Castrating the Female Advantage: Feminist Standpoint Research and Management Science

Abstract

This essay is a critique of the “female advantage” as it is currently represented in the management science literature. It draws on recent work in women's psychology to detail the essence of feminine, relational strengths, contrasts this with the instrumental representation of these strengths in the management literature, and names what is missing. It is a critique that suggests that management's diminished portrayal of feminine strengths is in danger of silencing rather than legitimizing women's voice. Finally, it suggests that a fully empowered representation of feminine strengths has the potential to transform organizational theory and practice by giving voice to the powerfulness of relational activity and challenging the preeminence of instrumentality in organizational discourse. © 1994, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.