Feminist Organizational Structure in the White House: The Office of Women’s Initiatives and Outreach

Abstract

In 1995, President Clinton established the first formally organized office for women’s issues in the Executive Office of the President (EOP): the Office of Womens Initiatives and Outreach (OWIO). The creation of the OWIO provides a unique opportunity to analyze the influence of gender on our governmental institutions. In this article, we explore feminist organizational theory and new institutionalism in organization theory using a longitudinal case study of the OWIO. We argue that a masculine organizational culture permeates the structure and processes of the EOP and that this culture ultimately shaped the success of the OWIO. This analysis not only helps us identify the gendered nature of the EOP, but also enables us to see how governmental institutions incorporate cultural and environmental experiences into their rules and daily routines.