1. Women in Public Relations Larissa A. Grunig Professor Department of Communication University of Maryland

2. Rapid Feminization of the Field  Professionals  Students  Change is unsettling  Brings both opportunities and threats  Women offer professionalism and expertise in two-way communication  Nevertheless, women often face a “glass ceiling”

3. Advantages  Gain in numbers  Opportunity for women to enter a management field

4. Issues  The “feminist fallacy”  Men have become an “endangered species”  The “velvet ghetto”  The “imposter syndrome”  Tokenism

5. More issues  The salary gap  Different roles  Diminished status  The gap in job satisfaction  Sublimation of the function  Encroachment  Stress

6. Benefits of overcoming sexism in public relations  Diversity  Human resources  Salary  Prestige  Avoiding sublimation & encroachment

7. Explaining gender bias in public relations  Little overt bias  Subtle processes operating on women –Socialization –Risk taking –Lack of support from home –Ambivalence toward career –Stereotyping

8. How can the organization help?  Flexibility  Overcome marginalization of the public relations function  Prohibit sexual harassment, age discrimination, and “lookism”

9. Solutions for women  Work with counterparts in other organizational functions  Know the business or industry  “Push”  Develop a network  Rely on external contacts  Longevity

10. More solutions  Envision yourself as a manager –Understand how what you’re doing fits into the organization’s mission & goals –Think holistically –Develop managerial skills –Counsel from below

11. Still more solutions  Environmental scanning  Document your effectiveness  Increase your expertise –Writing –Interpersonal communication –Strategic management –Negotiation & conflict resolution –Research

12. Final thoughts  Overcoming sexism requires transformation of society, institutions, and organizations  Individuals alone cannot overcome sexism  Change comes slowly and incrementally  Without change, public relations risks losing the talent of effective professionals