Male Employees Research Articles

Continuous improvement between re-engineering administrative processes and reducing costs at the University of Sheba Province

The study aimed to find out the impact of re-engineering administrative processes in reducing costs by promoting continuous improvement at the University of Sheba Province. The study relied on the descriptive and analytical approach and used the questionnaire as a tool for collecting data. The study population represented the employees of the University of the Sheba Province, who numbered (305) male and female employees. (170) questionnaires were distributed, and the number of questionnaires returned and suitable for analysis was (130), with a percentage of (76.47%). The study found that (re-engineering administrative processes, continuous improvement, reducing costs) came to a moderate degree. There is a moderate positive relationship and impact of re-engineering administrative processes in reducing costs. There is a relationship and a high positive impact of re-engineering administrative processes in continuous improvement. There is a relationship and an average positive effect of continuous improvement in reducing costs, and continuous improvement mediates the relationship between administrative process re-engineering and continuous improvement, which is a partial relationship. The study recommended that the university form a committee to identify processes that need to be re-engineered and redesigned, develop a strategic plan to develop the administrative and academic staff.

A Study of the Work-Life Balance of IT Professionals in Bengaluru: An Empirical Investigation

This study analyses the degree of work-life balance and challenges among IT Professionals of Bengaluru-based IT companies. The study has used both quantitative and qualitative analysis by using random and snowballing techniques to study the population. A structured questionnaire through an online survey form is used to collect the data. Smart PLS and IBM SPSS have been used to test the relation PLS algorithm and bootstrapping for quantitative analysis. For qualitative analysis, we used one on one interview method. We found 63 percent of responses for work-life balance can be explained from the WLB model and that females had better work-life balance and less pressure than male professionals. The study’s outcome lies in female employees compared to male employees. This research has implications for scholars and practitioners in the field of human resource management, as well as novelty in the field of organizational development and growth in particular.

Parenthood wage gaps in multinational enterprises

While multinational enterprises (MNEs) are widely recognized for providing employment to a significant number of women around the globe, empirical evidence suggests that existing gender inequalities may be aggravated rather than alleviated in their subsidiaries. We build on gender theory to better understand how gender is construed and enacted differently in MNE subsidiaries compared to domestic firms, particularly with regard to the differential effects of parenthood on wage gaps for male versus female employees. Because of the relatively more demanding working conditions in MNE subsidiaries and their gendered policies and practices, we hypothesize that the motherhood penalty and fatherhood bonus are larger in MNE subsidiaries than in domestic firms. Using an extensive database of micro-level data of over 36,500 employees in 57 countries, we find a larger fatherhood bonus in MNE subsidiaries compared to domestic firms, but no significant difference in the motherhood penalty. Our results suggest that shifting entrenched gendered social beliefs and divisions of household labor is not the only pathway to gender equality, and call for a critical examination of gender-related values, perceptions, policies, and practices in MNEs, beyond a focus on supporting women (with children). We discuss managerial, theoretical, and societal implications accordingly.

A Study of Organizational Silence from the Viewpoint of Female Students in Male-Dominated Classrooms

Organizational silence behavior is one of the problems frequently experienced by women working in male-dominated workplaces. Women working in such workplaces prefer to remain silent about the problems that they face or the issues that concern the organization in general for various reasons. The aim of this study is to determine whether the same behavior is experienced by female students in male-dominated classrooms. The study was conducted with 102 students in a male-dominated university. On the evaluation of the survey, it is seen that female students showed behaviors similar to those of male students in all three sub-dimensions of organizational silence, and they were able to express the problems they experienced or observed without worrying about damaging the image of the class, being labeled as troublemakers, or being excluded from the class. It is thought that this study will have a positive contribution to the literature researching not only the relations between female and male students in the classroom but also different aspects of organizational silence. Future research may focus on investigating whether the differences in the behaviors of male and female employees in workplace or their reactions to events are also experienced by male and female students in the educational environment, comparing the behaviors of male and female students in male-dominated classrooms, and identifying differences between generations in this regard.

