would you work for a female boss?' Aalia told Saudi Gazette that she has eight men working under her, and two of them have used “aggressive resistance” techniques in the past to sabotage her or avoid taking orders from her. ‘Do women make better bosses?” is an echoing question in many minds as the gender-segregated society in the Kingdom sees a slight relaxation of the rule in the workplace. Meanwhile, women have pulled up their socks for the rat race to prove themselves; of the many obstacles they have to face is the age-old question: are men ready for female bosses? Recently, an online newspaper in the Kingdom carried the story of a female Saudi journalist who alleged that her promotion had been frozen after the threat of multiple resignations by her male colleagues. Aliuddin (full name withheld on request), is working in a managerial post at a private firm which has a mixed gender working atmosphere, and he told Saudi Gazette that four women are in managerial positions as well. He believes that most female bosses pursue a policy of aggressiveness to become an effective boss. “The real problem is not whether a woman or a man is boss but the roles in which society sees these two genders. Saudi society is not used to seeing women working in theoffice because of its (culture of) strict segregation. However, now we have some flexibility in this strictness,” Aliuddin said. “The real issue is how effective one is as a boss.” Most men consider female bosses over-ambitious and claim that they “try to prove themselves as extraordinary” which leads them to do anything to get their desired results. “The matter becomes cumbersome when women bosses think that men are not taking them seriously. They become insecure and then ‘try to prove their abilities' and this leads to an unhealthy balance in the office. Of course, we (males) understand their uneasiness to discuss every issue with us as compared to (discussing them with) women. They must remain relaxed and comfortable while performing their tasks to avoid insecure and bossy behavior from getting in their way,” added Aliuddin. In response to such claims, Aalia, a prominent Saudi woman who heads a non-governmental organization said, “It may not be fair to stereotype women as nurturers and men as aggressive. However, the reversal of these roles disturbs people. It is not just the Kingdom's problem but a worldwide phenomenon. Awareness is desperately required for people to avoid the categorization and misunderstandings that arise in a mixed work environment. Many women are ambitious but the issue is: why do men see them as either aggressive or calm?” She added that the best example was of Hilary Clinton, who “campaigned as a very tough and capable woman, but was disliked and described as too aggressive until she shed tears in the primary and suddenly she was described as very humane, compassionate, and an able leader.” Aalia told Saudi Gazette that she has eight men working under her, and two of them have used “aggressive resistance” techniques in the past to sabotage her or avoid taking orders from her. She added, however, that the blame can lie on either party. “Some women never learn how to effectively communicate - based on gender differences - with their subordinates, which causes unnecessary problems,” she remarked. “Conversely, some men are unable to take orders or be reprimanded by their female boss and therefore have to be relocated within the organization.” Aliuddin explained that social values and cultural traditions also hinder barriers as men are considered more influential in any society. “The number of female graduates and post graduates has soared drastically because of women rights and empowerment awareness which has definitely encouraged them to take up some jobs of higher positions. However, it seems that they are overly proud with their achievements. Men here in the Kingdom are still not used to such a phenomenon and thus resist change,” he stated. Talking about her daily challenges, however, Aalia lamented that due to the “family, social and multiple responsibilities, women are not taken seriously in their work. They must learn how to manage the right balance between their personal and professional life.” Mirroring Aliuddin's opinion, Riaz (name changed on request) who works in a publication company in Jeddah that has a mixed-gender atmosphere said, “People must leave their personal emotions behind when they come to the workplace. Sadly, women forget this. They are unnecessarily loud and blunt because of their insecurities. Men at work only respect the competent boss, say it be a male or a female or young or aged. It is merely an assumption of women that men do not take them seriously otherwise men would have had similar problems with female teachers throughout their time at school.” He added that female bosses also seem to become very liberal, with a decided, modern outlook. “They should care for some defined limits while discussing some matters. This would not have been the problem in a gender-segregated office,” he said. Alliuddin and Riaz unanimously agree however that what is needed is for “women to restrict their over-ambitious attitude and learn to be effective bosses. Other matter gets overshadowed if a boss maintains discipline. Men must also allow women to accomplish tasks without meddling up in her work ignoring their egos.” Aalia added: “Society is switching from a segregated to a mixed one. There have to be some adjustments, which will take time.” Dr. Khalid Bahaziq, a psychologist and member of the International Muslim Organization for Women and Family and Director of the Rapport center, indicated a recent study which found that women are three per cent smarter than men and have better communication skills which makes them good professionals. “As women are slightly less capable in enforcing their order, they feel awkward and put in extra effort to prove themselves and that is normal.” He added that he feels women are more logical than men and hiring competent women may add to the efficiency of the organization. “Both genders should be used constructively to contribute to the nation's prosperity. Gender equality should be given importance at a workplace rather than who is bossing whom. And gender equality should be taught right from the beginning of childhood so that such complications can be avoided,” he remarked.
