Female Talent Research Articles

The Impact of HR Practices on Perceived Gender Sensitivity and Gender Bias: A Multilevel Analysis of Hotel Industry

Gender sensitivity aids as a probable solution for facilitating female talent in an organization. This study measures gender sensitivity by applying multilevel modeling in hotel industry with a twofold objective: to identify explanatory predictors at the organizational level as well as to check whether insensitivity is the result of inherent bias in the industry at the individual level. Primary data were obtained from 355 employees and 10 HR (human resource) managers of both five and four-star hotels of Udaipur, India. Since 19.132% of the variation in gender sensitivity lies among the hotels and variation at the individual level is 8.731%, the data is analyzed through hierarchical linear modeling. Perceived gender bias (PGB) and human resource policies and practices (HRP) were found to be both significant and enough to explain variation in gender sensitivity among hotels. Also, an inverse and significant relationship between perceived gender bias (PGB) and perceived gender sensitivity (PGS) and a positive and significant relationship between PGS and HRP were identified.

기업 내 여성 대표성 증진에 영향을 미치는 조직적 요인 탐색 ─ 여성인재 파이프라인의 성공적 가동 요인을 중심으로

기업 내 여성 대표성 증진에 영향을 미치는 조직적 요인 탐색 ─ 여성인재 파이프라인의 성공적 가동 요인을 중심으로

Are women from Venus? A mixed-method study determining important predictors of job pursuit intention across gender groups

PurposeDespite studies claiming gender inclusion is beneficial for organizations, the under-representation of females in the workforce is a reality. As recruitment practices impact employees' entry into organizations, examining the salient predictors of job pursuit intention might foster gender inclusivity.Design/methodology/approachBased on a mixed-method study conducted in two phases (Phase 1: a sample of 2,084 professionals; Phase 2: interviews of 20 senior human resource (HR) professionals and interviews with 26 women professionals), we examine the key predictors of job pursuit intention of women. We employed a qualitative study as Phase 2 employed a qualitative study to understand why some of the proposed hypotheses were not supported.FindingsWe found that work–life balance, perceived job security and perceived ethical behavior of organizations were more important for female than the male applicants in influencing their job pursuit intention. Also, the type of work and person–organization (P–O) fit were found to be equally important for both the gender groups. The implications of the study to theory and practice were discussed.Research limitations/implicationsOur study extends the existing literature by identifying salient factors (such as work–life balance, perceived job security and ethical citizenship) that are found to be more important for female applicants compared to their male counterparts while pursuing a job. Also, females were found to worry more about losing or not finding a job than males. Our results further indicate that type of work and P–O fit have a significant effect on job pursuit intention for both male and female applicants. The study addresses the need for research on targeted recruitment to increase gender inclusion.Practical implicationsThe contribution of this paper lies in identifying critical factors relevant to the female applicants in India who potentially constitute a large talent pool waiting to be leveraged. It adds to the body of knowledge on enabling inclusivity and affirmative action for increasing gender diversity through recruitment. By highlighting the factors that should be given prominence in job promotions to attract more female candidates and emphasizing the gender-focused HR policies and practices and through internal and external communication, it helps practitioners attract and retain female applicants in an emerging economy like India.Originality/valueOur study contributes in three ways. First, it attempts to plug the gap by investigating gendered preferences in job pursuit intentions between male and female applicants, especially in different cultural environments and in emerging markets such as India. Second, existing studies on job pursuit intentions were based mostly on inputs from student respondents. Our study has collected data from professionals working in organizations who have worked and experienced gender-related HR practices in organizations. Third, our study used a mixed-method approach to get a nuanced understanding of female talent expectations and preferences during the job-seeking behavior.

