secretaries talk inga janke, anna herbst 1 secretaries talk gender, power and work by inga janke...

Secretaries Talk Inga Janke, Anna Herbst

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SECRETARIES TALKSECRETARIES TALK

Gender, Power and Work

by

Inga Janke

Anna Herbst


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StereotypesStereotypes

• woman

• good-looking

• doesn´t work

• always telephoning

• doing her fingernails

• has affair with her boss


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Secretaries Talk


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Development of secretarial workDevelopment of secretarial work

• A work done by men

– until late 19th century

– high status work

– origin of “Secretary of State“


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• Change to female dominance

– industrialisation

– creation of new jobs

– women entering the world of work


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• Technological influence

– Typewriter– Dictaphones– Photocopier– Word processors– Modern computer and the internet


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TASKSTASKS

• Different types of secretaries with different tasks

– office wife

– sexy secretary

– career woman/ team


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Office WivesOffice Wives

• 1930 - 1950/60

• similar social background as boss

• extension of the boss

• loyal, trustworthy, devoted

• distinguished, ladylike, respectable

• takes care for her boss


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Sexy SecretariesSexy Secretaries

• 1950/60

• of lower social background

• earlier image of secretary as mousy-looking woman displaced by blond bombshell

• not very smart but long-legged, big-bosomed and young


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Career Women/ TeamsCareer Women/ Teams

• since 1970s

• being autonomous part of the management team

• “modern“ secretary


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General TasksGeneral Tasks– Tips from Secretaries to Managers: Enhancing the

Relationship

– 1. Whenever possible, please keep us late. We have no homes to go to and are only too thankful to spend the evening here.

– 2. Send us out to cash your checks and buy stamps in all weather. Walking is exhilarating and as we sit down all day, the exercise does us good.

– 3. Do walk out of the office without telling us where you are going or how long you might be. We enjoy telling people who wish to contact you urgently that we have no idea where you are or when you will return.


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General TasksGeneral Tasks– 4. When dictating, please parade up and down the room and

practice your golf strokes, or better still, walk out of the room. We can understand what is said more distinctly.

– 5. Please lower your voice to a whisper when dictating names of people and places. Under no circumstances spell them to us. We are sure to hit the right way sooner or later.

– 6. Please dictate a paragraph and change your mind, with the corrected version following, particularly when using dictating

equipment. It adds variety to our typing.


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General TasksGeneral Tasks

– 7. Hours for dictation: during the lunch hour, or any time after

4:30 p.m.

– 8. Should you wish to write out a letter or report, please write with a blunt pencil using the left hand, and use plenty of arrows, balloons and other diagrams.

– 9. If possible, always pick up your calls on your secretary's phone. This ensures that we cannot pick up calls for any other people on our own phones. It also helps keep us company. We miss you during the day.


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General TasksGeneral Tasks

– 10. When you have given us a rush project, be sure to use your intercom line frequently, or call us at regular intervals of 60 seconds to ask us to get minor items and to go for coffee.

– 11. Please do interrupt us while we are speaking on the telephone. We have two ears, so we might as well use both of them at the same time.

– source: Lori´s Humor Page

http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/6174/secretary-tips.htm


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GatekeepingGatekeeping

• secretary screens boss against clients or employees

• sorts out important information

• decides who can speak to boss and who can´t

it´s important to maintain

a good relationship with the secretary


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Informal CommunicationInformal Communication

• The secretary talks to a lot of different people...

• ...and knows the other secretaries, too.

• She selects which information she will pass on to her boss.

POWERPOWER


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Relations between Secretaries and BossesRelations between Secretaries and Bosses

• Secretary - Male Boss

• Secretary - Female Boss

• Male Secretary - Female Boss


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Secretary - Male BossSecretary - Male Boss

• Slave - Master Relationship

• Nanny/Mother - Son Relationship

• Team Relationship


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Secretary - Female BossSecretary - Female Boss

• Mother - Daughter Relationship

• Daughter - Mother Relationship

• Team Relationship


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Male Secretary - Female BossMale Secretary - Female Boss

• men don´t like to be called “secretary“

• humiliating

• might envy the boss her higher position


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Relations between SecretariesRelations between Secretaries

• women‘s relationships

• men‘s relationships

• bitching – Reasons for bitching– Topics– Men‘s influence


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Modern SecretariesModern Secretaries

• Education

• Training courses

• Job titles– Office Manager– Management Assistant– Fachkauffrau Büromanagement


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• Skills– Languages– Communication skills– Conflict management– Computer skills– Business knowledge– Background knowledge like industrial law,

business management


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• Tasks– Mail, telephone– Typing, copying, filing– Organizing the boss‘ schedule – Organizing conferences, business trips...– Taking care of guests


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• Internet– www.secretaria.de– www.sekretaerinnen.com

• Our experiences, observations– From “good soul“ to “dragon“


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BibliographyBibliography

Internet:

• Lori´s Humor Page; http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/6174/secretary-tips.htm, verifiziert am 10.12.2003

• Peor es Nada; http://foro.peoresnada.com/humor/secphone.shtml, verifiziert am 10.12.2003


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Literature:

• Pringel, R. (1989), Secretaries Talk; Verso: London, New York

• Dixon, P. (1993), Making the Difference - Women and Men in the Workplace; Heinemann: London

• Halford, S., Leonard, P. (2001), Gender, Power and Organisations; Palgrave:New York

BibliographyBibliography

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