By Prashansa Srivastava
In Uber’s continuing effort to improve its reputation after a series of scandals stemming from its noxious and aggressive work environment, its co-founder Travis Kalanick said he would take a leave of absence as chief executive. The company also announced it would embark on a sweeping reorganisation to ensure that executives are more closely supervised by its board of directors. During Kalanick’s leave of absence, Uber will be run by a committee of 14 executives.
A series of scandals
Kalanick’s leave of absence comes after the conclusion of an investigation by former Attorney General Eric Holder into Uber’s toxic workplace culture. In the past year, Uber has been embroiled in a legal turmoil and embarrassing exposés chronicling mistreatment of its employees and evading local law enforcement, tax collection, and other government agencies. In April, Uber was sued for intellectual property theft by the Google self-driving group Waymo. However, the most powerful indictment that started it all was a harrowing account published by Susan J. Fowler, a former employee alleging ignored sexual harassment complaints and discrimination. Other accusations of workplace harassments soon followed. The company also faces legal charges for obtaining and sharing confidential medical records of a woman who was sexually assaulted by her Uber driver, after doubting her claims. This showed a dehumanisation of women and emphasis on profits and power by the company. As all this was happening, a video surfaced showing Kalanick insulting an Uber driver.
At a highly anticipated, all-hands on deck meeting on the 13th June, the board of directors shared 13 pages of recommendations compiled as a part of the investigation. But even as Uber promised to reform itself, an exchange between the board members onstage highlighted the company’s impending challenges. In front of the employees, the board member Arianna Huffington talked about how having one female director typically leads to more female directors. David Bonderman, a fellow board member replied that adding more women to the board would result in “more talking.” He resigned a few hours later, after a barrage of criticism followed on Twitter.
“Bro-culture”
Uber’s transgressions are coloured by misogyny, exemplifying the “bro-culture” deeply entrenched in the tech startup ecosystem. Bro-culture means preferential treatment of young men over everyone else. This hyper-masculinity of men is followed by the hyper-sexuality of women. Women are, thus, rarely promoted and face discrimination and harassment. Minorities and older workers are completely excluded. Bro-culture encourages the perception of tech as male dominated, and sidelines women and other minorities. Silicon Valley prides itself on being a meritocracy but falls disappointingly short when it comes to the inclusion of minorities.
A man’s world
The venture capital industries are the tech industry’s demigods and also the biggest driving force behind this bro culture. Currently, the startup ecosystem values speedy growth over sustainable profits and encourages cutting corners, ignoring regulations and doing whatever it takes to win, values harboured by bro-CEOs. The VC-backed business model tech companies follow now is “grow fast, lose money, go public, and cash out”. The valley’s big venture capitalists are almost entirely male. The top five don’t have any female senior partners, and VC partners are 96 percent male. The VC industry has become less diverse and more influential. The financing gap between male and female entrepreneurs is massive. VCs typically fund women at the lowest levels—$100,000. It’s sad but true: sexism is alive and well in the venture capital sector.
The forward-looking technology community is stunningly backwards when it comes to gender relations. Silicon Valley is a remarkable place of world-changing ideas and groundbreaking technology. But first, it’s time for the boy’s club to grow up.
Featured image source: Flickr
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