An Assessment of Why UK Creative Departments Lose Talented Women: The Lost Girls

Abstract: In the UK, our advertising agency creative departments are losing out on up to 50% of junior female talent graduating from directly relevant creative higher education courses, a group this research terms "The Lost Girls." Statistics from this study and others show women are more likely to graduate from creative advertising, art, and design programs, but far less likely to secure permanent jobs as art directors and copywriters than their male peers. This article contends that drop out of entry-level female talent is a significant contributing factor to the notable gender imbalance in UK advertising agency creative departments. Based on in-depth interviews and small focus groups with a number of women in various positions, from advertising students to creative directors, this study explores potential reasons for the loss of talent and how industry and educational institutions can collaborate to help more women get into and thrive in advertising agency creative careers.

Gender Inequality and the Direction of Ideas: Evidence from #MeToo

Does the #MeToo movement affect the gender orientation of ideas and who develops which types of ideas? We examine these questions in the context of Hollywood. Since #MeToo affected the entire industry, we use variation in whether producers had past collaborations with Harvey Weinstein to discern the movement’s impact. We find that relative to non-associated producers, there is, on average, no significant change in the likelihood of developing female-protagonist stories by Weinstein-associated producers after #MeToo versus before, despite the fact that they now work substantially more with female writers. This is because, among projects by Weinstein-associated producers, female writers are significantly less likely than male writers to work on female-protagonist stories after #MeToo. Moreover, compared to their non-associated counterparts, the depiction of female protagonists by Weinstein-associated producers after #MeToo is less traditionally feminine. Overall, our findings suggest that #MeToo may have helped mitigate the frictions and biases that prevent female talent from exploring parts of the idea space that are typically associated with men and may have shaped the nature of female-oriented works.

Paid Family Leave and Corporate Innovation

I investigate the effect of labor market frictions for female employees on corporate innovation. Following the implementation of state-level paid family leave acts, which exogenously increase female talent allocation by facilitating labor market participation of female inventors, firms headquartered in affected states show significant increases in their innovation relative to unaffected firms. This effect is stronger for firms in innovative industries, for firms with a skilled workforce, for firms in industries with lower labor mobility, for firms in less competitive local labor markets, and for firms with lower female employment. Overall, my results imply that labor market frictions for working mothers inhibit corporate innovation.

Pintoras y escultoras en el Museo de Arte Moderno de Madrid. Sus exposiciones entre 1898 y 1936

El presente artículo estudia las exposiciones de pintoras y escultoras realizadas en el Museo de Arte Moderno de Madrid desde su inauguración el 1 de agosto de 1898 hasta la Guerra Civil. Revelará los nombres de las doce artistas que tuvieron la oportunidad de exponer en sus salas, analizando las circunstancias que posibilitaron sus muestras y la recepción crítica de sus obras. Incidiremos con ello en la modernidad y la profesionalización que llegaron a alcanzar las artistas mujeres en el primer tercio del siglo XX, a pesar de los fuertes prejuicios sobre el talento femenino y las resistencias generales a la emancipación de la mujer propias de la época.

Sustainable Development Goals in Early Childhood Education. Empowering Young Girls to Bridge the Gender Gap in Science

The present study is evaluative research on the program INFACIENCIA: From the girls of today to the women scientists of tomorrow. Its aim is to increase knowledge about relevant women scientists among the entire educational community and, specifically, to help children in gaining an inclusive image of science, i.e., one that values and shows female talent. The evaluation of this program is based upon qualitative research techniques, such as semi-structured interviews, in order to give voice to everyone involved. In this paper we focus on teachers’ and families’ perspectives. Findings show that when young children actively learn science, they develop positive attitudes towards it. At the same time, it is revealed how learning about women scientists boosts a positive socialization context where egalitarian knowledge and attitudes towards science can be acquired. Participating teachers value the experience since there are still very few coeducational school interventions focused on young children. Participating families have increased their knowledge of women scientists they barely knew before and believe that these women deserve public appreciation. To conclude, INFACIENCIA has been regarded as a very positive experience both by teachers and families, thus claiming for it to be carried out again.