Leadership Preference and Managerial Creativity in Corporate Sector Employees in the GDM Industrial Belt

The study aims to examine the relationship between leadership style preference and managerial creativity among corporate employees in the GDM Industrial Belt. The research uses mixed sampling methods, including simple random sampling and area or cluster sampling, to collect data. The sample consists of 115 corporate employees aged 20-60 years from the Gurgaon-Delhi-Meerut industrial belt. The scales used were Managerial Creativity Scale (MCS) by Sangeeta Jain, Rajnish Jain, and Upinder Dhar and Leadership Preference Scale (LPS) by L. I. Bhushan, 1995. The results showed a prevalence of preference for democratic leadership style among employees, with a higher correlation between managerial creativity and leadership preference. The Pearson's correlation between managerial creativity and leadership preference was 0.726. An independent-samples t-test showed a moderately significant difference in managerial creativity levels between male and female employees. The study highlights the importance of considering both leadership preferences and managerial creativity in the corporate sector

Perception of employees towards learning in hybrid workplace: a study of university faculty

Purpose Studies have so far focused on learning in organizations, factors affecting learning, learning effectiveness and so on but the concept of learning in a hybrid work arrangement is yet unexplored. The purpose of this study is to measure the perception of faculty members in higher education institutions towards learning in a hybrid work arrangement and also to measure the differences of perception towards hybrid work arrangement based on employees’ gender and organization type. Design/methodology/approach The data was collected from a sample of 390 faculty members composing of Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Professors, purposely chosen from two of the premier higher education institutions (one private and one public) located in Punjab, India. A self-structured questionnaire was administered to the faculty members who are working on a regular basis and have minimum of two years of work experience with the chosen university. For analysing the collected data exploratory factor analysis and other descriptive statistics have been applied. Findings The findings of the survey show that in terms of gender differences, it is the female employees who are more satisfied with different aspects of hybrid/remote work arrangement as compared to male employees. In regard to organizational differences in the perception towards learning in a hybrid work arrangement it is found that public university employees have a more positive attitude so far as individual factors are concerned, but in terms of organizational factors, it is the private university that is scoring better than the public university. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to only two higher education institutions, and its findings to be applicable in all higher education institutions, further studies may be required on a larger canvas. Future studies may be undertaken using advanced statistical tools like structural equation modelling to explore various variables associated with learning in a hybrid work arrangement. Originality/value Applicability of hybrid work arrangement is very high in higher education institutions and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study which adds to the literature on perception of employees towards organizational learning in a hybrid work arrangement.

Abstract MP07: Body Weight Change Mediates the Relationship Between Alcohol Intake and Incidence of Hypertension in Japanese Men

Background: Heavy drinking is a risk factor for hypertension. Alcohol consumption is also associated with weight changes. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the mediating effect of weight change on the incidence of hypertension depending on the level of alcohol consumption in a cohort study of Japanese men. Methods: The participants were 2,137 non-hypertensive male employees (18-61 years old, mean age 38.3) of a metal products factory in Japan. BMI and blood pressure (BP) were measured during a health examination in 2009. BP was measured twice after resting, and the means of BP values were analyzed. Types of alcohol, amount and frequency of drinking were evaluated using a self-administered questionnaire. Follow-up body weight and BP were measured during a health examination in 2014. The incidence of hypertension was defined as systolic BP 130 or higher, diastolic BP 80 or higher, or oral antihypertensive medication. We investigated the mediating effect of BMI on the relationship between alcohol consumption and blood pressure. Associations were adjusted for baseline age, BMI, and systolic BP. Results: The mean values (standard deviations, SD) of baseline BMI (kg/m 2 ), systolic and diastolic BP (mmHg) were 22.6 (2.7), 111.6 (9.2), 67.0 (7.3), respectively. During the 5-year follow-up, 429 incident case of hypertension were identified. The mean body weight change (kg) over 5 years for each alcohol consumption category (non-drinker, <20g ethanol/day, 20-39 g/day, and ≥40 g/day) was 0.8 (4.4), 0.7 (4.0), 0.0 (3.8), and -0.4 (4.4), and the incidence rates (%) of hypertension were 16.0, 17.7, 28.0, and 32.1, respectively. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for incident hypertension were 1.00 (reference), 1.22 (0.90-1.64), 1.71 (1.19-2.47), and 2.06 (1.37-3.09); ORs were significantly higher for those with 20-39g/day and ≥40g/day groups compared to non-drinkers. In the mediation analysis, the odds ratios for the direct effect of each alcohol consumption group on the development of hypertension were 1.00 (reference), 1.27 (0.94-1.73), 1.91 (1.39-3.44), 2.36 (1.56-3.58), and those for indirect effect mediated by body weight change were 1.00 (reference), 0.99 (0.95-1.04), 0.96 (0.90-1.01), and 0.93 (0.85-0.99), respectively. Conclusion: Alcohol consumption was inversely associated with body weight change and positively associated with the incidence of hypertension. Among heavy drinkers, there was a significant indirect effect mediated by body weight, and weight loss due to heavy drinking lowered the risk of developing hypertension. When evaluating the relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of hypertension for heavy drinkers, the risk due to alcohol drinking may be underestimated through changes in body weight.

