Faculty Profile: Sabrina Pasztor
Don’t say you’re sorry to Sabrina Pasztor. The assistant professor of clinical business communications doesn’t want to hear it.
Pasztor, an expert in the different communication patterns employed by men and that of women is on a mission to teach business students how communication can help or hinder their careers. Women in particular need to understand how each gender communicates differently (masculine vs. feminine speech styles), and how to utilize the best of both when in a business situation. Also, women – who use feminine speech styles more heavily – need to stop needlessly apologizing.
Women in business have had to adapt to a masculine style of speech,” she says. “And studies show that when they use this toward a more androgynous modality, they get a positive bump up.”
Traditionally, men “report” or state a specific thesis followed by details. Women traditionally employ “rapport,” establishing empathy and offering full details up front.
But this is shifting. “The tipping point is at hand,” says Pasztor. “The millennials are the ones who are pushing for equity in communication. They have a keen sense of androgynous communication modes, with men and women employing both depending on their audience.”
With more women coming out of MBA programs and reaching ever-higher positions of leadership, learning how to leverage language is more important than ever.
Pasztor, who came to USC in 2015 after a long career as a strategist and organizational consultant, teaches communications in the vein of leadership. “I talk about differences in communication styles for undergraduate classes. For graduate students we couch it in larger business topics, such as negotiations or conflict resolutions.”
What would be most beneficial to her students is a class on gendered communication that emphasizes research findings and practical application. Faculty could use a few pointers as well. “We as faculty need to be able to maximize our communication styles too,” she says.
Pasztor, who is also fluent in Hungarian, lives in Glendale with her husband, Kevin.
WIM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSION AT UPC 1/30/2017
In spite of equity in education and experience between men and women, a wage gap still exists. Dr. Pasztor will share her research and recommendations to shift policy.
1/30/2017 12PM Bring your own lunch
Free for Members and $10 for Non-Members/Guests
Make your reservations online by clicking the RSVP button on the Upcoming Events page of the Women in Management website at http://uscwim.org.
Reservation and Cancellation Deadline: 8:00 p.m. on 1/27/2017.
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