Yes, she can! Why medtech needs female innovators now more than ever

The medtech sector is innovative, influential and thriving. Yet, to its detriment, the industry consistently fails to attract female talent. The following article explores the impact that gender inequality has on the development of new medical technologies and highlights why diversity must no longer be considered an aspiration but a necessity in order for the industry to reach its full potential. As the medtech sector enters a new phase of rapid growth, it has never been more vital to encourage women to participate in shaping the future of healthcare technology. Now is the time for meaningful and enduring change. Forging new paths for enduring change.

Sense of Belonging as an Important Factor in the Pursuit of Physics: Does It Also Matter for Female Participants of the German Physics Olympiad?

This paper focuses on stereotype threat and its effects on sense of belonging in the German Physics Olympiad science competition. Participants completed questionnaires about sense of belonging, stereotype endorsement, interest, and self-concept in physics, as well as about value and success expectations of studying physics in college. Female participants who endorsed negative stereotypes about female talent for physics felt less sense of belonging to physics. This effect did not manifest for male participants. Sense of belonging to physics significantly predicted value and success expectations for studying physics in college beyond what is predicted by interest and self-concept in physics. These findings suggest that sense of belonging is influenced by stereotype threat, which was shown to cause gender differences in science. Nevertheless, sense of belonging could be included into the expectancy-value theory based on its predictive impact on value and success expectations of studying physics.

Female Migrants and Brain Waste – A Conceptual Challenge with Societal Implications

AbstractGlobal careers and highly skilled expatriates employing their talent in diverse contexts of the world tend to be conceptualized as “male”, and recognized diplomas represent employability. Despite the increasing feminization of migration, highly skilled female migrants and their contributions to economies through careers or entrepreneurship remain overlooked. Many obstacles impede the full employment of their talents. We review extant literature and argue that female migrant talent merits more detailed conceptual attention. By analysing interview data from 2010 to 2019 in two advanced European countries, we found that female migrants suffer from brain waste in multiple ways, partly due to external institutional aspects and discrimination and partly due to inherent internalized practices and sociocultural norms. We call for greater intersectionality and interdisciplinarity in examining equality to advance female economic participation. Private and public sectors may improve female talent perception, integration and employment by developing specific responses to the problems identified.

Women in the Steel Industry: Closed in Corners or Provided with Possibilities


 
 
 The steel industry has been one of the basic industries in both Sweden and Finland. It is in a process of change, where research and development play an increasingly prominent role. In Sweden in particular, there is also an ambition to increase the number of women in the industry. This study is based on interviews and workshops with 12 women working in researcher or managerial positions in the Swedish steel industry. Their experiences show that employing more women in the industry is not enough to make effective use of the female talent pool, nor to increase gender equality. Besides belonging to a gender minority, women often had different backgrounds and career paths from their male colleagues, and their organizations need to be able to recognize the value of untraditional characteristics. The organizational environment determined whether these women became just an improvement in gender statistics or real gains in the quest for competence.
 
 

Career decisions of Indian female talent: implications for gender-sensitive talent management

PurposeTalent scarcity in emerging economies such as India poses challenges for companies, and limited labour market participation among well-educated women has been observed. The reasons that professionals decide not to pursue a further corporate career remain unclear. By investigating career decision-making, this article aims to highlight (1) the contextual factors that impact those decisions, (2) individuals' agency to handle them and (3) the implications for talent management (TM).Design/methodology/approachFollowing a qualitative research design, computer-aided analysis was conducted on interviews with 24 internationally experienced Indian business professionals. A novel application of neo-institutionalism in the Indian context was combined with the family-relatedness of work decisions (FRWD) model.FindingsCareer decisions indicate that rebellion against Indian societal and family expectations is essential to following a career path, especially for women. TM as part of the current institutional framework serves as a legitimising façade veiling traditional practices that hinder females' careers.Research limitations/implicationsInterviewees adopted a retrospective perspective when describing their career decisions; therefore, different views might have existed at the moment of decision-making.Practical implicationsDesign and implementation of gender-sensitive TM adjusted to fit the specific Indian context can contribute to retaining female talent in companies and the labour market.Originality/valueThe importance of gender-sensitive TM can be concluded from an empirical study of the context-based career decision-making of experienced business professionals from India. The synthesis of neo-institutionalism, the FRWD model and the research results provides assistance in mapping talent experiences and implications for overcoming the challenges of talent scarcity in India.