Unraveling the role of external social support in coping with negative workplace gossip

The positive role of organizational and supervisor support for employees who are coping with being targets of negative workplace gossip has been established. However, to extend understanding of how external social support works in the context of workplace gossip, we investigated social support from family and friends and gender as joint moderators of the relationship between gossip and task performance of the targeted employees. A longitudinal twowave survey research design was utilized. The sample consisted of 231 supervisor–subordinate dyads employed by five large companies in China. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted, and we uncovered a negative association between negative workplace gossip and task performance. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that external social support had an amplifying effect on the relationship between negative workplace gossip and the task performance of targeted male employees, whereas external social support had a mitigating effect for targeted female employees. This study practically guides managers to address negative workplace gossip more effectively with a consideration of gender differences, and theoretically expands understanding of the impact of social support and its interaction with gender in the context of negative workplace gossip.

Taking appreciation to heart: appreciation at work and cardiovascular risk in male employees.

While perceived appreciation at work has been associated with self-reported health and wellbeing, studies considering biological health markers are lacking. In this study, we investigated whether appreciation at work would relate to coronary heart disease (CHD) risk as well as the specificity of this proposed association. Our study comprised a total of 103 male participants, including apparently healthy, medication-free, non-smoking men in the normotensive to hypertensive range (n = 70) as well as medicated hypertensive and CHD patients (n = 33). CHD risk was assessed by blood pressure [mean arterial pressure (MAP)], the diabetes marker glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), blood lipids [total cholesterol (TC)/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio], coagulation activity (D-dimer and fibrinogen), and inflammation [interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP)]. Perceived appreciation at work, as well as potentially confounding psychological factors (social support, self-esteem, and work strain due to a lack of appreciation), were measured by self-report questionnaires. We found higher appreciation at work to relate to lower overall composite CHD risk (p's ≤ 0.011) and, in particular, to lower MAP (p's ≤ 0.007) and lower blood lipids (p's ≤ 0.031) in medication-free participants as well as all participants. This overall association was independent of confounding factors, including related psychological factors (p's ≤ 0.049). Our findings indicate that appreciation at work might be an independent health-promoting resource in terms of CHD risk. Implications include that encouraging appreciation at work may help reduce the development and progression of CHD.

Effect of Occupational Stress on Periodontitis According to the Salivary RANKL Level Among Iraqi Employees.

Findings show that periodontitis does not affect all populations; similarly, some individuals present risk conditions such as occupational stress, making them more susceptible to developing periodontitis through unhealthy habits like poor oral hygiene and immune suppression. Periodontitis triggers an inflammatory host immune response; "Receptor Activator Nuclear Factor KB ligand (RANKL)" is the primary regulator of osteoclast differentiation and activity. It was found that osteoclastic bone damage caused by periodontitis depends on the RANKL produced by osteoblastic and periodontal ligament cells. This study aimed to assess the effect of occupational stress on employees with periodontitis using salivary RANKL marker. A case-control analysis was done at my clinic with 90 male employees aged 30-50. The participants completed self-administered questionnaires and had periodontal exams. Employee occupational stress was estimated using a life events scale questionnaire. Calibrated dentists performed the parameters used in the periodontal assessment after collecting whole unstimulated salivary samples from each employee to measure salivary RANKL using ELISA technique. The present finding revealed a statistically significant difference among groups in "probing pocket depth, plaque index, bleeding on probing, clinical attachment level, and salivary RANKL level". They were higher in the stressed employees' group, which is not statistically significant. The findings of this investigation observed that occupational stress increased clinical periodontal parameters and salivary RANKL of periodontitis in employees.

