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Womanatthemanagementlevel1WhenMonicaappliedforajobasanadministrativeassistantin1971,shewasaskedwhethershewouldratherworkforamaleorafemaleattorney.Iimmediatelysaidaman,shesays.Ifeltthatamale-boss/female-employeerelationshipwasmorenatural,needingnopersonalaccommodationwhatsoever.But20yearslater,whenshewasaskedthesamequestion,shesaid,Iwaspleasantlysurprisedthatfemalebossesaremuchmoreaccessibletotheiremployees;they'remuchmoresensitiveandintimatewiththeiremployees.2Femalebossestodayarestillfindingtheyfacesubtleresistance.Thereisstillasegmentofthepopulation,bothmenand,surprisingly,womenwhoreportlowtoleranceforfemalebosses.Thegrowingpresenceoffemalebosseshasalsoprovokedtwomajorquestionsthatrevolvearoundstyles:Domenandwomenmanagedifferently,and,ifso,isthatagoodthing?3Monicaisdisposedtothinkso,onbothcounts.Nowa40-year-oldmotheroffour,sheispresidentofapublicsectorlaborunionwith45,000members.Relationswithmyemployeesareprobablydifferentfromthoseofmalemanagersprecedingme,shesays.Iknowwhatit'sliketohavetocallandsaymykidgotthemumpssoIwon'tbecomingin.Ihaveamoreflexiblestyle—notsoft,justmoreunderstanding.ThemanwhoisMonica'sassistantagrees,Shetendstodelegatemoreandisalwayslookingforaconsensus.Peoplearehappyandflourishbecausetheyhaveaninputintodecisionsandtheyarenotmerebystanders;theirenergiesareharnessed.Ontheotherhand,consensustakeslonger.4So,arethedifferencessymbolicorreal?Plausiblestudiessuggestthatmenaretypicallyhierarchical,goal-orientedandfeelentitled.Women,bycontrast,managediplomatically,andsharepower.Thatpointofviewisoftenchallengedandargued.Someproclaimthatmenandwomenofsimilarbackgrounds,experienceandaspirationsbasicallymanageinthesameway.Thisviewisechoedbyyoungerwomen,especiallythosewhohaveencounteredlittlegenderdiscrimination.ThatwascertainlythelessonforNicole.Whenherfatherdiedofaheartattack,shewasanemployeeatapetroleumproductsexportcompany.Shequitandtookoverherfamily's160-acrefruitfarminSt.David'sCounty.Onherfirstdayinthefield,aworkercalledherdarling.Hewastryingtotestme.Iwasshakingwithanger,saysNicole,now34.Istooderectandsaid,‘Youwouldn'thavecalledmyfatherdarlingandyou'renotgoingtotakethatlibertywithme.Ifyoudo,I'llfireyou.'5Whenwomenworkforwomen,adifferentdynamicoftentakesover.Susan,acashierinaTorontoauctionhouse,saysthatshehasexploredfriendshipswithsomeofherfemalebossesandfeelsshecanrelyonthemmore.Whilewomenmayfeelmoreateasewithafemaleboss,menoftenhavetomakeconcessionstothenewworkingstyles.Brian,amarinebiologist,says,IttookmeacoupleofyearsbeforeIfeltcomfortableenoughtorelaxaroundafemalemanager.Infact,myrelationswithherweremuchmorebusinesslike.6Tosomeextent,themale-femaledifferencescomedowntoconflictingstyles.Onefemalevice-presidentdiscussedthetimesheburstintotearsduringameeting.Menthinkthattearsareanuclearweaponinaconventionalwar.Theytakeexceptiontoawomancrying,inferringthatshe'sfeelingunhappyorviolated.Themenfailedtounderstandthatwhatpromptedhertearswasnothurtbutgenuinerage.Whenwecry,it'sbecausewehaveallthisvalidragethathasnoappropriaterelease,shesays.Womencry;mengetreliefbygoingonwiththeoffenseorbyveilingtheirfeelingstoappearcomposed.7Deborah,presidentofafirmwithitsheadquartersinToronto,saysthatevenifmendounderstand,theysometimesreactdifferentlytotheidenticalinformationandtohercooperativemanagementstyle.8Deborahsaysthatherauthorityissometimesunderminedbyperceptionsabouthergender.Itstemsfromthewholesocialcontextoftraditionalrolesformenandwomen,shesays.Momwouldtellyoutodothings,butperhapsyouwouldn'ttakeasmuchnoticeaswhenDadtoldyoutodothings.Menalsohaveastrongerurgetocontrol,shesays.9Forfemalebosses,thegreatexpectationofsomefemaleemployeesisonemoreobstacle.Juniorwomenassumeafemalebosswillpromotethemmorequicklythanamanwould.But,theyalsoexpectfemalebossestobemoreself-sufficient.Theyask,‘Whycan'tyouscanyourownstuff?'or‘Whycan'tyoudoyourownfiling?'saysoneseniorfemaleexecutive.10Ontheotherhand,thereisnodisputethatafewdecadesagotheywouldrarelyhavehadafemalebossintheworkplace.Nina,amanagementconsultantsaysshe'svaguelyoptimistic.I'mlookingforwardtotheday,beforeIdie,whenwerecognizethatthebestmanagementstyleswillbecomposedofthebestthatbothgendersbringtothetable...Well,shepauses,maybenotbeforeshedies,perhapsinherdaughter'slifetime.