allows men, as well as women, to maintain a priority of family and then work. However, there are still many companies that force employees to make difficult choices.
