Acker's Theory Research Articles

When Taking Pay off the Table: A Qualitative Study of Gender Equity for Academic Leaders in the US Military.

Although gender inequity persists globally in academic leadership positions, the United States Military has equitable pay and, in academic pediatrics, has equitable gender representation in leadership positions. To better understand how the US Military framework affects physician leaders, pediatricians were interviewed to illuminate the factors that facilitated their success and what barriers they faced in their career. In 2022, following institutional review board approval, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 total participants (69% female, 31% male) serving as general pediatricians or pediatric subspecialists in the US Military. These pediatricians were in leadership positions of military academic medicine across seven graduate medical education (GME) sites. The interviews examined the leaders' perceptions of facilitators and barriers to their success. The authors analyzed the interviews using Acker's theory of gendered organizations as a theoretical framework, which explains embedded gender roles within work environments. Drawing on the theory of gendered organizations, the authors identified that participants described several facilitators to their success, including the availability of mentorship/sponsorship, inclusive leadership, and early and persistent exposure to women leaders in GME training and beyond. Because medicine's ideal worker was normed around the traditional roles of men, men observed and women experienced barriers to leadership success around issues related to childbearing, maternity leave, and microaggressions. This study revealed that equitability for pediatric GME leadership in the military heavily relied on structures and support created by former leaders and mentors. Isolating these structures within a unique context of military academic medicine can illuminate physicians' experiences to address barriers and better support equitable leadership roles in both military and civilian academic medicine.

Investigating the gender pay gap in the Maltese financial and insurance sector: a macro and micro approach

PurposeAlthough women have advanced in the economic sphere, the gender pay gap (GPG) remains a persisting problem for gender equality. Using Acker's theory of gendered organisations, this study strives to gain a better understanding from a macro and micro approach, how family and work-related policies, especially family-friendly measures (FFMs), and their uptake, contribute and maintain the GPG in Malta and specifically within the Financial and Insurance sector.Design/methodology/approachTwo research instruments were used. National policy documents were analysed through the gender lens, followed by structured interviews with HR managerial participants within this sector.FindingsFindings suggest that at a macro level, family and work-related policies could be divided into two broad categories: A set of family-friendly policies that contribute to the GPG because of their gendered nature, or because the uptake is mostly taken by women. These include make-work pay policies, which initially appear to be gender neutral, but which attracted lower educated inactive women to the Maltese labour market at low pay, contributing to an increase in the GPG. Second, a set of policies that take on a gender-neutral approach and help reduce the GPG. These include policies like the free childcare and after school care scheme that allow mothers to have a better adherence to the labour market. At the micro level within organisations, pay discrepancies between women and men were largely negated and awareness about the issue was low. Here, “ideal worker” values based on masculine norms seemed to lead to covert biases towards mothers who shoulder heavier care responsibilities in the families and make a bigger use of FFMs. Because men are better able to conform to these gendered values and norms, the GPG persists through vertical segregation and glass ceilings, among others.Research limitations/implicationsSince not all the companies in the Eurostat NACE code list participated in this research, results could not be generalised but were indicative to future large-scale studies..Practical implicationsAt the macro and policy level, some FFMs take on a clear gendered approach. For example, the disparity in length between maternity (18 weeks) and paternity leave (1 day) reinforces gender roles and stereotypes, which contribute to the GPG in the long run. While some FFMs like parental leave, career breaks, urgent family leave, telework, flexible and reduced hours seem to take on a more gender-neutral approach, the uptake of FFMs (except childcare) seems to generate discriminatory behaviour that may affect the GPG. When considering the make-work pay policies such as the “in-work benefit” and the “tapering of benefits”, this study showed that these policies attracted lower educated and low-skilled women into the labour market, which in turn may have further contributed to the increasing GPGs. On the other hand, the childcare and after school policies relieve working mothers from caregiving duties, minimising career interruptions, discriminatory behaviour and overall GPGs.Social implicationsThis study confirmed that organisations within the Financial and Insurance sector are gendered and give value to full-time commitment and long working hours, especially in managerial roles. Managerial positions remain associated with men because mothers tend to make more use of FFMs such as parental leave, reduced, flexible hours and teleworking. Mothers are indirectly penalised for doing so, because in gendered organisations, the uptake of FFMs conflict with the demands of work and ideal worker values (Acker, 1990). This maintains the vertical segregation and widens the GPG within the Financial and Insurance sector.Originality/valueBy using the gender lens and taking a wider and more holistic approach from the macro and micro level, this study highlights how interlinking factors lead to and sustain the GPG in the Financial and Insurance sector in Malta.

