Effects of Gender Role and Family Support on Work Adjustment Among Male Flight Attendants in Taiwan

Abstract

The occupation of flight attendant traditionally carries strong gender connotations and expectations. Based on the gender schema theory, in this study we investigated the relationships among work adjustment, family support, and gender role of male flight attendants, and how to improve the work adjustment of the men working in these circumstances. We conducted a survey with 221 male flight attendants employed by the leading airline in Taiwan and found that both gender role and family support had a significant effect on work adjustment. In particular, male flight attendants who had feminine or androgynous gender roles had lower levels of work adjustment and required more family support, whereas flight attendants who had masculine gender roles had higher levels of work adjustment and tended to seek less support from their family. Our findings suggest that both type of gender role and family background influence men's adjustment to working in a female-dominated work environment.

Work, Gender, and Sexual Harassment on the Frontlines of Commercial Travel: A Cross-Sectional Study of Flight Crew Well-Being

“…First, the femininity of female cabin crew members is incumbent and highlighted, making them more vulnerable and more at risk of experience of sexual harassment (DiTomasso, 1989). Second, flight attendants-who are in an exemplary occupation associated with emotional labor (Grandey, 2000;Hochschild, 1983)-are expected to demonstrate welcoming and patient service attitudes, implying the need to withstand pressure from various types of passenger behavior (Chen et al, 2014;Fu, 2013;O'Leary-Kelly et al, 2009). Airlines are at least partially culpable for the role of sexual harassment by passengers.…”

“…Flight attendants are generally expected to provide a safe physical and social environment that commonly assumes an undisrupted friendly, caring, comfortable client experience. The stereotype of a permanently smiling, warm, and beautiful woman is perpetuated in movies and advertisements (Chen et al, 2014;Fu, 2013;O'Leary-Kelly et al, 2009). Another image is of White men performing servile "women's" or "colored" work, implying "failed men" and suspect homosexuals (Tiemeyer, 2013), a sexually discriminatory stereotype promoting men as targets for sexually tainted passenger behavior.…”

Consequences of Family Interference with Work: The Roles of Emotional Exhaustion, Service Sabotage, and Negative Affectivity

“…According to the frustration-aggression hypothesis (Fox & Spector, 1999), negative feelings of distress and frustration resulting from FIW may increase employees' tendency to exhibit aggressive behaviors. However, especially in China where there is a cultural emphasis on harmony, employees cannot directly vent their stress on their family members, because family is a basic, irreplaceable, and intimate source of support (Chen, Lee, Yu, & Shen, 2014). Thus, displaced aggressive behavior, exemplified by the metaphorical action of "kicking the dog," wherein a man may kick the innocent dog upon arriving home from work after having been publicly berated by his boss (Miller, Pedersen, Earleywine, & Pollock, 2003), may help to explain employees' service behavior after exposure to FIW.…”