Rationalitet som norm och hyckleri som praktik: reflektioner kring betydelsen av organisationers genusordningar

Abstract

The rational decision and the rational decision maker is still highly valued as a norm in Western thought especially in the economic sphere and working life. Although empirical findings over and over again show it is false, this norm seems to remain strong. However, the impossibility of the norm nowadays seems often to be accepted at the upper levels in organizations. Managers are said to have such complicated problems to handle that rational decision making is impossible. For lower levels the norm seems to be intact. The aim of the article is to describe how irrationality at lower levels is also accepted if it is connected to the gender order of the organization. Theories on organizational culture and gender are used. Empirical examples are provided from Swedish organizations involving three sectors: the retailing of food and daily wares, real estate and cleaning, and the industrial production of plastic-equipment. The examples concern management decisions that were aimed at gender-diversity and less inequality and were presented with rational economic arguments. These decisions were met by resistance and obstruction mainly from men but also from women. The resistance concerned changing the gender order. The managers were, with some exceptions, aware of the organizational gender order but underestimated its importance and emotional strength. The managers chose, in different ways, to retreat from their positions and keep old gender orders in practice but they also kept up the rethoric of rationality. This management method explains the title of the article, "Rationality as norm and hypocrisy as practice".