The Role of Stress in Women in Management

The Stresses Faced by Women in Managerial Positions

The paper presents findings of the various stresses that women in managerial positions face, the sources, coping mechanisms and their possible outcome. The authors base some the research on existing data and the approaches and assumptions that traditional theories hold. Traditionally, the stresses that women managers face were only inclined towards two aspects, that women can react to stresses just like men because they are similar or they will act completely different because they are not identical to men. Studies further indicate that women play different roles in organisations, but they are often under-represented in the highest management positions. The issue of stress that women managers face has, however, not been approached holistically but has only be based on the comparison between the male and female genders, and focuses on a few isolated factors (Fielden & Cooper 2001, p.4).

The Factors that Cause Stress among Women Managers

The paper presents the major factors that cause stress and establishes that it is the quality and level of experience among women managers that leads to stress while at work and not the amount of workload. The women who are highly experienced and those who view their work positively are psychologically and mentally healthy unlike those who have little or less experience. The responsibilities that women have in the family and at home, often go unpaid and when compounded with extended office work, leads to distress and poor health. Male dominance culture is another stressor that affects women managers because they often feel alone and alienated from the males because men are often perceived to have higher power and influence (Fielden & Cooper 2001, p.5). It is, therefore, possible that women would experience more distress in such an organisation because of the need to keep proving themselves capable of working like men.

Coping Mechanisms of Women Managers

In coping with the work stressors, women managers tend to deal less effectively compared to their male counterparts. Women employ the use of an emotion-focused strategy which only addresses the feeling released as a reaction to stress, where they focus on social support and wishful thinking. Men, on the other hand, use a problem-focused approach, where they tackle the situation and can persevere and engage in positive thinking. Women, however, have a higher tendency of participating in voluntary services where they quickly get social support and further enhance their knowledge and skills enabling them to develop better coping mechanisms in stressful situations. An individual’s personality, demographic, sociodemographic factors and the availability of coping mechanism determines their reaction to distress (Fielden & Cooper 2001, p.7).

Women Coping in Male-Dominated Organizations

Women working in men-dominated organisations tend to cope by exercising greater control over the events and situations they face. They are therefore characterised by being independent, assertive, and dominant where they take up new roles and responsibilities to satisfy their need for achievement. Studies have indicated that women managers tend to portray the type A behaviour to be able to cope with stresses due to multiple roles both in the organisation and at home. Women managers hold their work objectives differently from the men who contribute to how they would view their importance. Some women managers have to accept the dominance of men in society forcing them to adopt male attitudes in their work. By taking on men attitudes and behaviour, the women managers are seeking attention and acceptance by their male colleagues, therefore, reducing rejection (Fielden & Cooper 2001, p.8).

Outcomes of Work Stress between Men and Women

The ultimate and possible outcomes of work stress between men and women differ significantly, where among the men, the result is seen physically while in women it is psychological or mental ill-health. The society has often view mental ill-health as a weakness thereby undermining the stresses that women undergo in their occupations. It has also led to women seeing their poor mental health conditions as something usual and ordinary and not related to any external factor. Female managers who hold low levels of management tend to experience greater sources of stress because of increased pressure to perform. As a result, they end up having poorer physical, social, mental and psychological well-being. The effects of stress are further manifested in behavioural changes, with women engaging in more destructive behaviour than men (Fielden & Cooper 2001, p.9).

Impact on Married Women Managers

The outcomes of stress seem to be higher among married than single women managers and especially those with children, where cases of coronary heart diseases are reported to be the highest. The contributing factor is, however, the perception of the society towards married working women, and not the multiple roles they have. Compared to men, women receive no family support in their career and work roles but have to compete for attention and time (Fielden & Cooper 2001, p.10).

Conclusion

The article concludes by citing that little has been done to enable women managers to enjoy equal representation and opportunities with men, especially in senior management positions. A factor that could have led to this situation is that nothing has been done to remove the sources of stress facing women managers which is further reinforced by the norms and cultures in the society and organisations. There is, therefore, need to address the issues that women face in managerial positions and at home holistically for a deeper understanding.

Bibliography

Fielden, S. L. & Cooper, C. L., 2001. Women Managers and Stress: A Critical Analysis. Equal Opportunities International, 20(1/2), pp. 3-16.