Over ninety percent (90%) of cases it is the females that are manning the front office of most companies that are purely into service delivery. Be it hotels, banks, restaurants, bars, cafes, sales offices. The list is very long of places that have entrusted the females with the face of the most companies.
This became vividly common during the metamorphosis of the business models from production driven to sales driven and even more common the currently age of market led organizations.
Several theories have popped out explaining why women have been preferred to service the front offices of most business that are into service delivery. The first theory that was introduced to The Eleven Lines was that of masculine pocket power versus the law of likes repels. The theory primarily was working during the period when men had the biggest buying power and influence almost all the buying power. The believers of the theory took advantage of the fact that men usually get attracted to women. This attraction was important to ease the purchase decision. In some parts of the country here in Malawi, this principle is still being used as crude as it was used then. The results have been a high rate of turnover as these front office ladies are converted into house wives – Interesting!
Males were entrusted with the front office once more. As the business activity increased, the front offices started to become the point of huge amounts cash entry to the business and fraud become rampant.
The second theory was coined and focused on the issue of trustworthy. It highlights that women are less likely to be involved in fraudulent activities due to the in born caring and motherly attribute that most women have. The Eleven Lines’ view to the second theory is very simple – mhmmmn… No comment!
Here was growth in business activity and the theorist though females would not cope. Men reappeared into the seen to process the dense documentation as fast as possible. Beside the fraud which was becoming manageable, there were many transaction errors that mushroomed. Women could not cope and what made it worse was the long maternity break of three months that women take at one point in their lives. The businesses could not afford this.
It was time for review and indeed the third theory was minted which brought back females for their natural attribute of attention to detail. The Eleven Lines totally agrees to the manufacturers of the third theory which is hinged on attention to detail.
As women became empowered both socially and economically coupled with the gender equality, these theories mutated very fast to adjust to meet the expectations of the stakeholders.
These theories have continued to develop over the years based on the requirements of the business and depending on what works for each organization.
However, what is important before arriving on the which gender to deploy at the front office, the business must first of detail the key outputs of the front office jobs. This definitely simplifies the whole process of recruitment and selection of the right gender to be employed for the front office.
The Eleven Lines’ recommended theory is one that will be sustainable and not gender biased based on streamlined beneficial attributes. A combo or fusion of both females and males therefore would be the most recommended theory that take advantage of the unique attributes that come with each gender.
There are cases where some females have all the masculine attributes and some cases where the males have all the feminine attributes. In such cases the issue of gender falls apart and may not be applicable.
“Gender has ceased to be a determining factor for selection of the front office team members. As to why our Malawian setting is stuck to the old thinking of women manning the office, The Eleven Lines will undertake to find answers. ”– The Eleven Lines 2019
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