Motherhood in Management: A Paradigm Shift

Abstract

The paper attempts to explore and narrate the emerging relationship between mothering and managing from the perspective of mothers who are professional managers working in private and public sector. The paper has tried to fathom in the intricate relationship between the processes of mothering and managing; to reveal power relationship structures of mothering and managing; and to correlate the issues of work outside home, domestic work-sharing, and family-size with the management process from the organisational point of view. The unit of study has been women in management position. The universe of study has comprised women managers and administrators who have been mothers from few private and public sector business organisations in Kolkata, India. The study has revealed the stressful and straining conditions of mothers in professional life due to dual roles of mothering as well as managing both in private and public life. Mothering being one of the most innate qualities of a woman seems to encompass the roles of managing so naturally. Mother-managers have been trying to make the most out of their professional life to strike a balance between private mother-life and public managerial-life.