Dilemma 1 - Skanska global corporate website | Skanska



Dilemma 1”Today I’m treating to lunch!” Johan smiles broadly where he stands, leaning against the doorframe. ”You don’t say. Did you win the lottery or what?!” says Sarah, laughing while she shuts down her computer and stands up to join Johan. ”Better than that,” replies Johan, ”I’ve found out what I will be working as a production manager starting next month. Finally!” Johan rises up his hand for a high five from Sarah. ”Congratulations,” she says, meeting his hand in midair.”When did you find that out?” asks Sarah as they sit in the car on the way to the pizzeria. ”Well, it’s not official yet, but yesterday after playing floor hockey I got a ride home with Magnus, and that’s when he told me. It’s still early on, I’ve only been on the project for a year and a half, but he felt that I am ready. Totally awesome!”Sarah nods. She’s truly glad for Johan’s sake. They were good friends already back in technical university and have continued to socialize since then. But while Sara sat there talking with Johan about his new job, she started to wonder what had happened to her own career advancement. She had started working as production engineer at almost the same time as Johan, actually half-year before Johan to be correct. As the number one in her class, companies had been fighting over her, but when she met Skanska, things “clicked” immediately. Johan, on the other hand, had unsuccessfully applied for several jobs before Sarah gave him a tip that there was a job opening at Skanska. Both of them immediately took to their jobs.Now, in retrospect, Sarah could see, however, that right from the start they had received different job responsibilities. She had been given more work tasks related to quality and health and safety issues, while Johan was able to work more on the line. During her performance reviews the question never came up about more production-oriented tasks, nor had Sarah ever raised the issue.She hadn’t thought about it until now, at this moment…QuestionsIs there a gender-related pattern when it comes to job assignments, positions and development opportunities at your workplace?What is this due to? What are the consequences – for individual women vs. men? For Skanska as a company?Can anything be done to avoid certain positions being perceived as ”dead end jobs” (little career opportunities)? Is there a risk that wage also will be impacted?What do you need to do in order to ensure that everyone has equal opportunities for a successful career and development?Did you know that…Research has shown that women and men are seldom randomly distributed within an organization. It is just the opposite. Usually very clear patterns emerge linked to gender. Certain positions, places and tasks are viewed as female and are dominated by women, while others are seen as male and dominated by men. Just as what is considered male versus female can vary, however, among different industries and organizations over time. In other words, there is no natural order to things, even if a specific organization often perceives things that way (as something “natural”).Frequently, there is also a gender divide when it comes to the line/support: more men on the line and more women in support/staff roles. It is interesting to note that what is considered part of the line and/or support can vary over time and between organizations. The line almost always has higher status than support, and it is often difficult to move from support to the line. The opposite, moving from line to support, is almost always easier since the line has higher status. In addition to the fact that women and men do different things, men are usually also overrepresented in positions of power, influence, good development opportunities and good wage development. These patterns can be found in society at large as well as at Skanska. The pattern is replicated by people acting according to traditional norms and preconceptions. In other words, it is seldom something that is thought out or conscious.For individual women and men, this means that they are not evaluated according to their actual credentials, but rather from gender-specific norms and preconceptions (men are assumed to want certain things, fit better in to certain roles and certain positions, women into others). This means that women and men are not working under equivalent terms. For Skanska, this means that we are not fully utilizing the resources and the talent pool at our disposal. Dilemma 2Malin stood in the kitchen and absent-mindedly poured herself a cup of coffee. ”Have you sold the butter but lost the money, or what?!” asks Gunnar, giving Malin a kind smile. ”Oh, it’s nothing,” says Malin and slowly blows again on her hot coffee. ”Come on now. I see that something is the matter! You know that you can always open up your heart to me,” chuckles Gunnar.Malin likes Gunnar. He has always been decent and right from the outset he took care to share helpful information. And he always has a good story up his sleeve. He reminds her of her grandfather. Each holding their cup of coffee, they sit down at the table and Malin begins to explain.”Really, it’s nothing serious… it’s just that I was so terribly psyched up in advance of my performance review with Ben today, and now, it feels like the air just went out of my sails. I have a difficult time putting my finger on what it was. Ben