Sex Prejudice in Business

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 898, 15 February 1930, Page 20

Sex Prejudice in Business

Fear of Woman as Equal Partner i s Serious Detriment to Business Efficiency. . .

VspMvasrj HESE are dangerous days for the superior male. 111 his social life lie: may be able to let his lamp -Py TS£>] 0 [ self-illumination shine with all the lustre and glory that were once his unchallenged privilege. But if he desires to dominate in the business world and closes his eyes to the capabilities of the fair sex, his vanity may prove to be his undoing. He may not realise what a troublemaker this possession can be, and he may trot along feeling serene and secure until one day nature begins to show the strain of playing so artificial a role. Then he may wonder why he is falling down on the job; why his energy and initiative are no longer what they used to be. In the opinion of Dr. Smith Ely Jelliffe, the result may be an other candidate for an ever-increasing army of business misfits. “Many a man,” he said, “is suffering from egregious conceit. Unless he can let his supremacy shine, he inwardly rebels. A good portion of the troubles and failures in his life would be prevented if he could only rid himself of the idea, which is nearly always an unconscious one, that he is a superior and more intelligent being. This belief on his part is particularly disastrous to him in the business world, where he sees on all sides women proving their abilities and performing the same work that he does One can readily understand that the man who has been pampered since childhood by his adoring mother grandmother, maiden aunt or elder sisters is bound to get into an inner attitude which is superior toward woman. This can result only in harm to himself.” Dr. Jelliffe is the author of severalbooks on nervous and mental procontribution to the book Why Men Fail” is thought-provoking, tn that it shows how man himself obstiucts his chances for efficiencv and success in business. Women’s Business Gifts Much has been said and written about woman’s accomplishments in the business world,” Dr. Jelliffe told an interviewer, “and men themselves have applauded her, but the psychological aspects are rarely considered ret womans entry into business has had a tremendous and far-reaching effect on man—one that touches the very core of his life.

“Just consider that in former days d have to think much about the impression he would make on a woman. Having only men as associates, he needed to use only the male convictions. Anxiety did not overwhelm him as to how his work in business would affect his relations with woman. With the rest, of his fel™T. S ’ he expressed the self-complacent notions that she simply did not have the intelligence nor the ability to un?h “nd problems of business and the difficulties a man had to face. She exmted merely to amuse and to cater to klm - Hls vanity ran rampant But when woman began to enter his domain in increasing numbers and began to show that they were not only as good but in many instances even better than he, he wondered what it was all about. What was going to happen to his power over woman’ la S" , to , fortify his egotism, 'he blocked her progress whenever he lms ld ’ ?- Ut Respite his prejudices, she lias continued to forge ahead In wardly the man could not accept such conditions and was hurt. Even if he d * d know ’ consciously; just where gan d t lfficulty lay > tllis uncertainty began to cause lnm.to lack confidence tiL hlmSel£ ' The result w as that in the course of years he gradually lost 1113 ““Native, so that when he reached middle age he found himself fn j a f | tantlstlll > i£ not a fussy failure

WaS , the m °hkey-wrench in hme f?’ S,mply h>s sex fear. There was the feeling that he was being undermined. It is a common beliet on the part of man that in order to win and to hold a woman he But St th P P rOVe t( V h ? r that he « superior But the essential thing for man to remember is that woman’s mental equipment complements his. Unless he freely admits that she is his equal in every way, he will find that he himprejudice.l l ° be the Victim “A Man’s World” “There is no doubt that this has been a man’s world too long, and the sooner the average male gets over thl wfif Jit h J S superi °rity the better he will get along m life, in the business world the woman worker and her point of View are a definite asset, and w se T rem “T Wl i.° takes of iu I remember the case of youn| Mr S fathers 6 beeQ taken mfo hfs lathers business he was uuite chagrined to And that he had to learn mirft 13 ? 111 the order and sales department from a woman. The fact that this woman had been with the firm h°e r rsifi ar u D a t n „ d th ad diUgently worked fsJtt up ,_ to this position, and the fact too, that the business catered chiefly to women, so that she was beta man P did d no°t kn ° W the market than S' rr^ ee ln% Vnew m w« t h oT d : ated whenever s

