Benefiting From Nonsexist Language in the Workplac e

Bill Daily and Miriam Finch

The elimination of sexist language can improve the quality of work life an d heighten employee satisfaction with th e workplace.

oes your organization spen d its time and money recruiting the best people available ? Does it then increase the chances of retaining those people b y treating them fairly? How can you tell? Listen to the language that is used, particularly by management . Members of an organization shape interna l and external realitie s by the words and phrases they use . Managers in particular set the tone for other employees b y acting as language role models. This phenomenon is easiest to witness in highly defined situations. For example, managers who give performance appraisals know that the words they use in appraisals can powerfully affect an employee' s subsequent behavior. By choosing words that focus attention o n personality characteristics rather than on concret e behaviors, managers run the risk of reinforcing negative actions . They may say an employee ha s a "bad attitude" instead of pinpointing th e action(s) that lead to the interpretation : "Yo u were late to work three times last week ." What is more important, focusing on the concrete behavior may help the employee change the inappropriate actions . Managers also run the risk of not reinforcing positive behaviors when they sa y something such as, "I can always count on you, " rather than, "I appreciated your staying late o n Thursday to complete that report. " The same holds true for the consequences o f other specific activities . For instance, when a manager and employees from a particular unit se t out to develop long-term goals, the language of

those goals can set the tone for that unit . "Outd o our competitor by 10 percent" may create a n atmosphere of friendly competition, wherea s "Break our competitor's back" may create a n atmosphere of aggression and hostility . Language Routines In such special situations, choosing appropriat e and effective words can be a difficult and timeconsuming process. We generally do not min d making the effort . however, because we kno w how worthwhile the outcomes can he . Attentio n to the language we use in our ongoing interactions can be just as important for the success of a unit or of the organization as a whole. The impact our everyday language choices have o n employees is often more subtle and harder t o observe, primarily because our language choice s become habitual . In other words, we come t o rely on what we might call "language routines . " Language routines are composed of patterned responses to situations ; they often reflect our unique communication styles . For instance , think about the various ways you and your coworkers greet each other every morning . Once you have worked together for a while, you ca n probably predict with a fair amount of accurac y what each of you is going to say to the others . Language routines offer several advantages . They reduce the amount of "think time" neede d to produce the messages we send . Imagine ho w much time you would spend during a normal day if you had to plan all of your communicatio n exchanges . Moreover, language routines provid e us with predictability . How many times have you thought to yourself, "I knew exactly what wa s going to be said and how it was going to b e said ." The ability to anticipate one or severa l responses helps us plan our own actions better or prepare alternative responses. For the organization as a whole, language routines provide
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some of the building blocks the organization use s to develop its unique culture and identity. On the other hand, some language routines cause discomfort; they offend ; they alienate . These routines discriminate against individuals o r groups, andwhether intended or notthei r effects can be devastating . Although we recognize the need for organizations to address way s to overcome all types of language bias, in this article we will focus specifically on sexist language . Types of Sexist Language Sexism enters into our language in a number of ways . The most obvious of these is the use o f derogatory labels or phrases . Because these labels and phrases don't belong in any arena, w e will not waste time on them here . However, sexist language also includes various forms of address, such as job titles and courtesy tiles . It is a mistake to underestimate the importance of a job title . More than anything else, i t reflects an employee's identity throughout th e workplace. Many traditional job titles, however ,
Benefiting From Nonsexist Language in the Workplace

reflect sex-role stereotyping . With a little effort and some creativity, titles that are biased an d exclusive can become neutral and inclusive . Fo r example, "salesman" can become "sales agent, " "foreman" becomes "supervisor," and a "workman" is a "worker" or "employee ." (If you are unsure how to change a sexist title, consult th e U .S . Government Dictionary of Occupationa l Titles, 3rd . ed ., 1975) . It is also important not to sabotage already neutral titles by unnecessaril y indicating gender, such as "male nurse," "woma n lawyer," or "female doctor." An indication of gender clearly devalues the person . With the positio n itself, the unnecessary use of gender at the very least signals that gender somehow makes a difference . More commonly, it serves to question unfairly the competence of the individual . Using the appropriate courtesy title can go a long way toward establishing good relations . Deciding what is appropriate, however, can be tricky, because it is often a matter of personal preference . When in doubt, use the title that would be appropriate for a man (Dr. instead o f Mrs .) or one that does not indicate marital statu s (Ms . instead of Mrs .) .