was very pleased with my work efforts, so it’s not that. He thinks I’m doing a really great job – at least he says so…”She pauses, sighs and then continues: ”But now I’ve been in this position for three years and I’m really longing for new challenges. I haven’t discussed the next step before, since I didn’t want to seem too pushy, but now that both Johan and Kevin have gotten new positions –?and both of them have less experience than I have –?well, now I really wanted to say something, or at least hear what Ben is thinking about me and my next steps.” The coffee has cooled so Malin takes a gulp, swallowing thoughtfully.Gunnar nods with encouragement and Malin continues: ”But Ben just said that I need to have patience. He explained that most people stay in this position for several years before they take the next step. When I mentioned Kevin and Johan, and their rapid development, he started talking about how you shouldn’t spend time comparing you to others and instead focus on one’s own performance. Then he said there wasn’t anybody else who could replace me, and that the project would suffer if I didn’t continue in my job for at least one more year. I am indispensible, he said…I should perhaps be happy about such praise, but it actually feels like just the opposite…I am starting to wonder if I need to look outside of Skanska to find new challenges?!”QuestionsWhat do you recognize? What doesn’t sound familiar?Is the new generation more impatient than before – what does this require of Skanska as an organization and of you as a manager/leader? What is required of you as a manager when it comes to holding performance reviews/development talks/salary reviews with ”the new generation”? Are individuals who keep more of a low profile and don’t promote themselves automatically less ambitious and suitable? Have you experienced that men are more impatient than women when it comes to taking the next step in their careers? How do we react to women vs. men who are “treading water”? Did you know that…Research has shown that women and men are seldom randomly distributed within an organization. Rather the opposite, in fact. Usually very clear patterns emerge. Certain positions, places and tasks are viewed as female and others as male. Just what is considered male versus female can vary, however, between industries, organizations and over time. In other words, there is no natural order to things. In addition to the fact that women and men do different things, there is usually also an overrepresentation of men in positions of power, influence, good advancement opportunities and good wage trends. Men hold a majority of the managerial positions.The gender allocation of managerial positions has an influence on the attitudes and ambitions of young people, as does the attitudes of the people around them towards individual women and men. There are studies, for example, that demonstrate that women are more self-critical (more realistic/nuanced?) in their evaluation of their own expertise, and the same goes for those around them who are also more critical. One study of young managers showed that women had hopes for a career, while men had expectations. The same study also showed that people around them talked differently about young male and female managerial subjects. The potential of young men was seen as limitless (”there are no limits to how far he can go”), whereas the potential of competent women was seen as incremental (”she has the capacity to take the next step”). There are countless studies that show that both women and men value an achievement higher if the instigator is a man.Dilemma 3, part 1Magda is back in her role as production manager after six months of parental leave. When she wants to discuss the possibility of more flexible work hours with her manager, she is encountering some opposition.Magda’s manager: Work hours are fixed and can’t be changed any way just to accommodate daycare and schools. Unfortunately.Magda: No, I understand that, but we should be able to be a little flexible –?everyone might not need to start and end his or her day at exactly the same time. And it’s actually difficult to be here before 7 a.m. if you are dropping off at daycare.Magda’s manager: As a manager, you need to be accessible to your team. I hope that you will take your job just as seriously, now when you have kids.Magda: What do you mean?! Of course I’m taking my job seriously!Magda’s manager: I mean, not letting anything else come first. Of course you are entitled to some flexibility, but that also causes some problems for the project, and I would like you to see what you can do to be a little bit more flexible within your family.Magda: I’ll see what I can do, but I believe that I have already made significant accommodations…QuestionsWhat do you recognize? What doesn’t sound familiar?How flexible can we be when it comes to work hours? Which job tasks are possible to do remotely in a project, and which need to be done physically at the project? Are there “old approaches” that live on out of habit? How important is it that managers always be accessible? What do we mean by “always be accessible”? Is it possible to link accessibility with workloads and performance? How do you enable your employees to combine career with other obligations in life? How do you act yourself –?what norms and ideas do you promote?Did you know that…Research has shown that