Gender Stereotypes in Corporate India, A Glimpse, Book review by Johnson Thomas

Book Title: Gender Stereotypes in Corporate India
Sub-title: A Glimpse
Author: Sujoya Basu
Response, Business Books from Sage
ISBN 978-81-7829-851-1
Pages :219 Price: Rs.270/- Paperback Edition
www.sagepublications.com

Author Sujoya Basu’s infinite curiosity as to why a large number of Indian women did not make it to the managerial cadre led her to a research and investigation that encompasses this book titled ‘Gender stereotypes in corporate India’. Firstly, She reviewed literature on western management which seemed to suggest that most negative outcomes for women managers in organizations right from inception to progression could largely be a consequence of the inaccurate perceptions regarding women managers. This led her to a comparative study of the Indian management scenario, looking into the exixting perceptions regarding women managers in India, what led to those perceptions and whether those perceptions or stereotypes could be altered to bring about a positive change in organizations. Three studies addressing each of these issues- the first giving a set of managerial gender stereotypes held by men and women in India, the second looked at the antecedents of inaccurate managerial gender stereotypes while the third helped verify whether having women managers in organizational task situations help change inaccurate stereotypes in organizations. The effort is laudatory. This has never been attempted in India before and Sujoya Basu, a member of the faculty of Behavioural sciences at the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata, India, should get due credit for her singular effort in clearing out the cobwebs regarding gender stereotypes in Indian corporations. Sujoya hopes to make this book a bridge that could fill in the gap that exists in the Indian gender management scenario. Her findings are important in that there is now a record on inaccurate perceptions and stereotypes that divided genders in Indian Industry. This book will help corporates manage their human resources in a much more dignified and humane manner, giving equal respect and providing equal opportunities to both genders. This book also has implications for educators, trainers and society in general. There is no doubt that gender stereotypes have affected the very fabric of the society we depend on for the past decades. It is time now to confront those very perceptions with facts, introducing a greater deal of understanding regarding a very intricate issue of capabilities viz-a-viz gender.

Johnson Thomas