Gender, Power and Organisations: An Introduction

by Susan Halford, Pauline Leonard

This important text demonstrates the range of ways in which gender can be seen to be an integral part of organisational life. Through a lively and detailed exploration of the structures and processes of organisations, the authors bring to life the ways in which gender is performed, maintained and reproduced in many of the corporations and institutions in which we work. A wide range of research on gender, race and other forms of social difference is drawn upon to reveal how divisions and inequalities remain a significant aspect of work and organisations in spite of the fact that high profile is given to women who 'make it' to the top. At the same time, evidence is also presented to show how these persistent structural differences are variously contested and challenged by both women and men.

The authors discuss how these contradictory factors can be usefully interpreted by developing our understanding of the ways in which power operates in organisations. By developing a multi-dimensional approach to understanding power, the richness and diversity of gender relations within contemporary organisations is explained. Through its full discussion of key theoretical concepts and its insightful look at the ways in which these interweave with substantive areas of organisational life, this book is the perfect text both for readers who are new to the subject and who are already engaged in the field.

288 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2000