women and men are seldom randomly distributed within an organization. Rather the opposite in fact. Usually very clear patterns emerge. Certain positions, places and tasks are viewed as female and others as male. Just what is considered male versus female can vary, however, between industries, organizations and over time. In other words, there is no natural order to things. In addition to the fact that women and men do different things, there is usually also an overrepresentation of men in positions of power, influence, good advancement opportunities and good wage trends. Men hold a majority of the managerial positions.Starting a family and the caring responsibilities that comes with that has, historically, been viewed as one of the reasons for the low number of women in managerial positions. Women have had primary responsibility for children, which has made it more difficult to adapt to the demands of being a manager, which involve lots of overtime and work hours that are not compatible with the operating hours of preschools/schools. (At the same time, however, it is primarily women who are working shift hours in hospitals/healthcare).Managerial careers and the job demands of managers have historically been designed around the concept that it is “someone else” who takes responsibility for the care of children and elderly parents. The family is expected to adapt to the job, rather than vice versa (one study of CEO recruitment showed that families were expected to be highly tolerant).Studies have shown that long days and lots of overtime is about more than just performance. It can also serve as a way for certain individuals to demonstrate their loyalty to the company, show that work comes first and that you are a person who takes initiatives and can be relied upon. Obviously, such a managerial culture is exclusionary to people who have other commitments in their lives other than work. As contrast there are also organizations where working overtime is not valued, but instead seen as problematic, as it might harm long term performance, health and safety etc. If you are not able to do your work during regular hours it is a sign you are not the right person for the job, bad-planning or there is an unsustainable way of organizing work, and this should be dealt be accordingly.Today, young men are taking greater responsibility for their children than ever before in our history. Surveys of talented young workers have shown that the ability to be able to combine career with parenting is of the highest priority among both women and men. Employers who offer such opportunities will obviously have an easier time attracting, recruiting and developing talent. In a tight labor market where companies are competing for talent (especially engineers) there is a risk that young people will “vote with their feet” (e.g. leave employers who don’t offer desirable working conditions).Dilemma 3, part 2A few weeks later, Magda has a performance review, discussing her developmental with her District Manager.District manager: How are things going for you now that you are back after your parental leave?Magda: Well, things are going good, although it’s not entirely easy to juggle family and career that much one can say.District Manager: I’ve learned that your new family situation has resulted in your wanting to reprioritize –?that you are not as interested in focusing on your career and that you would like to take on a less demanding role.Magda: What?! That’s not true at all. I’m just as motivated as before. I have nothing against demanding roles. On the other hand, I don’t believe that we’re very good at offering practical solutions for parents of small children to combine work and family life. At least not for the project that I’m working on.District Manager: OK, let’s see what we can do to solve this. It’s good to hear that you still want to make an effort. I would be disappointed if you disappeared off into a staff role. More than anything else, it’s working at the line that counts if you want to move ahead. If you veer off to the side it is extremely difficult to get back on track, you know that.QuestionsIs there a clear norm for how one should pursue a career (is there a pattern among those who have ”succeeded” in terms of educational background and sequence of roles/tasks, a certain work style, etc.)?Is it possible to ”veer off to the side” and still ”get back on track”? Are there concrete examples of this in your region? What are the advantages/disadvantages of broadening existing career paths? What can you do to ensure that we have inclusive career norms?Did you know that…Research has shown that women and men are seldom randomly distributed within an organization. It is just the opposite. Usually very clear patterns emerge. Certain positions, places and tasks are viewed as female and others as male. Just what is considered male versus female can vary, however, between industries, organizations and over time. In other words, there is no natural order to things, even if it is often perceived that there is a given truth that is “natural”. In addition to the fact that women and men do different things, there is usually also an overrepresentation of men in positions of power, influence, good advancement opportunities and good wage trends. Frequently, there is also a gender divide when it comes to the line/support: more men on the line and more women in