Work as Home and Community: The Workplace Culture of an Alternative, Women-Led Company

Abstract

This is an in-depth, qualitative case study of an alternative, women-led company— White Lotus Futons—utilizing participatory observation and interviews. The research focuses on the workplace culture and how women impact and influence it. White Lotus, a small alternative company that produces handmade futons, began as a feminist organization for women workers and has evolved into a “post-feminist,” integrated company with both male and female employees. This paper traces changes in the company’s ideology and organizational practices. It then examines the impact of the company’s ideology and the dominance of women in leadership on the environment and workplace culture of the organization and its employees. White Lotus was founded to provide its young employees with a homelike work atmosphere and a community-based network of co-workers, an environment frequently associated with highly feminized workplaces.