Communication-Related Challenges

Communication-Related Challenges

Communication plays a vital role in coordinating activities at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. According to Schlamp et al. (2020), men and women communicate differently because they exhibit different agentic behaviors, such as emotional stability and displaying dominance (p. 6). Interacting with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas colleagues has enabled me to identify differences in how men and women communicate. For example, I have observed that women use communication to make friends within the workplace and create a conducive environment, whereas men use communication to establish a sense of control over others. According to Merchant (2012), psychological studies indicate that women use communication to create relationships (p. 28). In contrast, men use language to achieve tangible outcomes and create dominance. At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, where I work as a Customer Advocate in the Pre-Authorization department, men use formal language and restrict the conversations to work-related topics. In contrast, women share information about topics that are not work-related, such as how they spent the weekend. Another difference between how men and women communicate in our organization is that women focus on conversations that everyone or most people can relate to when interacting in the work setting, whereas men dominate conversations with the topics they are interested in, even though they do not relate to other people. Mohindra (2012) argues that women have a relational interaction style during communication, whereas men have a competitive interaction style. Therefore, it is understandable for men to only focus on their interests during communication (p. 18).

I have also observed that women in leadership positions at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas experience various communication-related challenges. One of the challenges is withholding information. Glenbrook Inc. (2019) states women hold back during communication, whereas men are more aggressive (p. 6). Women may hold back because they fear the reaction they will get, especially if the information they want to share arouses negative emotions. Gender stereotypes in the workplace may also limit women’s ability to speak freely. Galsanjigmed & Sekiguchi (2023) argues that gender stereotypes impose certain restrictions and expectations on women (p. 370). Therefore, stereotypes suggesting that men are better than women in specific roles may restrict women in leadership from sharing information that criticizes a task completed by a man. Another challenge is the lack of clear communication. According to Tench et al. (2017), women and men communicate differently, which may lead to a lack of understanding between them (p. 3). For example, in my workplace, sometimes instructions are interpreted differently by men and women, forcing the department supervisors to clarify all information as soon as the general manager shares it. I have also noticed that women in leadership positions at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas avoid conversations that may attract ridicule from coworkers. According to Ralebona (2014), women are also less able to defend themselves against bullying in the workplace (p. 28). Therefore, they may focus on preventing any situation that may expose them to bullying.

Conclusion

Modern workplaces have embraced the concept of diversity and inclusion, hence the need to understand the different communication styles exhibited by people of different genders. Organizations should understand that women and men use communication differently. For example, women use communication to create relationships, and men use language to achieve tangible outcomes and create dominance. Organizations should also help women in leadership to address communication-related challenges such as withholding information and lack of clear communication.

References

Galsanjigmed, E., & Sekiguchi, T. (2023). Challenges women experience in leadership careers: An integrative review. Merits, 3(2), 366–389. https://doi.org/10.3390/merits3020021

Glenbrook Inc. (2019). Challenges Women Leaders Face from the Perspectives of Female Leaders, Male Executives, and Human Resources Professionals. The Glenbrook Inc.

Merchant, K. (2012). How men and women differ: Gender differences in communication styles, influence tactics, and leadership styles. Claremont Colleges. https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/513/

Mohindra, P. V. (2012). Gender communication: A comparative analysis of communicational approaches of men and women at workplaces. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2(1), 18–27. https://doi.org/10.9790/0837-0211827

Ralebona, M. (2014). Leadership Challenges Faced By Female Managers In The City Of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality (dissertation). University of Pretoria.

Schlamp, S., Gerpott, F. H., & Voelpel, S. C. (2020). Same talk, different reaction? Communication, emergent leadership and gender. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 36(1), 51–74. https://doi.org/10.1108/jmp-01-2019-0062

Tench, R., Topić, M., & Moreno, A. (2017). Male and female communication, leadership styles and the position of women in public relations. Interactions: Studies in Communication & Culture, 8(2), 3. https://doi.org/10.1386/iscc.8.2-3.231_1

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PROMPT: Contrast the communication styles of men and women in your organization. What are the major communication-related challenges faced by women in leadership in your organization?

IMPORTANT INFO BELOW, READ CAREFULLY!

MY ORGANIZATION IS MY PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF TEXAS.
I AM A CUSTOMER ADVOCATE II – I WORK IN THE PRE-AUTHORIZATION DEPARTMENT

READING RESOURCES: https://www-emerald-com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JMP-01-2019-0062/full/html