support/staff roles. It is interesting to note that what is considered part of the line vs. support can vary over time and between organizations. The line almost always has higher status than support, and it is often difficult to move from support to the line. The opposite, moving from line to support is almost always easier since the line has higher anizations have more or less rigid career structures. Frequently there is a notion about what a successful career looks like. This notion has evolved out of previous experiences: what sort of backgrounds do the senior managers have? What career steps have they taken, and at what pace? If almost everyone has the same background, then a strong norm is in place that can be difficult to question and/or change. In organizations with greater variation in terms of background and experiences, the norm becomes more inclusive.Dilemma 4District Manager: How many girls do you have on your project now?Project Manager: Well, with that new girl that’s starting next week, it will be a total of four. That ought to be some sort of record, at least in our region.District Manager: Great. So do you think it is working out well?Project Manager: Yes, I think so. They are talented girls, who are able to dig in if needed and who are not afraid to spar with the guys. Before Cathy started, I was actually a little worried about how it would work with a girl among all of us men – would she be able to cope? And would that mean that I would have to –?how should I say this – be extra cautious with her, you know?District Manager: And did you need to be?Project Manager: No, with the benefit of hindsight I can see that I didn’t need to be. Actually, a couple of them almost overdo it a little…you know, trying to outdo the guys. They want to be so incredibly tough and on the ball. It almost feels like a waste –?why are we hiring girls when they behave just like guys?District Manager: Speaking of Cathy, isn’t it about time for her to take the next step?Project Manager: Yes, it probably is, but I have several guys who are champing at the bit – including Nick, who you know well –?so if there’s an opening, I think that we should prioritize one of them. These are good guys who we can’t afford to lose. Cathy is really talented, but it doesn’t seem as obvious, if you know what I mean...She is so always so darned “assertive”, as if she always has to prove herself. I wish that she would take it down a notch –?and feel that she was good enough as she is.QuestionsWhat do you recognize? What doesn’t sound familiar?What does it mean to be a visible minority in the workplace? Is the environment just as tough for men as for women?Are there expectations that women should adapt themselves? Are there expectations that women should act in a certain manner (”feminine”) or bring something special (something ”feminine”)?Is it more common to refer to women as “girls” than to refer to men as “boys”? Why is it so? What’s the impact?Did you know that…Research has demonstrated that people who are in a significant minority tend to: Become extra visible and be subjected to more critical review (”Does she really have what it takes? Can we rely on her doing a good job? Will she be able to cope?”)Be more easily viewed as representative of their group (”she’ll be able to provide us with a female perspective”) and be more likely to ”get stuck” in stereotypical rolesBe subjected to various loyalty tests (demonstrate that they are loyal to the majority group)Research has shown that by the very difference in numbers resulting from skewed gender distributions, women and men operate under different conditions. Visibility and scrutiny result in a pressure to perform for the individuals in the minority – and that can, in turn, result in the people around her perceiving her as being ”too assertive”/”rigid”/”controlling”/”difficult.”The stereotypical roles that women end up in are: mother, mascot, and seductress or iron lady. Getting stuck in a stereotypical role can be positive in the short term, but over the long term it has a negative effect on a person’s career. The iron lady is the stereotypical role that is most clearly linked to the exercise of power and influence. The iron lady is also the role that is usually perceived as the most negative (”she can point with her whole hand –?but is she a ’real’ woman?”). The situation is more clear cut when it comes to men with power and influence –?men with power are usually perceived to be extra masculine.Women in the minority often perceive requirements to adapt in terms of behavior and language, while at the same time risking being negatively perceived if they adapt themselves too well (”she is worse than the worst man”). In the research this is called “double bind” (”damned if you do and damned if you don’t”).In many instances, descriptions of individual women are more likely to be a description of her workplace and working conditions and other’s perceptions of her. When she is described as needing to be better at knowing that she is good enough, or that she needs better self-confidence, it is instead a reflection of the fact that the people around her should do a better job at showing her that she is good enough and that they have confidence in her. In other words, it is the people around her and her conditions that can/should be changed, not her. ................
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