Guest editorial: Rethinking and revisiting the current state of gender equality in the workplace: moving upward, moving forward

What institutional characteristics determine and mitigate gender inequality in the workplace? An empirical analysis of Japanese firms

Gender equality in the workplace is an important issue to be addressed. The perception of women in the workplace has changed drastically in the last few decades, with more and more women being accepted and respected in many positions that were traditionally held by men. Despite this progress, there is still a need for further progress in terms of gender equality and fairness in the workplace. This paper will shown an detail view of the present state of gender equality in workplace, Discussions of various forms in discrimination and the various initiatives that have been taken to address the issue. Despite many years of progressive continuous efforts, there’s still a major problem of workplaces inequality happens across the world. Gender equality is very important to identify their talents, ideas and perspectives so, that every gender will have an equal opportunity. In order to address gender discrimination in the workplace, governments and organizations have implemented a number of initiatives. These initiatives include the introduction of laws and regulations that require employers to provide equal pay for equal. In this paper our study also provides insights into an organization development. High-skilled employees are played a vital role on small firms; big companies consistently rely on all the ordinary-level employees

The purpose of this study is to investigate the gender equality in workplace in terms of the influence of the following factors (culture, education, poverty, and political) on gender equality. A quantitative method used in order to analyze data gathered by the researcher. The researcher used questionnaire in order to be able to analyze the current study. A random sampling method used, where almost all employees will have equal chances of being selected for the sample. The researcher gathered 133 questionnaires, however 22 questionnaires were invalid and 111 questionnaires were properly completed. The findings revealed that culture will have negative influence on gender equality in workplace this indicates that culture causes gender equality in the workplace.

The importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in promoting gender equality in the workplace is increasingly recognized. This study aims to comprehensively explore the role of CSR in achieving workplace gender equality through media image and representation. Methodologically, the study employed a literature review approach, analyzing existing research and scholarly works related to CSR, gender equality, and media influence. The findings of this study underscore the pivotal role of CSR in driving gender equality within workplaces. Media portrayal and corporate initiatives are shown to have a significant impact on shaping public perceptions and expectations regarding gender equality efforts by organizations. The analysis revealed that media strategies, collaborations, and advocacy contribute to fostering a supportive environment for gender equality initiatives and enhancing corporate image. However, it is important to acknowledge limitations such as the potential for media bias and the complexity of cultural influences on gender perceptions. The study also highlights the need for further empirical research to enhance the understanding of the dynamics between CSR, media, and gender equality. In conclusion, this study highlights the substantial contribution of CSR in promoting gender equality in workplaces, with media acting as a powerful catalyst for change. The study suggests that a collaborative approach between organizations, media, and policymakers is pivotal in driving long-lasting change. Future research directions could delve deeper into cross-cultural analyses and explore the effectiveness of specific media strategies in different contexts.

PurposeThis study aims to analyse the present situation of gender inequality in the workplace in India, examine the legal provisions that address gender inequality in India and evaluate and assess the recommendations made to eliminate gender imbalance at workplaces in India.Design/methodology/approachThis study will adopt an exploratory research design to help identify and describe the most pressing problems and developments in the field. For this purpose, a secondary data collection approach is adopted. This study will acquire data through secondary means. This study will gather secondary data through the course of existing literature, judicial decisions and other authentic and published sources.FindingsLegislative and judicial efforts alone are not enough to achieve gender equality. The mindset of people, in general, has to change through awareness. Unless a law is supported by public opinion, it cannot achieve its goal.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited to gender inequality in the workplace only. In addition, the judicial perspective on gender disparity in India is examined in this paper. As a result, the findings cannot be applied to other situations.Originality/valueThis study deals with gender inequality in the workplace from legal and judicial perspectives and discusses that social change can be brought only by enacting laws but by public awareness.

