Still in the Ghetto? Secretarial work in the 21st century

Catherine Truss; Kerstin Alfes; Amanda Shantz; Amanda Rosewarne

doi:10.1111/j.1468-0432.2012.00587.x

Still in the Ghetto? Secretarial work in the 21st century

Catherine Truss, Kerstin Alfes, Amanda Shantz, Amanda Rosewarne

Human Resource Management

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Secretarial work has been described as one of the most persistently gendered of all occupations. Historically, it has been characterized as a ghetto occupation with three key features: low status and poor pay, narrow and feminized job content and poor promotion prospects. Twenty years ago, when a major study last took place in the UK, it was thought that new office technologies might transform the role, leading to a newly defined occupation equally appealing to both men and women. In this article, we report on the findings of a questionnaire survey involving 1011 secretaries. We found evidence of continuity and change. Secretaries are now better qualified and generally well-paid. A minority is undertaking complex managerial tasks. However, most secretaries continue to perform traditional tasks and career prospects for all remain bleak. We conclude that processes of role gender-typing are deeply entrenched and that secretarial work remains largely a ghetto occupation.

Original language	Undefined/Unknown
Pages (from-to)	349-363
Number of pages	15
Journal	Gender, Work and Organization
Volume	20
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0432.2012.00587.x
Publication status	Published - 1 Jul 2013

Keywords

secretarial work, horizontal segregation, ghetto occupations

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1111/j.1468-0432.2012.00587.x

http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/47905/

Cite this

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