(A more subtle form of sexism can be seen i n such usage as in the following introduction : "I would like you to meet Dr. Jones, Mr. Smith, an d Debbie Johnson." Frequently, the familiar form o f address is used for a woman when she is addressed along with males who are given courtes y titles. Regardless of the intent, this lack of paralle l structure implies inequality . Either use courtesy titles for everyone, or omit them altogether .) A third form of sexist language is the use o f male-based generic pronouns, such as "he," "his, " and "himself." These pronouns constitute the most controversial category of sexist language , because we have traditionally understood them to includ e both men and "Employees who believe women, as in th e that they are treate d sentence, "Each employee should read unfairly may knowingly his packet carefully ." or unknowingly transfe r In a comprehensive review of the literatheir resentment to ture on sexist lanexternal customers, " guage practices , Pearson et al . (1991) report that empirical studies indicate that the use of traditional generi c pronouns encourages a male bias . They also review proposals for neutral generic pronouns , but it does not appear that we are going to accept them into our language any time soon . Thus, it will take a bit more creativity to counte r the negative effects of traditional generic pronoun use . Some suggestions include 1) using plural pronouns : "Employees should read their packets carefully"; 2) using pronoun pairs : "Each employee should read his or her packet carefully"; or 3) avoiding the use of pronouns altogether: "Each employee should read the packet carefully ." To promote better customer/client relations , all three areas merit a manager's attention . We need to be careful not to fall into the trap of attending to our external constituents exclusively . Internal relationships also need to be nurtured, a s many companies have found that employees ten d to treat custdmers as they themselves are treated. Even if managers or employees do not have direct contact with customers, they interact wit h those who do . Employees who believe that they are treate d unfairly may knowingly or unknowingly transfe r their resentment to external customers . Verball y they may be curt, not respond as quickly as the y otherwise might, or give only the minima l amount of service necessary to keep customer s from complaining. Nonverbally, they may transmit their resentment through their tone of voice, lack of eye contact, or rigid posture . Regardless 32

of the manner in which these feelings can b e vented, the consequences will be negative . Benefits of Using Nonsexist Language Sexist language in any form emphasizes the appropriateness of one gender and the inappropri ateness or absence of the other gender . Although changing old habits is never easy, it will be wel l worth the effort involved. The following are just some of the advantages that can be gained b y ridding organizational language of sex bias. Nonsexist language puts the emphasis on jo b roles and the work produced, not on gender. Dropping gender distinctions is one tangibl e method management can use to announce tha t these distinctions are unnecessary and, what i s more important, inappropriate . Most employees , both male and female, will appreciate this over t gesture and will follow the lead . Nonsexist language helps employees reac h their full potential . Even though it may not b e possible to show a direct causal relationship between sexist language and low self-esteem, common sense tells us that the individuals in th e constant subordinate position are eventually going to feel the effects of the artificial inequalit y created and perpetuated with sexist language . On the other hand, nonsexist language allows n o false links between knowledge, skills, abilities , and gender. Nonsexist language helps create a supportive work climate . The better the climate, the more sensitive it is to the personal needs of employees , and the better the quality of work life . In fact, an increasing number of organizations are implementing actual "quality of work life" programs t o address the personal needs of their employees . One criterion for assessing a firm's quality of work life is its ability to provide for adequat e "social integration in the work organization " (Gray and Smeltzer 1989) . By providing a climate that does not condone the use of sexist language , the organization can help facilitate the process o f social integration . When sexist language is th e norm, management may falsely assume that everyone supports or at least accepts its use . Eve n though employees may not express their disapproval, however, they may vent it in some indirect manner, such as subtly withholding suppor t or cooperation . This type of backlash can b e avoided by using language that supports ever y employee, not just some . Nonsexist language unifies the work forc e instead of dividing it. This advantage becomes particularly important when one considers th e current emphasis on improving quality in products and services. Efforts to gain a competitiv e edge often require new or improved team-building activities, creating self-directed work teams ,
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cross-functional cooperation, and increased sensi tivity toward customers . The unifying qualities of nonsexist language help create the ideal environment for these activities to flourish . Moreover, it establishes better relations with suppliers an d customers, whose barometers are becoming increasingly sensitive to fair and equal treatment . Implementing Systemic Change s A change in the norms of language routines wil l not happen overnight . Real and lasting chang e takes time, because it demands a change in the way we think, in the way we view the world, o r as Peter Senge (1990) puts it, in our "menta l model" of the way we interact with others in ou r organization . Furthermore, this kind of behavioraltering change will occur only if all the organization's members sincerely adopt nonsexist language as an organizational value . To ensure tha t this is done, systemic intervention is necessary , not simply by introducing a new technique bu t by planning systematic changes across all levels . System-wide change must begin with suppor t from top management . Top management needs to articulate goals, and it needs to model the ne w behavior whenever possible : "We use nonsexis t language in our formal and informal oral an d written communication, and we expect everyon e in our organization to do the same ." Better yet, i t should involve as many people as possible fro m the start to take what is or will become an internalized individual value and turn it into a collective, organizational value that eventually manifests itself in all organizational activitiesfro m selection and training practices to tie-ins wit h reward systems . Organizational Commitment to Nonsexist Language Once the goal is understood, we must do everything to gain commitment toward using nonsexis t language . This means that all employees mus t commit their time and energy to the cause . Th e manager's role in this process is critical, althoug h trying to initiate such a change may at first be a bit overwhelming . One place to start is for managers to develop action plans that help guide th e change process and pinpoint any snags along th e way . The following steps should be included i n the action plan : Managers must model the behavior they want in their units . Employees tend to do wha t they see is important, not what they hear. Mos t often they imitate the behavior they observe in their managers. Managers must review internal and external written communication . They must periodically review publications, in-house organs, news Benefiting Nonsexist Language in the Workplace