Opt-out stories: women’s decisions to leave corporate leadership

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how the challenges to women’s authentic leadership identities contribute to their decisions to abandon leadership positions mid-career. It examines the critical career moments and underlying themes behind these women’s decisions to leave. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on semi-structured interviews (n = 9) with women between the ages of 32-53 who had opted-out of mid-level corporate leadership positions. Findings The study found that work–life balance was not the primary factor in women’s decisions to leave. Instead, the women in the study reflected on their inability to be themselves and contribute perceived value to the organization as triggering their decisions to leave. Research limitations/implications There are limitations in using a small sample of women selected through the researchers’ social media networks resulting in limited cultural and racial diversity. Practical implications Misconceptions about women’s decisions to leave corporate leadership mid-career misleads human resource (HR) practices and initiatives focused on retaining female talent. Organizations need to recognize and reshape the organizational environment to support women to be their authentic self and make the value of their contributions more transparent. Originality/value The paper is original in that it examines opt-out from the lens of women’s leadership identities in corporate contexts. There are limited studies that have examined the connections between identity and women’s career decisions beyond work–ife balance. It provides practical value to HR practitioners and organizations focused on retaining female talent.

Be a Catalyst for Change: Breaking Down Barriers to Maximise Australian Female Talent in Chemistry

Catalysts were invented to speed up chemical reactions, helping to maximise yields from available resources. If the same logic is applied to chemists themselves, what impact would this have on helping us maximise Australian female talent in the chemistry sector? This article aims to provide information on the current problems faced by female chemists across categories of workplace culture, work–life balance, measures of merit, and mentorship. It also serves as a call to action for all of us who work in the chemistry sector to be that catalyst (#catalystforchangeinchemistry) – to help speed up change towards gender equality that will, in turn, maximise our collective and diverse talents.

THE DIGITAL SKILLS CRISIS: ENGENDERING TECHNOLOGY–EMPOWERING WOMEN IN CYBERSPACE

This paper examines the latest research on the digital skills crisis, focusing on the factors that contribute to digital exclusion. Through an extensive analysis of current literature on the digital divide, the authors discuss digital skills gaps, namely the exclusion of a sizeable part of the workforce from the digital market economy—and women in particular. Studies indicate that exclusion from the digital market is augmented and reinforced when combining the gender dimension with other exclusionary factors such as disability, age, race and socioeconomic background. Research confirms that the gender imbalance in ICT and related sectors persists today, despite decades of equal opportunity policies, legislation and government initiatives. Women are still underrepresented and digitally excluded and efforts to attract, recruit and retain girls and women in ICT and STEM seem to be failing, reinforcing the gender gaps: participation gap, pay gap, and leadership gap, a result of the deep-rooted gender order reflected in the latest Global Gender Gap Report and Index. A growing body of research of the twenty-first shows that inspiring girls and women into technology—increasing the talent pool in ICT and STEM— requires engendering technology, eliminating gender stereotypes, and raising the profile of female role models and mentors. Studies repeatedly argue that engendering technology entails women’s agency and economic empowerment. Accordingly, the authors include recommendations from inspirational role models and mentors, three successful women in ICT, STEM and Information Society who have made a difference. All three, following a series of semi-structured interviews, propose engendering technology to increase the female talent pool in addition to engendering STEM education, that is to say, including the gender dimension. Article visualizations:

Retention of Women Employees in an Organization

Retention is more significant than acquisition as it takes more cash and period than any process. Female employees are the greatest worthy and valued asset, particularly for any organisation. Female employee exiting, is a indication of deeper subjects that have not been fixed, which may include low worker confidence, absence of a clear job route, absence of acknowledgement, poor employee-manager associations or many other problems. Employee retention is connected to the labours by which bosses challenge to hold the workers in their labour force. In this sense, retaining becomes the policies rather than the consequence for an organisation. The necessity of the organisation is to entice the best female talent and to hold them for a long time in the organisation. Organizations will endure to be in a rotating gate for female employees unless HR managers arrange and offer plans and creativities to retain the female workers through their job. The major factor in the retention of female workers, would require organizations to think about best applies which leads to female employees grow in their career with one association. The paper focuses on studying the women retaining strategies and how to retain more women employees in an organisation (Shabnam K, (2017)).

