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Women managing discourse in the workplace

2003; Emerald Publishing Limited; Volume: 18; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1108/09649420310507505

1758-7182

Janet Holmes, Louise Burns, Meredith Marra, Maria Stubbe, Bernadette Vine,

Gender Studies in Language

Abstract Despite the fact that women are increasingly reaching the highest levels of management in business organisations, negative stereotypes persist concerning their ability to handle the discourse of leadership. Drawing on a large database of recorded material collected from women in a variety of New Zealand workplaces by the Victoria University of Wellington Language in the Workplace Project, this paper illustrates the value of both qualitative and quantitative analysis in challenging such stereotypes. The analysis indicates that effective women managers adapt their style with sensitivity and skill to the specific setting and refutes misconceptions about the ability of women chairs to handle workplace humour, making them sociolinguistically very proficient communicators in the workplace.