Page 189 - Cultures and Organizations

He, She, and (S)he 165

TABLE 5.4 Key Differences Between Feminine and Masculine Societies
III: Education and Consumer Behavior

FEMININE MASCULINE

Average student is the norm; praise Best student is the norm; praise for
for weak students. excellent students.
Jealousy of those who try to excel. Competition in class; trying to excel.
Failing in school is a minor incident. Failing in school is a disaster.
Competitive sports are Competitive sports are part of the
extracurricular. curriculum.
Children are socialized to be Aggression by children is accepted.
nonaggressive.
Students underrate their own Students overrate their own
performance: ego-effacement. performance: ego-boosting.
Friendliness in teachers is Brilliance in teachers is admired.
appreciated.
Job choice is based on intrinsic Job choice is based on career
interest. opportunities.
Men and women partly study the Men and women study different
same subjects. subjects.
Women and men teach young Women teach young children.
children.
Women and men shop for food and Women shop for food, men for cars.
cars.
Couples share one car. Couples need two cars.
More products for the home are sold. More status products are sold.
More fi ction is read (rapport talk). More nonfi ction is read (report talk).
The Internet is used for rapport The Internet is used for fact
building. gathering.

popularity or unpopularity. In his reports he had indicated the weak spots.
He should be able to maintain the prerogatives of management, without
being sidetracked by this works council nonsense.
The new plant general manager proved the biggest disaster ever.
Within six months he was on sick leave and the organization was in a
state of chaos. Nobody in the plant was surprised. Everyone had known
the controller as a congenial but weak personality, who had compensated