Promotion focus is valued in men more than in women

SummaryIn this research, we test the hypothesis that promotion‐focused eagerness does not yield the same evaluative benefits in the workplace for women as it does for men. Regulatory focus theory suggests that promotion‐focused eagerness potentially casts a person in a favorable light in the eyes of superiors. Nevertheless, we propose that promotion‐focused eagerness violates the prescriptive gender‐stereotypical expectations that people have of women. The gender deviance (i.e., not acting in line with gender expectations) that occurs when a woman is promotion‐focused causes this woman to pay a “gender tax” that a promotion‐focused man does not pay. First, we conducted two experiments wherein managers (N = 127) or students (N = 236) evaluated qualified fictional job applicants: in both experiments, compared with an identical male applicant, the promotion‐focused female job applicant was valued less, as evidenced by a lower starting salary offer. Second, in a dyadic study (N = 474 dyads), male employees' promotion focus was positively associated with their manager's evaluations of them, whereas female employees' promotion focus was not. Our results show that promotion‐focused women are not valued as positively as their male counterparts.

Taking it Like a Man! Reactions of Male Employees to Sexual Harassment in Workplaces

This study investigates how heterosexual working males respond to sexual harassment they encounter at work in an Asian patriarchal culture that prescribes strict gender roles for men and women and supports heterosexual hegemonic masculinity. Using a qualitative research methodology, we conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 19 men who identified themselves as heterosexual. The findings indicate how the participants have responded to their experiences of sexual harassment, primarily through passivity and avoidance. In addition, on rare occasions, they have also engaged in resistance and reluctant acquiescence. These responses are largely shaped by cultural scripts and ideologies about masculinity and heterosexuality. By acting passively, the participants appear to attempt to preserve and conform to the gendered status quo, protect the perpetrators, avoid rocking the boat and prevent the tables from being turned on them. All in all, the reactions of males to sexual harassment demonstrate how masculinity is actively constructed and maintained in work settings. These findings, therefore, expand and contribute to the broader research area of sexual harassment of heterosexual men in general and, more specifically, to their reactions to sexual harassment in a cultural context that is rarely explored.

Effects of organisational factors and employee characteristics on employers' reporting of client violence in non‐institutional social services in Sweden

AbstractSocial services in the welfare sector consist of women‐dominated jobs generally characterised by arduous working conditions, including exposure to client violence. Although there is a rather extensive research base on client violence in institutional social services, less is known about how client violence is handled in noninstitutional social services. Using longitudinal data obtained from the Swedish Work Environment Agency's register on work injuries caused by workplace violence, we examined the effects of organisational factors and employee characteristics on the reporting of client violence in noninstitutional social services. We found that most of the reports about work injuries caused by client violence are filed by public employers and that most reports concern occupational groups performing direct care services in clients' homes. Moreover, although most reports include female employees and incidents of physical violence, reports concerning male employees are comparatively more likely to include physical violence, and reports concerning female employees are comparatively more likely to include threats. Taken together, our findings point to a much‐needed improvement of health and safety measures for care workers in noninstitutional social services in Sweden.

Are my wife's recovery activities related to my subsequent recovery activities at work?

We proposed a model where a male employee's wife's engagement in recovery activities results in the husband's own enactment of recovery activities while in the workplace, via emotional contagion, based on the COR theory and broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. We expected wives may experience positive emotions after engaging in social interactions, which has a contagion effect on husbands' positive emotions. Further, husbands were expected to leverage their positive emotions to engage in future recovery activities (better lunch nap and meal quality while at work). Lastly, we examined whether power imbalance in the married couple has a moderating effect on emotional contagion processes. To test our model, we used an experience-sampling method in which 110 dyads completed daily diary questionnaires for 8 consecutive days (N = 768, after removing 112 invalid observations). As expected, wives' social interactions are linked to husbands' positive emotions via wives' positive emotions. Further, husbands' positive emotions predict the quality of two workplace recovery activities (lunch naps and meals). Finally, power imbalance moderates the association between wives' (donors) emotions and husbands' (recipients) emotions such that the crossover of emotions is stronger when wives (donors) have relatively more power than when they have less.