The impact of perceived flexible work options within India-based IT companies

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This research paper demonstrates that increased perceived supervisor support and organizational support for the use of flexible work options by women approaching motherhood in India's IT sector increases their job satisfaction, reduces their level of work-life conflict, and lowers their desire to quit. Cultural factors such as an inclination to quit a job upon becoming pregnant following successful fertility treatment present female talent retention challenges for these organizations, since many women do not return to work after becoming mothers. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Identity, glass borders and globally mobile female talent

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the interplay between identity and global mobility in the careers of senior, female talent, uniquely taking into account the perceptions of both female and male participants. In addition, the role organisations can play in enabling women to overcome these identity constraints is identified.Design/methodology/approachThis interpretivist study draws on data from 38 in-depth interviews with senior managers in a large, multinational organisation to elicit a rich picture of how such careers are enacted.FindingsFindings reveal how identity conflicts function as a glass border for globally mobile, senior female talent. Ways in which talent can access positive identity narratives to inform global mobility choices are identified.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of this study include the relatively small sample size and the single case design of this research. The findings, however, offer insights into the identity work of globally mobile, female talent across different contexts.Practical implicationsOrganisations can facilitate access to identity narratives through mentoring, face-to-face forums and via the internet to enable globally mobile, female talent to make more informed global mobility choices.Originality/valueDrawing on identity theory, this paper examines how identity work for globally mobile, female talent has more fluid interpersonal boundaries than for men, creating on-going identity struggles. In highlighting how identity narratives can act as a means of breaching the glass border and facilitating global mobility for female talent, a contribution is made to existing debates in the fields of identity, gender studies and global talent management.

(Invited) Gender Bias in STEM Workplaces

While we have seen an increase in women’s representation in certain STEM fields such as biology and chemistry, many engineering and technology professions have seen relatively slow increases (and, in some cases, decreases) in women’s participation. Though an increasing number of women are choosing STEM careers, many experience frustrations when trying to move up into more senior positions. Achieving gender equity in STEM requires addressing issues affecting women’s inclusion and advancement in the workplace, particularly the impact of gender bias. A recent study found that 27% of women in the U.S. feel that their careers are stalled in STEM, with over 30% indicating thoughts of leaving their jobs within the year.1 And women in the U.S. are not alone: Women around the globe are struggling to reach higher level positions in their STEM careers, with 47% of women in China and 55% of women in India indicating that a women will never get a top position in her company, no matter how able or high-performing.2 Research indicates that one of the primary reasons for women’s attrition from the STEM workforce is workplace climate and culture. For example, one study found organizational climate was the primary factor for 30% of women who left the engineering profession, with nearly half citing working conditions such as a lack of advancement or salary.3 Addressing gender bias in the STEM workplace will help to close the gender gaps that exist in the STEM workforce. It is not just the right thing to do: Reducing women’s attrition in STEM is necessary to help meet the growing global demand for STEM talent. Studies also show that gender-balanced teams are more innovative, and companies with greater levels of gender diversity in upper management see greater financial performance than their less-diverse counterparts.4,5 Hewlett, S. A., Sherbin, L., Dieudonne, F., Fargnoli, C., & Fredman, C. (2014). Athena Factor 2.0: Accelerating Female Talent in Science, Engineering & Technology: Executive Summary. Ibid.Fouad, N. A., Singh, R., Fitzpatrick, M. E., & Liu, J. P. (2012). Stemming the tide: Why women leave engineering. Kelly Services. (2016). Women in STEM: How and why an inclusive strategy is critical to closing the STEM talent gap. McKinsey & Company. (2018). Delivering through diversity.