This article discusses the implications of maternity leave on gender equality by taking comparative cases in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. This article focuses on three important issues, namely the implementation of maternity leave policies, the funding system for maternity leave policies, and the implications of these policies on gender equality in the workplace. This article uses secondary data from official government documents, and documents from international institutions, such as International Labor Organization, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and related studies. The results of the study show that maternity leave in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand complies with the recommendations of the International Labor Organization conventions 1952 and 2000. The benefits provided by maternity leave accommodate women to work and take care of children. In funding maternity leave, Indonesia and Malaysia use the employer liability scheme, while Thailand uses a combination of employer liability and the social security act. These funding schemes are aimed at employees in the private and informal sectors. To promote gender equality in the workplace, the benefits of maternity leave are influential in this effort. The more companies adopt this family-friendly work environment, the more it encourages enhancing gender equality in the workplace. The study finds women are barely in managerial positions due to their responsibility in the family matter. The discussion of maternity leave in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand cases leads to a better understanding of the implementation of maternity leave in developing countries, for which there is currently a research gap.

With differences in income, promotion, and opportunity continuing to impede progress toward workplace equality, persistent gender inequality in the workplace remains a major concern. The study examines at the complex interplay of factors that cause gender inequality, from cultural standards to organizational biases. A qualitative methodology is used to assess the data from various workplaces. The survey found significant gender differences in pay, representation in leadership roles, and access to professional development opportunities. Additionally, it shows how biases and cultural norms support the upkeep of these disparities. To address these issues, the research proposes a multifaceted approach that includes changes to the law, initiatives for diversity and inclusion, and tactics for personal empowerment. The study can improve society overall and create a more just workplace by putting these solutions into reality. This research explains the problem of gender inequality in the workplace and offers practical mitigation measures. By promoting more inclusive and egalitarian professional environments, we may foster the circumstances for a more just and progressive society.

Family circumstances and gender equality are the factors which influence the formation of labour legislation and state policy in the sphere of wage labour. That is why this research analyses the issues of gender equality in workplace relations. The study uses unity and a differentiation method of wage labour employment regulation. This method allowed us to determine the specifics of workplace relations, which involve women and people with family responsibilities. It was established that the optimal legal regulation of women’s labour and labour of people with family responsibilities must be directed at achieving gender equality in the workplace and creating the conditions under which women and other people would be able to combine work and family responsibilities. The creation of a supportive environment for workplace relations of the specified categories of workers must be implemented through both internal and global regulations. The activities on both levels are mutually reinforcing in nature. The article, having analysed the Labour Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan and international labour standards, submits suggestions about improvement of labour laws, draws conclusions about the necessity of legal protection for women and people with family responsibilities as well as the elimination of discriminating factors in relations regulated by labour laws.

The economic study towards gender equality has a long history. Traditionally, people believe that higher equality between female and male employees under the same business lead to more harmonious and efficient surroundings; consequently, all workers will be encouraged to contribute and promote the firm’s growth greatly. To examine this statement, this paper empirically studies the correlation between gender equality, productivity, and employment. To be specific, we study whether gender equality in the workplace can effectively promote manufacturing productivity growth, and how this growth is affected by the firms’ employees and sizes. We looked into the Chilean manufacturing firms from 2001 to 2007; the data come from National Annual Industrial Survey conducted the National Statistics Institute of Chile. In order to avoid potential endogeneity and simultaneity, we used a semi-parametric method to estimate productivity. We consider four types of employees: executives and specialized production workers, identified as high-skill employees; and administrative staff and auxiliary production workers, as low-skill employees. Our statistical analysis as well as many other literatures shows that in Chile, severe gender inequality still exists nowadays. For example, the majority of the observed employees (80%) are male. We then study gender equality through two measures at the same time: female labor-force participation rate, and gender equivalence as how the female participation rate deviates from 0.5. We conduct simultaneous regression to estimate the influence exerted on firms’ productivity by these two measures among each of the four types of employees – executives, specialized workers, administrative staff, and auxiliary workers. Our findings are mixed and very interesting. Among those small firms with less than 50 employees, higher female labor-force participation among high-skill employees significantly increases a firms’ productivity. For larger firms with more than 50 employees, only better gender equality among the low-skill employees improves productivity. Therefore, a more equalized distributed workforce between female and male workers does significantly lead to faster productivity growth, but it depends on the size of the firm and specific types of employees. Therefore indeed, we can effectively promote the growth of a firm through different gender equality policies such as balancing welfare treatment between males and females, or publicizing our efforts to the society; but we also need to count both the firm’s size and the types of employees into consideration. Our findings also provide insights into a firm’s growth pattern. High-skill employees are the leading force of small firms, while big firms consistently reply on all the ordinary-level employees.

