Rhetorical Vision of Men and Women Managers in Singapore

In: Human relations: towards the integration of the social sciences, Volume 46, Issue 4, p. 527-542

Abstract

This paper reports findings from a content analysis of newspaper articles to uncover the rhetorical visions of men and women managers portrayed by the media in Singapore and unfold the inherent conflicting forces that women managers face. The study revealed that the women manager vision that was portrayed by the press, emphasized the dilemmas and role conflicts that the women managers face; whereas for the men manager vision, the emphasis was their managerial abilities. The study also uncovered that the success of the women managers had to rely on a support system that consisted of a male mentor, a supportive husband, a mother or maid to help in the housechores; whereas the success of the men managers depended wholly on themselves. Implications of the findings are discussed.