‘Being in science and at the same time being a woman is difficult’: Academic women's experiences of gender inequalities in STEM academia in Ethiopia

This article examines the problem of gender inequalities in two science and technology universities in Ethiopia drawing on the lived experiences of academic (teaching and research faculty) women. We analysed the data from in-depth interviews with STEM academic women through reference to Acker's theory of gendered organisation. Our findings demonstrate that women faculty are not only significantly underrepresented but also face gendered barriers that hinder their equitable participation and career progression. Based on these findings, we argue that the gendered institutional structures, practices, processes and cultures of the two universities underpin the perpetuation of both quantitative and qualitative gender inequalities in academe of the two universities. We further argue that it is imperative to acknowledge these institutional impediments and tackle them to redress the persistent gender inequalities in these contexts. The findings of this paper contribute to the existing research by bringing perspectives and experiences of STEM academic women from the Global South context.

Rethinking how we work with Acker's theory of gendered organizations: An abductive approach for feminist empirical research

AbstractIn this article I demonstrate the methodological value of working abductively with Joan Acker's theory of gendered organizations, as an approach for feminist empirical research. Although the value of Acker's theory is acknowledged, I note it is most frequently used to legitimize the idea that organizations are gendered, not to test whether they are. Few use her theory fully or as it was originally intended. Fewer still have questioned it. This, I argue, contributes to the stagnation of her ideas and results in blindness toward, or disregard for, data that does not support her theory. To realize the analytical potential of Acker's theory, I call for future studies to work abductively with data unaccounted for in the expectations and predictions set by Acker, while operationalizing her five‐dimensional framework in its entirety. Abduction is about discovering new concepts, ideas, and explanations by working with surprising phenomena or data that cannot be explained by pre‐existing knowledge. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, I draw upon a qualitative case study of one atypical Australian trade union. I outline the creative process of drawing inferences to best explain anomalous observations using other theoretical resources in the gender studies field, which together with Acker, constitute a plausible explanation for questions that arose during analysis. This analysis not only surfaces how masculine power is maintained by having women in leadership positions, who serve as “role models” while quieting “others,” but that women and men cooperated as a “team” to support a feminine public impression of the union that was knowingly contradicted in private, indicating a more “truthful” performance.

Displacement-plurality (D-P) in women refugees, its influence on work engagement and implications for diversity practice: a critical and reflective review

PurposeMuch of the current research on women refugees and work focuses solely on settlement, neglecting the effects of displacement within this equation, despite its significant impact. Drawing from the wider literature of international development, migration, gender, work psychology and sociology, this paper provides a framework to guide informed research within this area.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is a reflective and critical review of the intersection between gender, forced displacement and work. It addresses a blind spot in the current work literature, which fails to address the impact of displacement on refugee women and the consequences of displacement for vocational engagement during resettlement.FindingsThis paper contributes to the current literature in four ways. First, it adds forced displacement to the peripheral-intersections literature informing Acker's theory of “inequality regimes”. Secondly, it contributes to a deeper understanding of how pluralities and intersectionality develop during forced displacement, by introducing the theory of displacement-plurality (D-P). Thirdly, it contributes to human resource management (HRM) diversity practice by explaining the relationship between D-P and related constructs, such as work engagement (WE), economic empowerment (EE), work-related factors (WRFs) and psycho-social factors (PSFs) to help improve localised diversity practices in relation to refugee populations. Fourthly, it provides a detailed framework to guide research and practice in this area, supported by a critical evaluation of the current refugee work literature.Originality/valueWhen we understand displacement-related factors, we can move towards a more emancipatory approach to intersectionality, allowing us to develop more sophisticated approaches to diversity in organisations. In turn, this helps us to understand people's lived experiences and their responses to organisational interventions more effectively.

