Invisible Woman Syndrome

Invisible Woman Syndrome is a syndrome seen mostly in women and is being studied among the behaviors and attitudes that hinder women's progress in their careers. This behavioral pattern which is not classified as a psychological disorder, falls within the scope of the discipline of organizational behavior.

Invisible Woman Syndrome is often considered an extension of patriarchal social structures. The value placed on women in society and the gender roles imposed by patriarchal culture carry over into the workplace, paving the way for this syndrome. The syndrome's foundation lies in the repressed personality that women have internalized over many years which hinders their individual career advancements. This repressed personality is shaped by societal norms and expectations.

The syndrome's foundation lies in the stereotypes women create about their own perceptions, imposed by male-dominated societies. When women bring their socially constructed identity of woman into the business world, they may choose to lag behind the competition and fulfill only the requirements of that identity.

The basis of the syndrome is a repressed personality that hinders a woman's career advancement. This repressed and silent invisible personality formation develops in patterns such as the following:

• Women cannot speak loudly.
• She can't interrupt a man.
• Whatever decision a man makes, a woman implements it.

Under the influence of these patterns, women remain silent in their working lives and try not to attract attention.

Invisible Woman Syndrome is considered one of the self-induced obstacles to women's advancement in the workplace. IWS is considered a syndrome that disempowers women in their professional struggles and is self-destructive. In the workforce where women enter late, prejudicial and inhibiting behavior from the opposite gender negatively impacts their careers and when combined with the women's own inhibiting behaviors this syndrome appears to be compounded in their professional lives.

This syndrome involves behaviors that can be interpreted as conscious or unconscious interference with a woman's role in the business world, which are negative. Therefore in this syndrome, women are exposed to harm not from men or their own gender but from themselves.

Invisible Woman Syndrome (IWS) is a psychological syndrome that focuses on the underrepresentation of women in education, labor market participation, career advancement and senior management positions. Such syndromes are often used to describe the psychological state that results from women internalizing external factors such as gender roles, cultural stereotypes, gender discrimination and the roles women are obligated to assume within the family.

IWS has been studied in the literature, along with Super Mom Syndrome and Cinderella Syndrome as one of three primary syndromes in which women become the source of their own negativity and hinder their careers. What these three syndromes have in common is that they generally arise in women and manifest as self-inflicted harm.

Invisible Woman Syndrome (IWS) and other similar psychological syndromes (Super Mom Syndrome, Cinderella Syndrome) lead to negative outcomes where women self-imposedly hinder their career development and disrupt their professional lives. Both organizations and scientific disciplines have a responsibility to mitigate the impact of this situation on organizational productivity and women's ability to realize their potential.

Responsibilities that organizations should take to eliminate the negative effects of these syndromes on employees:

• Efforts to Minimize Negative Effects: Human resources departments and all managers of organizations should make the necessary efforts to minimize or completely eliminate the negative effects that these syndromes may have on organizations.
• Creating a Supportive Environment: In order for women to break the suppressed personality patterns that cause them to choose to remain silent and not attract attention, managers should create a communication environment where female employees' opinions and suggestions are valued where there are no interruptions and where expressing their opinions is encouraged.
• Awareness and Training: Awareness training should be organized for the entire organization, especially female employees, about the existence of syndromes, their causes and their impact on careers.

Proposing solutions to these syndromes necessitates an interdisciplinary approach that goes beyond the boundaries of a single branch of science:

• Psychology and Business Collaboration: Offering holistic solutions to these syndromes shaped by women's social identities will be possible through interdisciplinary studies conducted by psychology and business. While Psychology analyzes the individual and internal mechanisms of syndromes, business (Organizational Behavior) should examine the impact of these mechanisms on work life and organizational performance and develop intervention methods using managerial tools.
• The Need for Social Structural Solutions: Because gender roles and cultural stereotypes underlie the syndromes, workplace-focused solutions alone will be temporary. Strategic and scientific approaches must be developed to transform the social structure.