Mapping the experiences of work-life balance: implications for the future of work

Purpose This study aims to explore how information technology (IT) professionals perceive work-life balance (WLB) in a work-from-home (WFH) setup. Additionally, it explores what emotions one may associate with such changing work environments, which have high implications for organisational success. Design/methodology/approach The two primary research questions guided this research. An online questionnaire-based survey was conducted to collect the data so that respondents’ both subjective and objective perceptions were documented. Purposive cum snowball sampling was used to collect data from 262 IT professionals. However, the data was analysed using both qualitative (content analysis) and quantitative (chi-square) techniques. Findings The findings of this study are interesting in nature and reported the work-life experiences at various socio-demographic levels (age, gender, educational qualification, designation, work experience, income, type of family and the number of children). The comprehensive examination of the data obtained from diverse aspects related to remote work environments has shed light on crucial facets impacting IT professionals. A predominant observation derived from the study reveals a significant disparity in working hours between male and female respondents during remote work. This discrepancy is notable, with male employees tending to work longer hours (i.e. 10 or more hours daily) than their female counterparts. The investigation into respondents’ sleep patterns revealed that the majority slept between 5 h and 7 h daily, underscoring reduced sleep hours for IT professionals during remote work. This comprehensive study thus emphasises the multifaceted nature of gender-associated influences on work patterns, health and well-being during remote work scenarios among IT professionals. As remote work is the new normal, this study has high implications for future work arrangements and organisational success. Practical implications The findings of the study will assist managers in dealing with the work conflict issue of remote workers. Importantly, these managers should try eliminating or reducing workplace conflict, emotional exhaustion and social overload associated with remote work. Originality/value This study is a humble attempt to highlight the employee’s WLB in the context of WFH in an emerging market (i.e. India). Furthermore, emphasises practical issues associated with changing work paradigms and concludes with interesting recommendations for future work arrangements.

Mortality in an Italian factory producing tetraethyl lead

The Società Lavorazioni Organiche Inorganiche (SLOI) in Trento (North-Eastern Italy) produced tetraethyl lead from 1941 to 1978, when it was closed following an explosion, luckily with no fatalities. Working conditions were very bad. During the 1960s, 325 acute lead intoxications were reported and over 100 workers were hospitalized for neurological conditions attributable to tetraethyl lead. At least 12 SLOI workers were hospitalized in the mental asylum (psychiatric wards).The present work describes the first formal epidemiological study ever carried out on SLOI workers. In the absence of any original SLOI employee registers, a list of 1,742 workers hired since factory startup was assembled using the files of the Italian National Social Security Agency (digitalized in 1974 and perused manually by one of the Authors for the previous period). To date, follow-up for mortality has been completed for the 580 male employees at work in 1961 or hired subsequently and who worked at SLOI for at least 12 months. Twenty-two (3.8%) were lost to follow-up. Mortality in this sub-cohort was compared with that of the population of the province of Trento, gathered since 1986 by the Institute of Statistics of the Trento Province. Excluding deaths occurring at age 90+ years, during the 1986-2016 period, deaths in the SLOI sub-cohort were 295 vs 229.0 deaths expected from age- and period-specific rates in the reference population (standardazied mortality ratio 1.29; 95%CI 1.15-1.44). In the absence of individual data, the possible contribution to the mortality excess by non-occupational risk factors cannot be estimated. Identification of causes of death is underway.

Demographic Dynamics in Organizational Stress and Coping Stress Perceptions: A Comprehensive Analysis

This study aims to assess both the stress levels of employees and identify the sources of stress. Data for the research were collected through questionnaires distributed to 60 employees via online surveys. The instruments utilized for data collection included the personal information form, organizational stress scale, and stress coping scale. The initial phase of data analysis focused on revealing the demographic characteristics of the workers. Subsequently, analyses were conducted to explore potential correlations between organizational stress, stress-coping mechanisms, and demographic variables. While socio-demographic variables are commonly treated as control variables in organizational stress research, this study distinguishes itself by placing them at the forefront. Its objective is to comprehend the influence of gender, age, educational background, marital status, income levels, titles, and total work experience on individuals' perspectives regarding organizational stress and stress coping. Examining survey data from Assist Company, a subsidiary of Turk Telekom, the study uncovers that male employees tend to display greater resilience to organizational stress. Additionally, unmarried workers demonstrate a higher efficacy in coping with stress compared to their married counterparts. The paper concludes with implications for managerial applications, theoretical insights, and suggestions for future research directions. In conclusion, the study recommends that firms consider implementing stress coping methods, techniques, and programs. Furthermore, it suggests organizations identify the specific factors within their structure that contribute to stress among employees.