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letters, and business letters to ascertain whethe r the goal is being accomplished . This is a timeconsuming yet integral part of transforming th e current environment into a nonsexist one . Managers must observe interactions . Are employees working toward the goal of usin g only nonsexist language among themselves, as well as when interacting with management? Managers must share their observations with the employees . Ideally these informatio n sessions would occur individually. Such session s provide valuable input for employees regardin g the status of the move toward a nonsexist environment . Managers must reinforce and reward good performance. This can be in person or in writing . A general comment such as "good job," "fantastic," "well done," or "outstanding," followed by the employee's name, is an excellent beginning . Providing a concrete example along with a benefit of nonsexist language offers powerful reinforcement : employees receive clarification abou t what constitutes positive language use and how i t benefits the unit . Because people tend to repea t behavior for which they are rewarded, this interaction could be followed with a written note fo r their performance files . If this social recognitio n occurs in a public setting, it can be helpful to th e entire unit . Caution must be taken, however : it can backfire and embarrass the employee, losin g the impact desired by the manager. Managers must assess reasons for negativ e performance . If employees continue to use sexis t language, management must determine whethe r they have the skills or the knowledge to us e nonsexist language, or whether they have chose n not to use it . If the problem is a lack of knowledge or skills, th e manager must coach the individual . A n "Organizational members effective coachin g strategy is to first cannot allow old habits explain what is to slip back into use, o r wanted, and then ask the employee t o they will undermine th e use the desired lanchange process." guage . Feedback and reinforcement are then needed to motivate and enable the employee to gain th e knowledge and skills necessary for using nonsexist language . It will probably take several session s before this change is internalized . If the employee possesses the knowledge and/or th e skills, but chooses not to use nonsexist language, then the manager has a counseling problem . Jointly defining the problem can be the first ste p toward solving it. This involves listening to th e employee and discussing possible alternative s and consequences . Such a discussion could lea d

entire

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the employee to select a desirable alternative . Developing an action plan follows ; the management process starts again, beginning with observations and moving to reinforcement and coaching or counseling. he change process takes a tremendou s amount of energy and effort, but it i s necessary if the goal of routinely using nonsexist language is to be achieved . The mos t important thing to remember is that organizational members cannot allow old habits to sli p back into use, or they will undermine the entir e process . The desire for change and the commitment to change must be on every agenda until it becomes a value in the organization. Much money, time, and energy will b e wasted if this change cannot be maintained . To increase the probability that nonsexist languag e will become a part of the organizational culture , CEOs must address the issue with immediat e reports on a regular basis . All management mus t model nonsexist language use and reinforce i t when they see it in others . Behavior must become habit, which leads t o the formation of values . Using nonsexist language will become a value when it is chosen

freely among alternatives after exploring the consequences of each alternative, and when it ca n be followed by a public affirmation of th e change. When your organization can publicl y announce to the world that it values the use o f nonsexist language, then you will know that you . have taken the right trackthe fair track . 0 Reference s Edmund R . Gray and Larry R . Smeltzer, Management: The Competitive Edge (New York: Macmillan, 1989) . Judy Cornelia Pearson, Lynn H . Tumer, and Willia m Todd-Mantillas, Gender and Communication, 2nd ed . (Dubuque: Wm . C. Brown, 1991) .
Peter M . Senge, 7be Fifth Discipline (New York :

Doubleday, 1990) .

Bill Daily is a professor, and Miriam Finch i s an assistant professor, both of communication arts at Xavier University, Cincinnati .

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Business Horizons / March-April 1993