{"id":4488,"date":"2025-05-06T10:18:52","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T14:18:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/?p=4488"},"modified":"2025-05-06T10:42:31","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T14:42:31","slug":"jour-4130-an-exploration-of-womens-role-in-corporate-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/2025\/05\/06\/jour-4130-an-exploration-of-womens-role-in-corporate-america\/","title":{"rendered":"An Exploration of Women\u2019s Role in Corporate America through Dory Yochum and the Lynn Johnson Collection"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

By Erin Brogan, Journalism 27\u2019, and Abbey Menza, Journalism 26\u2019 for JOUR 4130 Gender, Race, and Class in Journalism and Mass Media with Victoria LaPoe, Spring 2025.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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During the spring 2025 semester, the staff of the Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections worked intensively with Victoria La Poe\u2019s JOUR 4130 class, Gender, Race, and Class in Journalism and Mass Media. The students explored, selected, and researched materials from the collections, then worked in small groups to prepare presentations. The students had the option to then expand their research into a blog post like this one for their final project.<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cThe Testing of Dory Yochum\u201d is a 1990\u202fLife\u202f<\/em>magazine<\/a> article with photography by Lynn Johnson<\/a>, an Ohio University alumna. The Lynn Johnson Collection<\/a>, part of the Documentary Photography Archive<\/a> at Ohio University Libraries<\/a>, contains Johnson’s work on “The Testing of Dory Yochum.\u201d The article covers Yochum, a pioneering corporate woman named Chief of Staff for the president of AT&T, and with Johnson’s photography, conveys Yochum\u2019s life and how she balances the corporate world and motherhood. Yochum holding an executive position was quite the change to the male-dominant work environment, and she struggled fitting in with her male coworkers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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\u201cIt may not be me, and may not even be my generation, but women will have an equal place in the boardrooms. And the sooner the better for America\u201d (Yochum).\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Gender Responsive Policy\u00a0<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

AT&T created Yochum\u2019s position because of the Equal Employment Opportunity act of 1972<\/a>– a gender-responsive policy<\/a> aimed to address barriers and create representation for women. Until this point, few women were selected for or had opportunities for promotion. Gender roles at the time also meant that women were expected to leave their jobs if they elected to have families. While many companies had no issue following the executive order, others feared \u201cthe department would prove meddlesome and would inadvertently disclose corporate secrets, including salaries\u201d (Kilbourne, 1990). Roughly 20 years after these policies were put in place, studies were finding little overlap between companies that have women among their top 5% of earners, and companies that won plaudits for advanced work-and-family policies. While both percentages were increasing, they appeared to often be mutually exclusive. Multiple hypotheses arose, even suggesting that women in healthy workplace environments became too comfortable and lacked the drive to pursue a higher career (Kilbourne). Robin Ely presented a contrasting theory suggesting malpractice from companies, \u201cSome companies with good reputation for policies on paper are not so good in practice\u201d (1990). She even goes on to say, \u201cTo be successful in a lot of companies, a woman has to conform to the image of someone who doesn\u2019t have an outside life, who doesn\u2019t have a family, and who doesn\u2019t have any interests outside of work,\u201d a theory that would be further explored with Nancy Reddy\u2019s book The Good Mother Myth.<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Good Mother Myth and Work-Life Balance \u00a0<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The “Good Mother Myth” is a societal pressure and unrealistic belief that a \u201cgood mother\u201d should always put the needs of her children before her own, she does not have a career outside of motherhood and she is endlessly patient and nurturing towards her children.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cThe underlying problem is that the \u2018good mother\u2019 isn\u2019t really a person. She\u2019s a subject of capitalism, charged with optimizing every aspect of her kid\u2019s childhood so she can produce good future workers and consumers\u201d (Reddy).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The role of the \u201cgood mother\u201d plays into work-life balance and the struggles that come with wanting a career outside of motherhood while also wanting to stay present as a mother. Dory Yochum touches on her own experiences with finding balance in her life as a working mother but concludes, \u201c\u2026this woman\u2019s place is not at home\u201d (p. 52). Reddy explains that the Good Mother Myth is \u201can exclusionary vision that harms us all.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Yochum takes on her motherly role and plays videogames with her kids. Lynn Johnson Collection, Ohio University Libraries<\/a>.<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Discrimination and Stereotypes<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Yochum faced a lot of discrimination during the hiring process and was often the object of harmful stereotypes. The Life<\/em> article states, \u201cAs a master\u2019s candidate at Rutgers she [Yochum] applied for a teaching post and was told that, though qualified, she wouldn\u2019t get the job because \u2018women don\u2019t complete degrees.