Gender power relations in public bureaucracies

How has the ability of women to influence in public bureaucracies changed since their numbers have increased in middle and top levels? Are women now able to be as effective as men in equivalent positions, or do stereotypes still get in the way? Through these questions, this work introduces gender as a variable in the study of bureaucratic power. It assesses gender power relations quantitative and qualitative in four major agencies of one state government. Data derive from participant observation, government documents, unpublished statistics, and two-hour on-site interviews with top ranking administrators (n = 43). Modes of analysis include: organizational structural and cultural, document, content and sociolinguistic.; It finds agency gender ethos varies by cultural factors, work force structure and function. Public bureaucracies do not necessarily reproduce patriarchal orderings. Agencies with gender ethos conducive to women foster strong power capacity for them. Women are not relegated primarily to impotent token positions. One's gender consciousness may determine degree of comfort and "fit" within a given gender ethos. Stereotypes mostly affect lone women in a work group for the first year.; Although male and female upper level administrator share more in understandings of power than they diverge, women are less likely to include dominance or control in their definition of power or to credit themselves with "a lot" of organizational power. No quantitative gender difference is evident in descriptions of power but qualitatively different emphases and focus emerge. Women who lead with a control rather than a cooperative style of leadership are rated higher in decisional impact whereas style does not affect men's ratings. Women's influence strategies are similar to men's but women must put in extra effort. Some reliance on "feminine wiles" can be advantageous but it is not the most common approach. When a group is proportionally gender-balanced and women hold high status formal roles, they influence decisions equal to men.; Women's increased presence in upper levels of organizations matters because women support other women more than do men, numbers of women affect gender ethos, and those in key positions are important for symbolic reasons. Limited evidence suggests policy has also changed.