THE GENDERED IDEAL WORKER NARRATIVE: Professional Women’s and Men’s Work experiences in the new economy at a Mexican Company

Citation:

Brumley, Krista M. 2014. “The Gendered Ideal Worker Narrative: Professional Women’s and Men’s Work Experiences in the New Economy at a Mexican Company.” Gender & Society 28 (6): 799–823.

Author: Krista M. Brumley

Abstract:

Workplaces have transformed over the past decades in response to global forces. This case study of a Mexican-owned multinational corporation compares employee perceptions of a new work culture required to confront these demands. Employees are expected to work long hours and to produce results, obtain the right skills and knowledge, and exhibit proactivity. Drawing on extensive qualitative data, this article theorizes what the expectations mean for women and men employees. The competitive culture reinforces inequality because expectations are grounded in the gendered “ideal worker” narrative. However, tensions ensue for the company that is partly characterized by paternalism yet requires a competitive work culture. The study uncovers a hybrid organizational logic with gendered assumptions undergirding a hidden inequality as professional women navigate the emergence of the glass ceiling in the global south.

Keywords: gendered organizations, globalization, mexico, paternalism, work-family

Topics: Economies, Gender, Gendered Power Relations, Gender Equality/Inequality, Globalization, Multi-National Corporations Regions: Americas, North America Countries: Mexico

Year: 2014