The Face of the Firm

Despite decades of greater gender awareness at work in Western countries, gender inequality in the executive suites is alive and well. "The Face of the Firm" highlights new critical perspectives on the relationship between hegemonic masculine cultures, gender embodiment, and gender disparities in corporate organizations. Using data from over 100 interviews with female and male executives who worked for some of the most prestigious advertising and computer firms in the world, the book makes important connections between the empirical data and contemporary sexism in the United States and United Kingdom. The book refocuses the debate of executive work, organizational spaces, and gender inequality on gendered bodies at work. It also demonstrates that gendered and sexualized relations among executives often construct the production process. The book makes a contribution to masculinity, gender, and work scholarship and is organized along three key concepts: homogeneity, homosociability, and heterosexuality. These address such factors as the organizational locker room, sexual and heterosexual spaces at work, and the construction of women and men as different workers. This conceptual model is crucial for evaluating the mechanisms that support male dominance among highly skilled professionals and executives."

Michele Rene Gregory is Associate Professor of Sociology at York College of The City University of New York, where she teaches courses on race and ethnicity, sociology of work and complex organizations. Her research focuses on managerial masculinities, athletic embodiment in organizations, and gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity in the workplace.

Contents Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1: Corporate Masculine Embodiment and Mechanisms of Inequality at Work Chapter 2: Gendered Structures and Masculine Cultures in Advertising and Computing Chapter 3: Homogeneity: In His Image Chapter 4: Homosociability: Make Way for the Men's Room Chapter 5: A League Of Their Own: A Minor League with Major Potential Chapter 6: Heterosexuality: Mad Men British Style Chapter 7: Conclusion: New Businesses, Old Habits and Challenges to Equality Appendices: Appendix A: Methodology Appendix B: The Interview Schedule Appendix C: Computer Personnel Data Appendix D: Questionnaire Results Appendix E: Advertising Department and Gender Data References Index