Workplace Gender Research Articles

Examining the Impact of Gender Discriminatory Practices on Women’s Development and Progression at Work

Although there has been a worldwide cry for gender equity within organizations, gender discriminatory practices continue to be a challenge. Many women still suffer from gender discrimination and remain at the bottom of organizational structures despite their efforts to ascend. This paper seeks to examine the link between gender discriminatory practices and women’s skill development and progression within the workplace. The study espoused a quantitative approach. A questionnaire survey was self-administered online to 412 women through a convenient non-probability sampling method. Descriptive tendencies, test normality, validity, reliability, and regression analysis were performed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS), AMOS 27. The results reveal that women’s skill development is impacted by workplace gender discriminatory practices, and the career progression of women is linked to their skill development. Yet it rejects the claim that workplace gender discriminatory practices impact women’s career progression. While having a gender-friendly work environment is applaudable, developing women’s skills and promoting their advancement at work will require more effort from companies. Organizations need to be deliberate about the skills development and career progression of women and institutionalize initiatives that directly encourage women to engage in developmental activities as well as initiatives geared towards promoting women’s career advancement.

Workplace gender composition and sickness absence: A register-based study from Sweden.

This study aimed to examine the association between gender composition in the workplace and sickness absence days during a one-year period. The study population was drawn from the Northern Swedish Cohort (wave 3; 2007) by Statistics Sweden and consisted of all participants belonging to a specific workplace (n=837) as well as all co-workers at the workplace of the participants (n=132,464; 67,839 women and 64,625 men). Exposure was the gender composition of the workplace, and outcome was cumulative sickness absence days (⩾90 days or not) during 2007, provided through a link to the Database for Health Insurance and Labour Marked Studies of Statistics Sweden. Covariates were gender, age, educational level and branch of industry from the same data source. We performed descriptive analyses and multivariable regression analyses. Workers in extremely female-dominated workplaces had a significantly higher risk of cumulative sickness absence days (⩾90 days) compared with gender-equal workplaces (fully adjusted odds ratio (OR)=1.27; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09-1.48), whereas those working in extremely and moderately male-dominated workplaces had a significantly lower sickness absence risk (OR=0.62 and 0.66, respectively). Stratified by gender, the higher absence risk at female-dominated workplaces was fully explained by variation in branches of industry. Women working in extremely male-dominated workplaces had a significantly lower absence risk (OR=0.75), as did men working in moderately male-dominated workplaces (OR=0.78). Workplaces dominated by women had a significantly higher risk of days lost to sickness absence compared to gender-equal workplaces. Stratified by gender, this higher risk was explained by branch of industry.

Public reactions to instances of workplace gender discrimination.

The number of people witnessing or experiencing gender discrimination at work is still high around the globe. While the existing literature has investigated potential mechanisms underlying gender discrimination and the consequences of experiencing gender discrimination at work, it remains unclear how third-party observers-as opposed to employees or coworkers-react to specific instances of workplace gender discrimination. The results of six experiments demonstrate that (a) people in general judge organizational decisions that discriminate against individual male (vs. female) workers as more legitimate and (b) this difference in legitimacy judgments is significantly greater among women than men. This discrepancy in legitimacy judgments occurs because women (more than men) consider the collective situation of female and male workers when judging the legitimacy of organizational decisions that discriminate against individual workers based on gender. These findings document how group-level concerns shape people's legitimacy judgments of organizational decisions discriminating against individuals and equip organizations and policymakers with a better understanding of people's polarized opinions regarding gender discrimination at the workplace. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

An industry business case for diversity, equity, and inclusion

The business case for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) comes from the need for diversity of thought; we need to be able to offer our clients the best engineering and construction solutions. Those solutions are our differentiator. The more diverse the workforce, the more diverse the thinking, and the more well-rounded the solution. As a business that differentiates itself based on our people’s innovative thinking, we must have access to the largest resource pool available, and so we must be able to attract, recruit, support, and retain a diverse range of candidates and employ their skills irrespective of their gender identity, nationality, background, age, religion, physical ability, or sexual orientation. Clough started its DEI journey around six years ago and we recognise that we have work to do before we achieve all our goals in this space, but it is important to celebrate the achievements and progress we have made along the way and we are eager to share our learnings so others in the industry can learn from it. Background: Clough received the recognition as Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) for the second time in a row (2020–2022/2022–2024). This is a significant achievement as only a few organisations in the engineering and construction industry carry this recognition. Clough has also been recognised by Work180 Equity Audit as one of the two organisations (from a pool of hundreds) that showed ‘strong’ strategic results.