‘ The young man had not been there very long when his father was taken ill and had to retire from the bittiness. The first thing the son dii when he assumed control was to turn over some of this woman’s work 0 other men. Gradually she had le<s and less to do, and finally she found her services dispensed with altogether. Today*, onlv five years later the business has practically gone to pieces. The key position in this firm demanded a woman’s knowledge and viewpoint. As soon as men were substituted the sales began to drop. “This story, I think, is a typical illustration of what goes on every day in the business world. The man is not always aware, though, that it is his sex prejudice that is hampering him. Outwardly he may declaim that he does not mind having a woman doing work that he cap. perform, but nevertheless there may exist a deeply inrooted fear against her. Should he fail, he is ready to lay the olame on anyone else’s shoulders than his own. A man who is broadminded and generous enough can face the issue squarely and rid himself of these stupid, antiquated prejudices. But not infrequently his home training and environment have been such that it is almost impossible for him to do so. Beauty Is Distracting “However, this is not the only respect in which men have been affec;ec by woman’s entry into the business world. There are others which, while not as important, nevertheless have contributed to inefficiency and even to failure. There are men so constituted that they are unable to work with full efficiency in the presence of a pretty woman. That she does not encourage their attention or that her conduct is irreproachable has nothing to do with it. . The mere fact that she is there reduces the man’s power of concentration. On the other hand, while the majority of women may attend strictly to business and put what pub chritude they possess into the background, there are any number who behave quite to the contrary. They regard the business world as a hunting and pleasure ground. They are not the least bit serious about their job. Naturally the amount of work that is accomplished is not as much as it would be were there only men in the office; nor is it as well done. Office morale is apt to be disrupted, and the tension and antagonism that are bound to result on the part of the other workers impair a man’s ability to work. If he is married, he will constantly be apprehensive of what his wife may suspect, even though there are no real causes for suspicion other than to keep the wishes he has from coming into consciousness. “I heard the president of a large organisation say recently that ‘the presence of pretty women in a business house is a problem that no executive can afford to ignore. It las a number of angles that may become troublesome.’ Yet I do not mean to imply that it is always the girl’s fault. Many a pretty office worker is forced to resign from her position because the male members were unable to help showing an interest in her that was disturbing to the full efficiency of the organisation. “The advent of young women in offices has also created new difficulties for the wives of some men. Haring a husband in the company of a girl for several hours of the day who does her best to make his office as comfortable a place as possible, who takes an interest in his problems and who shares his anxieties, can and often does, lead to undesirable complications. Since the secretary may better understand what he is up against, he comes to depend more on her than on his wife. Her loyalty, sympathy and enthusiasm serve to kindle a deeper interest in her. Wives “On The Alert” “Despite the dangers of such a situation, it has its favourable side as well. It may make the wife more on the alert to be as good as if not better than the other girl. Too many wives fall down on their share of the bargain once they are married. They refuse to bother themselves with any* ing concerning the business problems of the husbands. They do little to make the personal relationship more interesting or satisfying. Thus, when a wife fails to do her best as a partner, she indirectly helps to cement an affair between her husband and his secretary. Not for nothing “Having contact with women in business is of particular advantage to the young man who has no sisters or whose mother has not permitted him to have any girl friends. He has a rather distorted idea of womanThe same thing holds true for the young woman who would not otherwise have the opportunity mingling with men. The business office gives her the chance to become acquainted with the opposite sex and to form wholesome, healthy ::riendships. When she marries, her love has chances for a firmer foundation* “I am very glad to see that more and more married women are cOitiD' 1 * ing with their work. It means that men are getting over the idea that a wife must stay at home and be sup* ported—which may be mere? another way to bolster up their of superiority. What is more, £»• woman who engages in no outsi<l e work and remains utterly dependent upon her husband is likely to be mori* gaging her own future happiness tnd freedom of action. Surely this is * high price to pay for the privilege catering to the superiority ccmpls* of the man!’*