Patterns of Differential Assimilation and Acculturation for Women in Business Organizations

This article reviews cross-cultural studies on adaptation, specifically acculturation and assimilation, in the context of the literature on organizational culture and develops a conceptual model of women's current status in organizations. A cultural perspective that goes beyond person-and situation-centered theories helps to account for the gender gap in management. The cultural perspective suggests that it is possible for women, like other marginal persons, to acculturate to the organization without being assimilated into it. This article proposes a classification of differential patterns of adaptation for women in business organizations and suggests some options for changing the culture itself in order to mitigate the effects of the differences.