\u2019\u201d Women nationwide were facing the same challenges, with France native Anne Busquet stating, \u201cIt\u2019s not always enough to have the right stuff; sometimes talent, intelligence, and drive aren\u2019t enough to overcome an inhospitable environment\u201d (Billard, 1990). Because of this discrimination, Yochum mentions uncertainty regarding the future of her career and whether she could climb the corporate ladder any further. In her obituary<\/a> it is stated that she continued to defy her own expectations and serve as chief administrative officer for Palm Source Inc. in Palo Alto California after leaving AT&T.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Imagery and Framing<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Lynn Johnson\u2019s photos portray Yochum working side by side with coworkers and fostering a positive community that contrasted society\u2019s idea of corporate women at the time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Yochum with a fellow employee, both laughing while reviewing documents. Lynn Johnson Collection, Ohio University Libraries<\/a>.<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Coloring Book for Climbing Corporate Women<\/a><\/em>\u00a0focuses on a woman\u2019s appearance and attitude towards male counterparts and pokes fun at harmful stereotypes that corporate women are \u201caggressive\u201d and \u201cbitchy.\u201d The book utilizes satire and childlike cartoons to portray the very serious issues women face every day. Yochum, for instance, shares she couldn\u2019t express the same emotions as the men in the office, stating \u201cyou get in trouble when you get mad.\u201d It is important to consider distribution of images regarding framework because of patterns that contribute to incorrect narratives and ideologies.<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Photo of pages from The Coloring Book for Climbing Corporate Women<\/a> <\/em>with the text “Never forget that everything a woman wears sends a message.” Photo depicts a woman whose clothes say “Bug off!”, “Coming through!” and “Move over, sonny!!”<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Evolution of Women in the Workplace<\/a><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In order to highlight the improvements for working mothers in today\u2019s society, we chose to interview Candice Rios Wenmoth, an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication Studies. Rios Wenmoth was an ideal candidate to interview as she juggles her professional career with raising two children. While Rios Wenmoth describes her career journey as \u201cnontraditional,\u201d she explains her successes and struggles with motherhood. \u201cMore than any career aspiration, I always wanted to be a mom,\u201d she said. Rios Wenmoth describes her motherhood journey as full of support from her mother, husband and fellow Ohio University staff members. She also explains how her role as a professor allows flexibility in spending time with her children. \u201cI have flexibility that I would say the average corporate worker does not have,\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Navigating motherhood with a professional career requires switching your mindset and demeanor back and forth. Rios Wenmoth describes her experience with this, \u201cI didn\u2019t anticipate how hard it would be to shift my brain space. It requires such different things of you to be soft and gentle and present with your kids, and in my career field, that energy has to change,\u201d she said. \u201cShifting back and forth out of those roles is exhausting.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

While Dory Yochum\u2019s experience balancing motherhood and corporate life lacked support, Candice Rios Wenmoth\u2019s journey as a mother reflects the progress and improved resources available to mothers today.<\/a> Although many support systems have evolved over time for women like Rios Wenmoth, every individual\u2019s experience varies depending on the field in which they work.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Yochum and a fellow executive meet with AT&T Microelectronics president WIlliam Warwick. Yochum had hoped to leave early for her son’s birthday but had to change plans. Lynn Johnson Collection, Ohio University Libraries<\/a>.<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Feminist Standpoint Theory<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Yochum\u2019s story is a part of feminist standpoint theory, which feminist scholar Sandra Harding presented in the early 1970s. The theory states that people from marginalized groups have unique perspectives and opinions about society due to their social positions. It argues that knowledge is shaped by experience, and people in marginalized communities, such as women, may see power struggles more clearly due to their personal experiences.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As mentioned in Sandra Harding\u2019s research article, \u201cStandpoint Theories: Productively Controversial,\u201d<\/a> \u201cStandpoint theory provides a logic of research that focuses attention on problems that are deeply disturbing to anyone reflecting on contemporary challenges to Western thought and practice, and yet insoluble within the philosophical, political, and theoretical legacies that they provide\u201d (p. 198).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Storytelling<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Stories like Yochum\u2019s are important to share because they are often the best way to promote the continuation of breaking gender-norms. At the time the Life<\/em> article was written, many women were afraid of breaking the glass ceiling and being named a bad mother for pursuing a career. Yochum put many of these fears to rest and continues to be a role model for future generations.