ARTICLES
How a Trip to Antarctica Became aReal-life Experiment in Decision-making (continued)
the voyage up until this point, this begs the question, why didn’t
they just make the decision to push forward to Rothera in the first
place?
Although a unilateral approach would undoubtedly have been
more efficient, with the benefit of hind-sight, such a directive
would have meant that the women of Homeward Bound would
have missed out on a key opportunity to come together.
At times, this was a messy and angst-ridden experience, but
it allowed us to build a real sense of cohesion and strength
through adversity, while enjoying the excitement of orcas and the
catharsis of breaking the ice.
This raises an important question about leaders who habitually
rely purely on expert opinion and authority as a basis for a
decision, and regularly get acceptance. Do these leaders in fact
miss the opportunity for true ownership, engagement, and maybe
even a better overall outcome than a longer, more unwieldy, but
ultimately more consultative approach may generate?
The MVV Ushuaia breaking through sea ice in the Gullett,
Antarctic Peninsula. An ambitious metaphor for breaking the
glass ceiling! Sarah Hamylton
A tangled psychological web
Given the lack of female representation in STEMM leadership
roles, is this opportunity currently being missed in key decision-
making forums on sustainability?
We used the Life Styles Inventory (LSI) chart to reflect on our
individual thoughts and feelings in the moment we had blind
voted, standing on the corresponding constructive, passive and
aggressive behavioural styles on a Twister-like mat. This helped
us see how our thoughts guided us towards a desired outcome.
The value of diversity in decision-making
Perhaps the most important lesson from our story is the value of
diversity in the decision-making process. Compared with their
male counterparts, research suggests that women together are
a little more collaborative and inclined towards participatory
decision-making.
A complex picture of multiple responses in individuals emerged.
Scaled up across the 77 women in the room, these played out
as a tangled psychological web, aptly captured by the tangle of
bodies on the chart.
Achievement versus empathy
This was reflected in the purpose, consensus and empathy
for the discomfort of others as 77 women consulted to make a
collective decision. It was then followed up by a more directive
decision based on the expertise and authority of our captain and
expedition leader.
Many of us reported a swing away from ‘competitive’ or
‘achievement’ styles that would underpin thoughts such as “I
want to achieve the visit to Rothera Station!” toward the seemingly
contrasting humanistic and passive styles. These would underpin
empathetic thoughts such as “If I don’t go, I will be disappointed,
but if we do go, she will be miserable, uncomfortable and seasick,
which is worse than disappointment”.
The two decisions together meant that we actually had our cake
and ate it as well: we empathised, we bonded over orcas, we
reached Rothera Station, and we smashed the ice on the way
home for good measure!
Once voiced, anxiety can be an influential and persuasive force
amongst groups of women, who typically show greater empathy
for emotions such as fear. Even though they were widely reported
afterwards, the competitive-achievement sentiments found
little voice in the room at the time of the vote. They were largely
eclipsed by empathy for the well-being of others.
In a world of pressing scientific agendas, perhaps the best gains
are made when different leadership styles come together.
An opportunity taken Authors:
Sarah Hamylton is Senior Lecturer, School of Earth and
Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong;
Rachelle Balez is a PhD Candidate, University of Wollongong.
They were experienced, gracious, brave and modest men. Given
that they had been directing our movements for the entirety of This article was first published in ‘The Conversation’ on 24th May,
2018. SEN and the Science Teachers’ Association of NSW thank
‘The Conversation’ for its welcome policy of encouraging the
republishing of its many fine articles. We also thank the authors,
Sarah Hamylton and Rachelle Balez, for providing this article,
thereby agreeing to this policy.
It is ironic that the dramatic push to 67° south, and the adventurous
return journey through the ice on our “largest all-female expedition
to Antarctica”, were ultimately determined unilaterally by two of
the highest-ranking people on the ship.
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SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL NEWS VOL 67 NO 3