Gender issues in the American workplace
Behavioural norms of all types vary greatly between cultures, but misunderstandings involving these cultural norms relating to gender interaction can have severe consequences. Nara Venditti offers suggestions on gender etiquette for employees moving to the United States.

By Expatica 2006

Often, when companies import specialists to the US on assignment, the transferees have no time to adjust to a new set of rules and socially acceptable behaviour. Socially acceptable behaviour varies across cultures—what holds right in one society may not be so in another.

Gauging acceptability

Consider this passage by Laura Klos-Sokol, cited in Riall W. Nolan's book Communicating and Adapting Across Cultures:

"Imagine a professional meeting beginning like this: a woman enters an office and introduces herself, extending her hand to shake only to have him kiss it. Next, he helps her off with her coat and takes her by the arm to usher her over to a chair three feet away. This is the Polish way: she could sue for it in the United States."

Many times I have encountered similar behaviour in my native Armenia. This was part of good manners and was considered 'classy' behaviour. In some cultures, males are expected to be dominant and gallant. On the other hand, when I first experienced the American 'bear hug' in Armenia with a man from the US, it made me very uncomfortable and I was relieved that my fellow countrymen were not there to witness such a gesture.

Expats who have been sent to the US must consider the unspoken rules of gender interaction accepted in this country. Not knowing the rules may have a traumatic effect and even be dangerous from a legal perspective—the employer may be sued for sexual harassment. On the other hand, a female student of mine from northern Brazil once told me how she missed that whistle of admiration –or tease, I thought— from the men when she would pass by.

It may be normal in some northern Brazilian workplaces to whistle when an attractive woman passes by, but whistling is not something you would expect a man to do in the American workplace, even if you are Sophia Loren or Miss America.

Men in Italy are notorious for whistling at attractive women in such a manner that would make many American construction workers blush. Italian, Brazilian, and Armenian women may not take offence at such behaviour and may even take it as expression of appreciation. As a rule, however, professional women in the US do not appreciate it. It can be very disturbing and threatening for North American women and they may deem it inappropriate and discriminatory. As a nation, Americans are committed to equal rights for women. For this reason, women are expected to be treated as equal to men.

Sexual harassment

Many countries throughout the world have laws guarding against sexual harassment in the workplace. However, different nations have different interpretations of them. That is why I define sexual harassment in my book, Ameri$peak , as "inappropriate—from an American standpoint—behaviour when interacting with the opposite sex."

In the business world, lack of information about etiquette and unspoken rules on gender interaction and norms can create misunderstandings crucial for an individual’s success. Consider the following job interview situation, adapted from the book How to Get a Job in the USA:

Olga Petrovskaya did not understand why it took so long for her to get a job in America. She had graduated with honours from the top technical school in Ukraine, Kharkiv Polytechnic.

She had been the most valuable information technology (IT) manager in a very successful Ukrainian jewellery manufacturing plant for the last two years. When her family moved to the US, she was not worried at all about the transition. Her English, she thought, was fairly good and her profession was in great demand in America.

But things did not proceed as smooth as she had anticipated. Potential employers were impressed with her credentials, as well as her résumé, which she had created with the help of an American friend. However, even though she went to many interviews, she did not receive any job offers.

She could not understand why. She replayed her most recent interview in her mind again and again. Yes, she wore her best dress, the one with a little lace collar and buttons down the back; it went perfectly well with her new red patent leather shoes with silver buckles. She recalled that the recruiter, a man, seemed somewhat strange to her: he extended his hand for a handshake first. 'How rude,' thought Olga. Should he not wait until she, a woman, extended hers first? Then he had smiled at her throughout the interview. Did that mean he fancied her? She tried to avoid his eyes and maintain a very sombre expression so that he did not get any ideas….

Clearly, those who are being relocated internationally need to understand gender issues. The following are some suggestions:

• Consider the possibility that you actually have a problem. Do not assume that because expats travel a lot, they know the protocol in each and every country. Instead, ask your relocating employers to give their views on the role of women and men and how they are perceived in their cultures of origin. Never assume that your expats know the intricacies of gender interaction in the US or you will have a problem or even potentially face legal complications.
• Think about getting a professional to conduct a training programme to set expectations about American workplace culture. I found this helps companies address gender issues.

September 2006

Nara Venditti, PhD, is the president of Succeed in America, Danbury, CT, and author of How to Get a Job in the USA and Ameri$peak. She can be reached at +1 203 791 1107 or www.SucceedinAmerica.com.

Reprinted with the permission of Worldwide ERC® from the August 2006 issue of MOBILITY.

Subject: Working across cultures, working in the US

Source: http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=165&story_id=32988