The “Company Man”: Hegemonic Masculinity and Executive Work in Mid-century Australia

This article explores the entangling of management and masculinity in Australia’s mid-century corporations. Presenting a new approach to the study of men in business history, it uses Connell’s hegemonic masculinity and Brannon’s blueprint of masculinity to understand the social construction of gender in mid-century corporate management. The article finds that Australian executive management was gendered not only by employing men, but also by reproducing a contextually-situated exemplar of corporate masculinity. Executive men were rewarded for, and evoked a desire to be, a big wheel , mastering the public sphere through hard work, and using their success to control others. They were sturdy oaks , using their brilliance and strength for the benefit of their company and to protect Australian society. They were also stoic and humble, preferring to get on with the job rather than engage in competition and flamboyance. This form of masculinity was shaped by the requirements of their occupation and the social and economic context of postwar reconstruction. By illuminating the integration of executive work and masculinity, this article provides insight into the barriers that women and other minorities face in corporate leadership today, and in doing so can help reshape them with a focus on equality for all.