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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 37, Number 9. 1st May 1974

Sexism in Business Administration

Sexism in Business Administration

Dear Sir,

The Business Administration Faculty is encouraging its students to be prejudiced against women, promoting the conservatism and narrow-mindedness currently found in all levels of business administration throughout New Zealand, rather than setting a more enlightened example. As a Business Administration student I find the views of the Faculty and some students towards females in employment appallingly condescending.

Analysis of the one case study only which involved a female, revealed that male students believed the female concerned should be dismissed from the (inferior) position she held because her production rate was too high. She was thus a 'troublemaker'. Presumably if she had been a male she would have been promoted.

The lectures themselves, perhaps fortunately, have contained only a few brief sentences on women in employment. These were — I) By 1986 it is estimated that 40% of the New Zealand work force will be females — about 700,000. 2) The question we should ask is what can women contribute that men cannot. 3) The answer is that women are more open — an overseas study has shown that women are more likely to say what they think at meetings etc "because they lack career aspirations" and thus feel free to say what they like.

The possible future managers of New Zealand, i.e. the impressionable stage 1 students, were left with the belief that women do not have career aspirations (and by implication that there is no point in employing them in jobs with interest and/or promotion prospects).

Surely it would have been more pertinent to comment that this high proportion of women in the work force means that most women will be working for as many years as men. Because of advancements such as the pill only a short break, if any, will be made from work. The women will thus, as do men, want careers rather than just short term, routine employment, and will thus have to be treated accordingly as regards promotion etc.

However the other comment made by the lecturer indicates that the Business Administration Faculty believes that women, unlike men, do not have a right to do a job of any sort. Women should only be employed if they can contribute more than a man, not just an equal amount.

Mac