Were there changes from 2000 to 2002 in the way that women responded?

In the 2000 survey, women reported upsides and downsides to working in the new economy.  More than two-thirds (73%) of women in the new economy reported “working with an exhilarated sense of achievement, impact, satisfaction, and opportunity for creative freedom they didn’t have before” (Gewirtz and Lindsey, 2001).  More than a third of the women (34%) enjoyed the challenge of the new economy, including its fast-paced life, the exciting work, and the non-hierarchical environment.  At the same time, two-thirds (68%) spoke candidly about the stress of a “24/7” life, the constant change, the uncertainty about the future, and the difficulty balancing work and family/personal life.  Women had experienced significant gains in the workplace, and understood that they had also paid a price. In 2000, we hypothesized that the experiences of women regarding “exhilaration and exhaustion” were a harbinger for what men working in the new economy companies would one day experience.

Women’s reports in the 2002 survey stand in stark contrast to the exhilaration and sense of achievement expressed in the 2000 survey. While many of the workplace characteristics identified in 2000 were also considered valuable by women in 2002, 52% of women in 2002 reported that their life stress had grown significantly worse since the events of 9/11, and 44% reported greater work-related stress as well.  The downsides were also similar:  58% of women reported feeling uncertainty about the future. Many complained about workplace characteristics they experienced as stressful, such as poor planning and communication, poor infrastructure/support, lack of recognition, inexperienced leadership, the turbulent environment, and stress and deadline pressure. As they did in 2000, women indicated that the stress they feel at work has a negative impact on their personal and family lives. More than 60% said they had little emotional strength left for life outside of work, and little time and energy for themselves.  Half the respondents said that time and energy available for friends and community activities had been affected. While 74% of women said they cope with stress by turning to their families and relationships, a majority of the women in our study reported having little time or energy to make use of these sources of support.

In addition, women in 2002 seem to have lost some of the gains they reported in 2000, during better economic times.  Fewer women than men indicated that rapid advancement and flexibility in schedule was a characteristic of their current workplace. In 2000, women reported a reduction in gender-related obstacles. In 2002, 38% of women identified gender-related obstacles as creating distress for them in the workplace.  The lowered expectations for rapid advancement and the reports of gender-related obstacles may be related; women may perceive gender-related obstacles as preventing advancement. This finding corroborates recent research of women in senior leadership positions in Europe: “By and large, the general issues facing businesswomen at major companies and firms across Europe and the US are similar.  The number one reported barrier to women’s advancement across nations and regions is stereotypes and preconceptions about women’s roles and abilities” (Conference Board, 2002).  Perhaps with the world uncertain and the economy unstable, it is more difficult for organizations to continue to overcome traditional barriers in the advancement of women.

Next: Did Men and women respond similarly?
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