Leadership skills and the glass ceiling in event management: a social role theory approach

PurposeAlthough event industry employees are predominantly female, there is a critical scarcity of women in leadership roles. Like other industries worldwide, women in the events industry experience several barriers to leadership roles. The unique characteristics of the events industry exacerbate these barriers and have led to more women leaving the company or even the industry. This study aims to investigate the impact of leadership barriers, including the perception of a glass ceiling and the importance of leadership skills in promotion decisions on career satisfaction, work-family conflict and turnover intention of employees in the events industry.Design/methodology/approachData was collected from members of an international event association, and 427 responses were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling.FindingsFindings suggested the perception of a glass ceiling and the importance of leadership skills in promotion can impact career satisfaction, work-family conflict and turnover intention of employees in the events industry.Originality/valueThis study extends the scope of research on leadership barriers beyond assessing their causes by analyzing their outcomes in the event industry. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first in event research and the broader hospitality industry to consider the perceptions of male and female employees regarding leadership barriers by using a foundation of the social role theory.

Gender Analysis and Determinants of Employee Job Satisfaction at Ministry of Urban Development and Infrastructure, Ethiopia

Purpose: Employee job satisfaction is a pre-requisite for an organization. The aim of this study is to analyze the level of job satisfaction & its determinant factors among male and female employees at Ministry of Urban Development and Infrastructure (MUDI).
 Methodology: 245 questionnaires, 62 in-depth & key informants interview were collected from employee for quantitative & qualitative data respectively. The Percentage frequency, multi nominal logistic regression model (MNLRM used for quantitative data analysis and thematic analysis for qualitative data.
 Findings: The study finding result indicated that salary, fringe benefits, promotions with standard criteria, promotion chance for training & education, working environment, clear workflow, co-workers relationship, colleague value the work, evaluation criteria, evaluator approach, recognition & reward were statistically significant P≤ 0.05 and the main determinant factors affecting employee job satisfaction. The Qualitative analysis also supports this Quantitative result. The parameter estimates of MNLRM between sex indicates that male are dissatisfied significantly than female in Salary, fringe benefits, fair promotion chance for training & education. Whereas female were dissatisfied than male in transparent procedure & clear work flow, supervisor value, Co-worker relation, Supervisor evaluation approaches. Among demographic factors, Age (P, 0.000), Education Status (P, 0.001), salary (P, 0.000), Work experience (P, 0.043), work position (P, 0.000) were statistically significance which are ≤0.05 and major factor affecting the level of job satisfaction where as Marital status was not significant in this study.
 Unique Contributions to Theory, Practice and Policy: In Conclusion there is statistical significance difference between male & female employee on the level of job satisfaction at MUDI.

“Red Housekeeping” in a Socialist Factory: Jiashu and Transforming Reproductive Labor in Urban China (1949–1962)

AbstractWhile scholarship on “women's liberation” under historically existing socialism focuses on heroic women making inroads into male-dominated domains, this article explores a previously overlooked group of women in socialist China. Known as jiashu in Chinese, these women are the female dependents (wives, mothers, and in-laws) of both male and female employees in a workplace. Specifically, it centers on the experiences of the jiashu of textile workers in the city of Zhengzhou from 1949 to 1962. It argues that, despite being portrayed as “parasitizing” off formal workers, jiashu performed a wide range of work, both paid and unpaid, inside and outside the household. Similar to their counterparts under capitalism and other state-socialist regimes, these Chinese women's unpaid domestic work sustained the daily and generational reproduction of the labor force and was thus essential to industrial accumulation. Moreover, jiashu also worked on the shopfloor and in collectivized service facilities as paid laborers. Such remunerated work also subsidized accumulation, and the resistance from these women contributed to the eventual collapse of the Great Leap Forward (1958–1962). This research advances the field in two ways. First, it expands theories about the relationship between women's work, social reproduction, and capital accumulation to include work that is both reproductive in nature and remunerated – a previously understudied form of labor. Second, while existing literature focuses on structural analysis and explains why women's work is functional to accumulation, this study gives equal attention to women's agency, showing how interactions between the two shaped historical trajectories.