Gendered images of international research collaboration

Joan Acker's theory on gendered organizations offers important tools for understanding subtler forms of inequalities and gendered practices in the workplace. According to Acker, invisible mechanisms in organizations such as the symbolic and material/structural aspects of organizations reproduce gendered inequalities. My application of Acker's theory demonstrates how imagery itself assigns value to collaborative practices in gender stereotypical ways. In an institutional context that devalues international research collaboration among faculty, gendered images of exploiter, patronizing helper, partner, or friend ultimately serve to construct glass fences ‐ obstacles to international collaborative engagement ‐ particularly for women. The reflection and potential recreation of gendered inequalities among academics simultaneously reconstructs inequalities between the U.S. and abroad, as institutional reward structures attach gendered symbolic and material values that (re)shape (international) collaborations themselves. Together, these processes construct the gendered organization of global science and academia.

Kadın olmak mı, akademisyen olmak mı? : işte bütün mesele bu

Kadınlık ve erkeklik biyolojik olmaktan çok toplumsal bir üretimin sonucudur. Kadının toplumsal hayattaki konumlanışı, iş hayatı ve ev içi emek konularında bu toplumsal üretimin izlerini görmek mümkündür. Ev içi iş bölümünde kadın aleyhine işleyen yapı kadının iş hayatını da etkilemektedir. Bu bağlamda akademide kadının deneyimlediği cinsiyete dayalı baskılar, çalışmamın konusunu oluşturmaktadır. Kadının akademi yaşamında genelde cinsiyet ve özelde ise anneliği üzerinden yaşadığı rol çatışmalarını ortaya koymak bu çalışmanın temel amacıdır. Bu amaca ulaşmak için Walby’nin patriyarka ve Acker’ın cinsiyetlendirilmiş kurum kuramıyla ele aldım. Seküler bir şehrin köklü bir üniversitesi olan Ege Üniversitesi, mesleki aidiyetimin geliştiği ve kadınlık deneyimlerimin şekillendiği Edebiyat Fakültesi’nin çeşitli bölümlerinden yedi kadın akademisyenle derinlemesine görüşme yaptım. Onların akademik kariyeri boyunca cinsiyete dayalı deneyimlerini feminist metodolojiye uygun olarak betimsel analize tabi tuttum. Kadının, akademiye giriş, akademik kariyer, evlilik ve çocuk sahibi olma süreçlerinde görece demokratik olması beklenen akademide dahi eril tahakkümle karşılaştıkları ortaya çıkmıştır

Dissecting a Gendered Organization: Implications for Career Trajectories for Mid-Career Faculty Women in STEM

This paper traces the workplace practices within which mid-career women faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) carry out their careers. Findings from this case study of 25 faculty at one research university revealed three institutional processes that constrained their careers: (a) access to and integration into career networks; (b) distribution of labor in the department and institution; and (c) promotion and leadership. Using Acker's (1990, 2012) theory of gendered organizations and subtexts I uncovered systemic inequities that could compromise professional advancement for midcareer women faculty in STEM. Implications for these findings; Acker's theory; and recommendations for policy, practice, and future research are included.

Nonlocal kinetic energy functional for an inhomogeneous two-dimensional Fermi gas

The average-density approximation is used to construct a nonlocal kinetic energy functional for an inhomogeneous two-dimensional Fermi gas. This functional is then used to formulate a Thomas-Fermi-von Weizs\"acker-like theory for the description of the ground-state properties of the system. The quality of the kinetic energy functional is tested by performing a fully self-consistent calculation for an ideal, harmonically confined, two-dimensional system. Good agreement with exact results are found, with the number and kinetic energy densities exhibiting oscillatory structure associated with the nonlocality of the energy functional. Most importantly, this functional shows a marked improvement over the two-dimensional Thomas-Fermi von Weizs\"acker theory, particularly in the vicinity of the classically forbidden region.

Gendering innovation process in an industrial plant – revisiting tokenism, gender and innovation

Purpose – This article provides an analysis of the gendering process in product innovation. Interwoven into this process is the encapsulation of a token position. The article expands and deepens the tokenism theory through a discussion of gender in the innovation process. The article draws from recent and classical theories of gender, ranging from gendering approaches to Acker's theory of gendered organisations and processes within organisations, and Moss Kanter's tokenism theory. The main objective of the article is to address this gap in the tokenicsm discussion and introduce a new concept of “processual tokenism”. Design/methodology/approach – The article builds on an intensive single case study and uses a narrative methodology and approach in the analysis of the data of the case in question. The primary data used in the narratives consist of interview data. The article also uses documents and reports as secondary data in the narrative construction. The approach used is theoretical, interpretative and ...

