Women in Leadership and Work-Family Integration Volume Two

Book excerpt: Today, women are assuming greater roles within the workplace and men are assuming greater roles within the home. Both spheres have to be seen as a place where males and females are competent. Gersick suggests that women have to let go of the traditional identities related to social role, family, and work. Both men and women have to step into new identities and develop new roles. Will the home look different and the workplace be a different environment? Absolutely, men will do their work in their way within the family and home, while women will clarify their identity within the workplace. Helgessen and Johnson (2010) describe the “female vision” which views the world differently than men. Women also bring a unique perspective to the workplace. This book encourages us to explore, embrace and celebrate these new identities within the workplace and the family.