In this class I adamantly debated that women will never run PR even though they are always going to be a part of the industry. Do I believe this….of course not! PR was once considered a male dominated industry. Firstly, just to get something off my chest, who decides what are ‘male’ professions and ‘female’ professions? Women are capable of doing what men do and vice versa. The operative word here being ‘capable’.
Forget about the movie the Devil Wears Prada (even though it highlights the perils of the industry that forces one to neglect their social life) or Sex and the City’s Samantha. The PR industry is a very ruthless and demanding field. Surely one must have the guts and will power to avoid succumbing to the pressures of the industry. Will power and determination is not gender selective. Therefore, my point is, even though I so convincingly argued that women don’t possess these traits, I believe we do. Women are slowly breaking the glass ceiling in many professions and PR is no difference. Studies have shown that the industry is now over populated with women, even though men are currently running it. With that said, bear in mind that it PR was predominantly a ‘male’ profession. Now more and more females are entering, thus tilting the balance. However, Martha Lauzen argues her encroachment theory, which takes place when firms hire people from outside the industry to take up management roles. This I believe is one of the reasons for women not excelling to the top of the PR industry – not because she is weak and emotional and gets PMS. Additionally, the massive influx of male journalists switching over into the PR world needs to be accounted for.
Even though Larissa Grunig’s studies are that of perceptions, she does make a good case. She argues that if feminism has led to deflating of salaries and status of women, then the problem is with society devaluating the role of women and not with women themselves.
Studies have shown that women are also well equipped for business life as they display assertiveness, confidence, risk-taking attitudes and the accountability necessary for success (2000, p.94). However, men continue to dominate the sector. This is particularly true among the large London-based agencies, where a major proportion of directors and chief executives are male and continue to seize the high ground, having worked their way up through the industry since their domination during the 1980s (icBirmingham.co.uk).
Regardless, women are working their way to the top and currently there are women in top positions. With more women graduating with PR degrees there is bound to be a take over. So wake up! We are coming atcha!
References:
Grunig, Larissa Excellence in public relations and communication management http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=OS_nI4qbpQoC&pg=PA419&lpg=PA419&dq=larissa+grunig+women+in+PR&source=bl&ots=SY-kcpBnFQ&sig=gIisLRa8XHFq2RqcT-IPiacM-Nk&hl=en&ei=G77TSf37I6PNjAfL8_X2Bg&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=8&ct=result#PPA417,M1 [Accessed Mar. 31, 2009]
icBirmingham.co.uk Women in Business Oct. 21, 2004 Why Women dominate the PR industry
http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0150business/womeninbusiness/tm_objectid=14780965&method=full&siteid=50002&headline=why-women-dominate-pr-profession-name_page.html [Accessed Mar. 31, 2009]
Wilcox, Dennis, Philip Ault et al Public Relations Strategies and Tactics 6th ed. Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc. 2000
Forget about the movie the Devil Wears Prada (even though it highlights the perils of the industry that forces one to neglect their social life) or Sex and the City’s Samantha. The PR industry is a very ruthless and demanding field. Surely one must have the guts and will power to avoid succumbing to the pressures of the industry. Will power and determination is not gender selective. Therefore, my point is, even though I so convincingly argued that women don’t possess these traits, I believe we do. Women are slowly breaking the glass ceiling in many professions and PR is no difference. Studies have shown that the industry is now over populated with women, even though men are currently running it. With that said, bear in mind that it PR was predominantly a ‘male’ profession. Now more and more females are entering, thus tilting the balance. However, Martha Lauzen argues her encroachment theory, which takes place when firms hire people from outside the industry to take up management roles. This I believe is one of the reasons for women not excelling to the top of the PR industry – not because she is weak and emotional and gets PMS. Additionally, the massive influx of male journalists switching over into the PR world needs to be accounted for.
Even though Larissa Grunig’s studies are that of perceptions, she does make a good case. She argues that if feminism has led to deflating of salaries and status of women, then the problem is with society devaluating the role of women and not with women themselves.
Studies have shown that women are also well equipped for business life as they display assertiveness, confidence, risk-taking attitudes and the accountability necessary for success (2000, p.94). However, men continue to dominate the sector. This is particularly true among the large London-based agencies, where a major proportion of directors and chief executives are male and continue to seize the high ground, having worked their way up through the industry since their domination during the 1980s (icBirmingham.co.uk).
Regardless, women are working their way to the top and currently there are women in top positions. With more women graduating with PR degrees there is bound to be a take over. So wake up! We are coming atcha!
References:
Grunig, Larissa Excellence in public relations and communication management http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=OS_nI4qbpQoC&pg=PA419&lpg=PA419&dq=larissa+grunig+women+in+PR&source=bl&ots=SY-kcpBnFQ&sig=gIisLRa8XHFq2RqcT-IPiacM-Nk&hl=en&ei=G77TSf37I6PNjAfL8_X2Bg&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=8&ct=result#PPA417,M1 [Accessed Mar. 31, 2009]
icBirmingham.co.uk Women in Business Oct. 21, 2004 Why Women dominate the PR industry
http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0150business/womeninbusiness/tm_objectid=14780965&method=full&siteid=50002&headline=why-women-dominate-pr-profession-name_page.html [Accessed Mar. 31, 2009]
Wilcox, Dennis, Philip Ault et al Public Relations Strategies and Tactics 6th ed. Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc. 2000
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