Some interpersonal relationships were very difficult. A nurse talked about being sexually harassed by an elderly male patient when she was in training. When she sought the assistance of her supervising professor, she was accused of flirting with the patient and responsible for her own predicament. Because of this incident and others, she had become disillusioned about her co-workers and questioned whether she should continue in her profession.

The development of social relationships is important in helping a worker feel accepted and comfortable in the workplace; however, no employers were reported as offering assistance with the associated learning. When a woman felt she was not accepted or had negative social experiences, she was inclined to leave or consider leaving her job. The importance of social knowledge to the women in our study suggests that employers would do well to offer opportunities to learn about the social conventions of the workplace and to build positive interpersonal relationships with co-workers.

Contextual Knowledge

Knowledge of exchange relationships, or contextual knowledge, addresses how the worth of both work and worker are related, and focuses on economic and social issues such as pay equity. Remuneration includes, in addition to pay and employment benefits, such things as employer sponsorship for participation in formal training programs, and recognition, through pay increases, promotions, bonuses and commendations, of learning that results in improved worker effectiveness. Few of the women in our study received employer sponsorship for participating in formal training. Such benefits are often the result of collective bargaining agreements and very few of our respondents were members of a union. A police officer, for example, explained that participation in the formal training experiences offered by her employer was a requirement for promotion and had been negotiated by the police officers' bargaining unit.

Other women reported that they had received pay increases based on the cost of living but none based on their improvement as employees. Most respondent thought they had no right to ask for pay increases because of high unemployment and poor economic conditions (lower profits), because their employers were already paying as much as the budget would allow ("I've seen the books; they have no more money"), or because their wages were based on the reputedly unassailable economics of the workplace ("Nobody is being paid more"). Few interpreted their low wages as being based on gender inequities. Most believed that if they demanded more equitable wages they would be let go, and since most needed their income to support themselves or their families, none were prepared to take the risk.