\u00a0 After her death, tens of coworkers came forward sharing the impact her leadership had on their life. Robert Holland, an AT&T communications employee under Yochum, stated<\/a>,<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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\u201cDory believed in communication, and as a result, she gave this young communicator a lot of room to be creative and to try new things. She valued my perspective and my role, which greatly boosted my self-confidence at a crucial time in my career, just a few years after leaving news journalism for the corporate world\u201d (2011).<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Limitations<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Intersectionality, a term coined by Black feminist scholar, Kimberl\u00e9 Crenshaw, explains the intersection of race, class and gender and how it effects one\u2019s place in society. Intersectionality helps recognize the overlapping of identities and how some people may benefit in one area while facing barriers in another.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In the case of Dory Yochum, intersectionality played a part in how she was treated in the workplace. As a white woman, she experienced certain advantages over women of color, thus concluding that her experience cannot be assumed for women of a different background.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Our interview compares an academic professor\u2019s experiences with those of a corporate woman. Future research would include finding current examples of corporate women to compare to the lives of those we looked at, including Yochum.<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Yochum\u2019s story was one of few success stories about corporate women at the time. Johnson\u2019s photography changed the narrative for many corporate women and spread positive imagery to inspire future generations. Photos display similar scenes to that of the coloring book, but with the perspective of a collaborative working environment. Yochum fought in a male-dominated space to prove that women deserve to be in corporate environments. Today, women are continuing the fight against the glass ceiling, using Yochum\u2019s story as inspiration. Yochum stated, \u201cWe all have to keep bouncing against the glass ceiling until it breaks.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Sources<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Babic A, Hansez I. The Glass Ceiling for Women Managers: Antecedents and Consequences for Work-Family Interface and Well-Being at Work. Front Psychol. 2021 Mar 9;12:618250. doi: 10.3389\/fpsyg.2021.618250. PMID: 33767646; PMCID: PMC7985459.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Billard, Mary. \u201cWomen on the Verge of Being CEO.\u201d Business Magazine<\/em>, Apr. 1990.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Brimi, Marjorie, et al. The Coloring Book for Climbing Corporate Women<\/a><\/em>. Once and Future Press, 1980.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Dobrzynski, Judith\u00a0 H. \u201cSome Sober News for Women Working Up the Corporate Ladder.\u201d The New York Times<\/em>, 6 Nov. 1996.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Doreen Yochum Obituary (2010) – Newark, NJ – the Star-Ledger<\/em>, obits.nj.com\/us\/obituaries\/starledger\/name\/doreen-yochum-obituary?pid=146989382<\/a>. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Journal of Family Issues<\/em>. Dec. 1990. (11)<\/em> 4.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Hardacre SL, Suba\u0161i\u0107 E. Whose Issue Is It Anyway? The Effects of Leader Gender and Equality Message Framing on Men’s and Women’s Mobilization Toward Workplace Gender Equality. Front Psychol. 2018 Dec 11;9:2497. doi: 10.3389\/fpsyg.2018.02497. PMID: 30618930; PMCID: PMC6298257.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Harding, Sandra. \u201cStandpoint theories: Productively controversial.\u201d Hypatia, vol. 24, no. 4, 2009, pp. 192\u2013200, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.1527-2001.2009.01067.x<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Kilbourne, Peter. \u201cLabor Department Wants to Take on Job Bias in the Executive Suite.\u201d The New York Times, <\/em>30 July 1990.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Lynn Johnson Collection<\/a>. Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections, Ohio University Libraries, Athens, Ohio.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Reddy, Nancy, and Sara Sheckells. The Good Mother Myth Unlearning Our Bad Ideas about How to Be a Good Mom. Macmillan Audio, 2025.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Rios Wenmoth, Candice, Personal communication (personal interview). 8 April 2025.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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By Erin Brogan, Journalism 27\u2019, and Abbey Menza, Journalism 26\u2019 for JOUR 4130 Gender, Race, and Class in Journalism and Mass Media with Victoria LaPoe, Spring 2025.\u00a0 During the spring 2025 semester, the staff of the Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections worked intensively with Victoria La Poe\u2019s JOUR 4130 class, Gender, Race, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":4523,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[179,22],"tags":[215,214,24,142,17],"class_list":["post-4488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-class-project","category-documentary-photography-archive","tag-jour-4130","tag-journalism","tag-lynn-johnson","tag-photographs","tag-student-project"],"modified_by":"Laura Smith","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4488"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4488\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4561,"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4488\/revisions\/4561"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4523"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.ohio.edu\/library-archives-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}