‘Why Do All the Women Disappear?’ Gendering Processes in a Political Science Department

The article provides an in‐depth analysis of the gendering processes among PhD candidates in a political science department. It uses Joan Acker's theory of gendered organizations operating through four dimensions: the gendered division of labour, gendered interaction, gendered symbols and gendered interpretations of one's position in the organization. The article combines this approach with theories of hidden discrimination. The key theoretical aim is to contribute to gendered organizational theory by examining the ways in which hidden discrimination and the gendered organization work together. This generates detailed and differentiated knowledge about the mechanisms of hidden discrimination that produce gender inequalities in the department. The findings presented in this article point to the role of gendered division of labour and the lack of information about departmental practices. PhD supervision by men is a particularly strong structural barrier for women because of the gendered nature of interaction in supervision and the difficulties that female PhD students have in a male‐dominated environment. The article further contributes to debates on gendered organizations by focusing upon the gendered symbols of expertise in political science. These symbols reproduce the man as the political scientist norm and result in women interpreting their own position as marginal or as outsiders.

GENDERED ORGANIZATIONAL LOGIC

This article uses Acker's theory of gendered organizations to frame an analysis of the ways in which policies and practices in a men's and a women's prison reflect and reproduce gendered inequalities. The article offers a working definition of one of Acker's key theoretical concepts, the notion of “gendered organizational logic.” Then, using interview data collected from correctional officers in a men's and a women's prison, the article examines the ways in which officer training and assignments, although designed to be nominally generic, assume a male worker and disproportionately benefit male officers working in men's institutions. These findings imply that the perspective could more usefully be conceived as a theory of “masculinized” organizations.

The Gendered Organization of An Australian Anglican Parish

This paper uses Acker's theory of gendered organizations to identify the processes involved in the construction of the male and female domains in an Australian Anglican parish. Participant-observation in the parish provided unique insight into the production of these domains. Though the parishioners lack theological agreement on gender ideologies they have consensus on the essential opposition of male and female. Men are decision-makers and leaders whereas women are nurturers, carers, and servers. A permeable boundary exists in the parish social organization between the male and female domains; some women are allowed to enter the male domain of parish administration if they are perceived as having male attributes. An examination of the parish social organimation (parish administration and small groups), and of the interactions between men and women, illustrates the gendered nature of social processes in the parish. These interactions create and reinforce the subordination of women to men. Women involved in the Anglican Church of Australia have multiple views of the relationship between the Church and women. Some believe that women are oppressed by the institutional patriarchal Church, while others deny that the Church marginalizes them because of gender. Based on anthropological fieldwork in an Anglican parish, this paper identifies the social processes involved in gendering the parish as first step in understanding the ways in which women may be marginalized in the church. Bliss (1952) points to the existence of the female domain in religious organizations, which for some women becomes a within church, or alongside (Bliss 1952: 31). What are the social processes which create and maintain this female church or domain? Recent work on modern economic organizations provides path for helping to understand the social processes involved in the production and reproduction of gender differences within work organizations, but it sheds little light on the way genderedness arises in religious organizations (Lewis and Morgan 1994; Mills and Tancred 1992; Mills 1988; Hearn 1994; Alveson and Billing 1992). However, work of Acker (1990, 1992), which develops theory of gendered

Partially linearized Thomas-Fermi-Weizsäcker theory for screening and stopping of charged particles in jellium.

A partially linearized Thomas-Fermi-Weizs\"acker theory is proposed to study charged particles interacting with jellium. This simple theory can be derived by linearizing contributions involving the Thomas-Fermi kinetic-energy density. The calculations are based on a nonlinear inhomogeneous integrodifferential equation that includes the potential along the lines suggested by the original Thomas-Fermi-Weizs\"acker theory. Exchange-correlation effects are neglected. The coefficient of the von Weizs\"acker term is prescribed according to Kato's cusp condition in order to investigate both heavy and light particles in jellium. This theoretical framework is applied to compute the stopping power of a jellium for slow protons and antiprotons, induced electron densities, positron annihilation rates, and the electron-correlation function for antiparallel spin. Illustrative comparisons with the results of other theories are also made.