Women's Value Orientation

Multiple Orientations of Women

Every woman is unique. Some are quiet, others are extroverted and funny; some are intuitive, others are concrete; and some are thinkers, others are feelers. They are diverse in their geographical locations, upbringings, organizational positions, and the strength of their socialization by gender. Women have also been affected by their career choices, professional standards, and work environment. But despite these differences, a gender-related pattern of common value orientations remains. The value orientations described here are drawn from research found in a variety of disciplines including the fields of developmental psychology, sociology, anthropology, biology, and neurology. In addition, the values are drawn from experiential observations in predominantly women's organizations and groups. These observations provide valid information on women's values orientation because they reflect how women choose to behave in single sex environments. Gender-related value orientations would naturally surface under these conditions. The experiences reinforce the literature and vice versa. These value orientations do not represent all the commonalities that emerge from a women's experiences and behaviors; however, they do represent core values that have an impact on the way women lead and relate to others in organizations.

Orientation Toward Relationships and Connection

One pattern that repeats itself over and over in the developmental literature on women is the value that [Page 1689]women place on relationships and being connected to others. This value orientation is played out in a number of areas. In cognitive development, a woman's interest in making more personal connections and having a relationship with her subject is called connected knowing. This relationship value is found in the importance women place on putting events in their context in order to understand them more fully. The emphasis on context leads them away from universal applications across different situations.

In leadership studies, women often relate their struggle with traditional forms of hierarchical leadership. Their fear is that being at the top of an organization will isolate them and cause them to become disconnected from others in their team. This concern has led many women to seek different models of leadership such as leadership alongside, shared leadership, collaborative leadership, and invisible leadership.

...