PurposeThe benefits of gender diversity in the workplace are well-established. Consequently, many organizations have policies or programs in place to encourage hiring women. Despite this, the gender gap remains, particularly in terms of compensation and promotion and progress appears slow. This paper aims to examine the benefits of gender diversity and common approaches to enhance it. It then reviews lessons from global research and suggests applications.Design/methodology/approachThis practitioner study reviews the literature to identify arguments for gender equality in the workplace, progress in gender equality and common organizational approaches to equality. It presents snapshots of two global studies examining gender equality. It draws implications and applications from these studies.FindingsGender equality remains elusive and difficult to achieve despite efforts on the part of leaders to encourage it. Insights from research provide compelling reasons in terms of organizational outcomes for female hiring, development and promotion. Additionally, insights into organizational culture help leaders identify barriers to gender equality.Originality/valueThis paper presents insights into the need for and benefits of gender equality in organizations. A review of two global studies provides compelling reasons for leaders to recommit themselves to their gender equality and address needed changes in organizational culture.

PurposeThis paper examines the challenges posed for employers by gender equality in the workplace, in a seemingly favourable institutional context (the province of Quebec, Canada), and the reasons why employers adopt (or not) gender equality measures (GEMs) exceeding legal requirements.Design/methodology/approachThe approach draws on both institutional theory and the strategic human resource management (SHRM) approach. Our research is based on a quantitative study involving human resource management professionals in Quebec (n = 296).FindingsThe results allow us to link GEMs with certain SHRM orientations (Yang and Konrad, 2011) and institutional pressures (Lawrence et al., 2009). The findings show that, for approximately two-thirds of the employers in the sample, gender equality was not a strategic priority. Consistent with our hypothesis, a greater number of GEMs were found when gender equality was a strategic priority for the employer. Unionization and legal requirements were also positively correlated with the presence of GEMs.Originality/valueThe findings indicate a combined effect of SHRM and institutions on GEMs. They point out the relative dependency of employers on the pressures stemming from the institutional framework, and it captures some of the current challenges involved in adopting a SHRM approach with a view to achieving gender equality.

This study analyses how sick leave among women and men are related to patterns of gender equality in the workplace. The study is based on register data from the Longitudinal Integration Database for Health Insurance and Labor Studies (LISA ), and includes 520 workplaces for 134 450 people. Indicators of gender equality in the workplace consist of women to men ratio in terms of number of employees, salaries, education and parental leave. Cluster analysis is used to identify patterns of gender equality. Differences in women’s and men’s sick leave are analysed by chi-square test and logistic regression analyses. The analysis compares sick leave between six clusters of workplaces with different patterns of gender equality: 1) unequal with higher scores for men, 2) majority of women and equal salary, 3) equal salary and more parental leave for men, 4) unequal with equal representation, 5) equal in divergent spheres, 6) traditionally unequal. None of the clusters were completely gender equal, but the result of the analysis shows that the most gender equal workplaces have the lowest level of sick leave. For both women and for men, the odds for sick leave are higher in workplaces with a majority of women that otherwise are relatively gender equal. For men, the odds for sick leave were higher at traditionally gender unequal workplaces. An equal representation of women and men in the workplace does not necessarily imply gender equality in other aspects such as salary, education and parental leave. More gender equal workplaces yet have lower risk of sick leave for both women and men, even though women consistently have higher rates of sick leave. A multidimensional approach to gender inequality in the workplace is important for understanding the skewed distribution of sickness absence between women and men in the general population.

