Men and masculinities in work, organizations, and management

Drawing on the important insights of second wave feminism, the field of critical
studies of men and masculinities is now well established, and it has become so in the relatively short span of time of the last 20 years or so. Yet, within this field, men’s relations to work, organizations, and management have
not generally been very prominent. Despite the fact that these relations provide some of the most obvious sources of men’s individual and co lective power, there has been something of an avoidance of these issues even within the general critical field. Often informed primarily by social theory rather than organizational theory, studies of masculinity have tended to underestimate
or even to neglect the significance of organizations as sites for the reproduction of men’s power and masculinities. This is even though key workplace issues such as organizational power, control, decision making, remuneration,
cultures, and structure typically reflect and reinforce masculine material discursive practices in complex ways.
The chapter comprises three main sections. It begins by considering the meaning of work, organization, and management. This focus on
the multiple meanings of terms like “work,” “organization,” and “management” then leads into a consideration of “multiple masculinities,” a conceptual framework that has been highly influential within debates on critical studies of
men and masculinities. Despite its valuable contribution, this approach contains various conceptual difficulties. The third main section therefore
critically evaluates a number of these recent concerns (and also challenges some of the critics). The chapter concludes by discussing likely future analytical directions, including transnational organizations, and the impact of new
information and communication technologies, as in the development of virtual organizations.