Journal of Organization and Human Behaviour

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Has the gender binary at work dissolved? A study of inter - gender social interaction in the workplace


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1 Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Hindu College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
     

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The 21st century has become known for more fluid discourses on gender, leading to a certain level of exultation that the gender binary is finally dissolving. The digitisation of work has created several opportunities for a gender-neutral work field, although admittedly, it has also brought new challenges. Traditionally, workplace studies have revealed the presence of a sharp gender divide at work, even in terms of workplace interactions. This article derives from research among employees in information technology (IT) corporations in India, conducted to investigate different elements of organisational dynamics, including but not limited to, the changing nature of inter-gender organisational interactions and behaviour. It is found that although it is indeed the case that men and women have divergent conversational idioms, the nature of inter-personal communication in the workplace is not as perplexing as literature seems to suggest. Paradoxically, an upbringing in the close-knit Indian family system has already familiarised both men and women with the conversational rituals of either gender, creating conditions for more effective social interactions in the workplace.


Keywords

Communication, Gender, Information Technology Sector, Interaction
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  • Has the gender binary at work dissolved? A study of inter - gender social interaction in the workplace

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Authors

Shalini Suryanarayan
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Hindu College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India

Abstract


The 21st century has become known for more fluid discourses on gender, leading to a certain level of exultation that the gender binary is finally dissolving. The digitisation of work has created several opportunities for a gender-neutral work field, although admittedly, it has also brought new challenges. Traditionally, workplace studies have revealed the presence of a sharp gender divide at work, even in terms of workplace interactions. This article derives from research among employees in information technology (IT) corporations in India, conducted to investigate different elements of organisational dynamics, including but not limited to, the changing nature of inter-gender organisational interactions and behaviour. It is found that although it is indeed the case that men and women have divergent conversational idioms, the nature of inter-personal communication in the workplace is not as perplexing as literature seems to suggest. Paradoxically, an upbringing in the close-knit Indian family system has already familiarised both men and women with the conversational rituals of either gender, creating conditions for more effective social interactions in the workplace.


Keywords


Communication, Gender, Information Technology Sector, Interaction

References