The South African government implemented different legislative mechanisms in an attempt to address gender equality in the workplace, discrimination, and empowering women. To review whether there has been any progress after implementing these legislative mechanisms, this paper empirically analyzes the advancement of gender equality in the South African workplace as of 2020. It also provides an overview of different legislative mechanisms implemented by the government of South Africa as an endeavor to achieve gender equality in the workplace and equal opportunities for all regardless of gender. The main objective of this paper is to review gender equality progress in the South African workplace and a qualitative research method has been used to analyze different gender inequalities. Lastly, the paper provides an overview of gender equality analysis in different occupational levels in the South African workplace. The research shows that regardless of the South African government’s different legislative mechanisms to address gender equality, progress is still gloomy as discrimination against women in the workplace continues and the men remain dominant. The data analyses conclude that progress in addressing gender equality has been inert, delaying equal opportunities for all South Africans.

PurposeThis work deals with social representations of gender equality in the workplace. Little academic work deals with the way workers define gender equality. My research also deals with the implications of this definition in terms of policy implementation.Design/methodology/approachThis work is based on a mixed-method approach. A quantitative study based on an online survey conducted in 2015 at a French company is mobilized to identify and measure the main representations of gender equality among the workers. Then, a qualitative study is used to explore these representations in depth and to examine how they influence the implementation of policy on gender equality.FindingsThis work shows that for French workers, equal pay and equal access to responsibilities are the most important dimensions of gender equality, while gender diversity and work-life balance seem less important. The representation of gender equality varies according to gender, professional field and managerial status. These variations help to understand the difficulty of implementing such policy.Practical implicationsManagerially, these results would strongly indicate that companies in France, but also in other developed countries, should consider carrying out awareness campaigns aimed at employees in order to promote a common culture and definition of gender equality. Indeed, the coexistence of various representations of gender equality partly explains the insufficient implementation—and thus the poor performance and general effectiveness of gender equality policies, both in theoretical and practical terms. Companies should also consider introducing awareness campaigns that specifically target men, who grant less importance to gender equality than women.Originality/valueThis study deals with social representations of gender equality in France, a subject which has been largely neglected or overlooked in existing fields of gender research. The international literature on gender equality shows that variations in representations of gender equality constitute a major subject for research and policies about gender, whatever the country. However, this topic still remains inadequately addressed. This research aims to strengthen such research literature dedicated to the issue of gender equality.

With a growing acknowledgment of gender equality being one of human rights, and adoption of SDGs, CSR and ESG policies among corporations around the world, Taiwan, deemed pioneer in the race of gender equality in Asia, has also implemented the same for the purpose of economic empowerment in women. The study reviews the status of female labors’ rights in workplace and analyses how regulations and the implementation of ESG measures could help achieve a true gender equality in workplace on the island. The study has organized and reviewed the transition of governmental administration responsible for gender equality, all kinds of policies regarding gender equality, including encouragement of gender ratio of the management in corporations, the legal framework of labor regulations with respect of gender issues and the SDG or ESG implementations among corporations regarding the same. With the findings presented through article, the study concludes that traditional view of hard laws may not be appropriate or effective enough to reach a true gender equality in the workplace due to the lack of flexibility while soft laws, e.g., ESG guideline and other associative measures, may be more effective from a bottom-up approach. Moreover, the study also concludes that Taiwan is on the path to better working conditions through the nature of sustainability report disclosed by corporations regardless of the scale of them. Thus, it is likely to achieve economic empowerment in women in Taiwan with the promotion of related soft laws policies.