Male-Female Communication in the Workplace: Invisible Barriers to Upward Mobility

Women are joining the workforce in increasing numbers; presently more than 50 percent of all women work. They are better trained and educated than their predecessors yet they still are not achieving executive positions in the corporate hierarchy (Raynolds 1987). Among other factors such as sex-role stereotype, lack of mentoring, and career/family concerns (Ragins and Sundstrom 1989), women's communication style might be a subtle barrier to their success. Women communicate differently than men (Carli 1990; Lakoff 1975). As corporate America is male dominated and career potential is evaluated based on male behavior patterns, this difference in communication style could affect women's career success.