The opt-out revolution in the United States: implications for modern organizations

✍ Scribed by Mary C. Still

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 159 KB
• Volume: 27
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0143-6570
• DOI: 10.1002/mde.1290

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

For the first time since American women joined the labor force in the 1970s, the number of working mothers has decreased. Dubbed the ‘opt‐out revolution’ by The New York Times, the so‐called exodus has left companies confused, social conservatives jubilant and feminists incensed. This article explores the reasons for women's workforce departure and argues that it is a predictable result of organizations' failure to understand differences between male and female workers, an ignorance that leads to flawed incentive structures which eventually drive women out of the workplace. I discuss three of the most problematic assumptions made by organizations: (1) men and women are motivated by the same things; (2) managers determine promotion and pay on merit; and (3) implementing policies designed for women, such as family–friendly benefits, will solve retention problems. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.