Workplace gender harassment, illegitimate tasks, and poor mental health: hypothesized associations in a swedish cohort

Workplace gender harassment, illegitimate tasks, and poor mental health: hypothesized associations in a swedish cohort

#MeToo, Covid-19 and the new workplace: re-examining institutional discrimination's impact on workplace harassment of expatriates following two exogenous shocks

PurposeReplication is essential to science for the purpose of (1) updating previously accepted knowledge and (2) testing the boundary conditions of this knowledge. Although Bader et al.’s (2018) impactful paper on gender harassment experienced by expatriates was only published five years ago, there have been two relevant exogenous shocks to the environment since they collected their data, making this study an excellent target for replication.Design/methodology/approachThree-hundred ninety-one expatriates who were currently working in 79 different countries completed an electronic survey that included scales for gender harassment, ethnicity harassment, general stress, frustration and job satisfaction. Data were analyzed using partial least-squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in Stata17.FindingsConsistent with prior research, gender had a significant relationship with workplace gender harassment (ß = 0.228, p < 0.001) such that males experienced lower levels of harassment than other expatriates. The relationship between race/ethnicity and experiences of ethnicity harassment was dependent upon model specification. Workplace harassment had a negative relationship with job satisfaction (gender harassment, ß = −0.114, p = 0.030; ethnicity harassment; ß = −0.146, p = 0.002) and a positive relationship with frustration (gender harassment, ß = 0.231, p < 0.001; ethnicity harassment, ß = 0.213, p < 0.001).Originality/valueUsing a larger, more diverse sample than that used in prior research, the authors were able to test the generalizability of accepted knowledge. While the authors replicated many findings identified in prior research, they failed to replicate the effects pertaining to the relationship between macro-level variables and experiences of harassment. Given that macro-level variables play a key role in status construction theory (SCT), this research raises important questions for future work.

Manager’s gender, supervisory style, and employee’s perception of the demanding work climate

Abstract Prior research on the link between managers’ gender and workplace gender equity primarily focuses on career outcomes. The present study explores overly demanding work climates, which we see as a realization of the ideal worker norm, bad for all workers, but a particular barrier to women’s careers. We examine whether female managers are ‘agents of change’ toward better work climates, while also exploring the impact of gendered supervisory styles on employees’ experience of overly demanding work. Together we provide a novel elaboration of the doing gender framework and the question of whether women managers are agents of change. Two-level models with organization-fixed effects for a European manager-employee linked sample reveal overall support for female managers as change agents, particularly when they manage with a feminine supervisory style. A masculine supervisory style increases employee perceptions of being overworked irrespective of manager’s gender. When female managers only enact a masculine supervisory style, they produce particularly less favourable employee experiences. Male managers who combine both feminine and masculine styles also produce worse work climates for their subordinates.

Relumining perceived workplace gender discrimination in South Korea: examining determinants and paths through decision trees

ABSTRACT This study explores how women employees perceive gender discrimination in the workplace and how data can be used to predict perceived workplace gender discrimination (PWGD). The research team modelled the decision tree that predicted PWGD in South Korea using the Classification and Regression Trees (CART) algorithm and the data from the 7th Korean Women Manage Panel (KWMP). Three types of PWGD trees – wage, promotion, and evaluation – and one synthesised PWGD tree were built to predict and classify PWGD by discrimination type. The research findings suggest that the chief executive officer’s (CEO) fairness is the cardinal factor in predicting synthesised PWGD, followed by an employee’s exposure to sexual harassment. Whereas the CEO’s fairness is the principal factor in predicting PWGD in promotion, the direct supervisor’s fairness is the most significant factor in predicting PWGD in evaluation. Perceived disparities in pay between women managers and similarly positioned men colleagues are the critical factor in predicting wage PWGD. Lastly, this paper elaborates on important considerations in PWGD and recommendations for continued inquiry.

Regulating for gender equality in the Australian Public Service: Extending Dickens’ tripod of regulation

Western governments have used regulation to progress gender equality for workforces in both the private and public sectors, yet gender equality has not yet been achieved. While governments have used various regulatory forms, Dickens (1999) argued that a tripod of collective bargaining, legislation and human resource policy would progress gender equality. Little consideration has been given to how these elements of the tripod fit together. We apply Dickens’ tripod to examine the regulation of gender equality in one Australian public sector. We use institutional analysis, drawing on historical and current documents, legislation, collective bargaining frameworks and human resource policy to examine how the regulatory tripod interlocks, and whether renewed commitments to public sector gender equality can be achieved in the current regulatory environment. We identify regulatory incongruence within the Australian public service and argue for improved congruence to progress gender equality, although we also note that congruence on its own does not lead to better outcomes. We identify that the legs of the tripod are not mutually reinforcing and that all legs need to be supported by better implementation. We extend Dicken's tripod to provide a new path to progress public sector workplace gender equality, enriching both theory and practice.

Discrimination against Working Women and Its Impact on Their Work Performance in District Sahiwal

Workplace gender discrimination comes in many forms: unequal pay, the disparity in promotions, incidents of sexual harassment, and fewer opportunities, which means that an employee is treated differently or less favorably because of their gender identity. Around the world, four-in-ten working women face discrimination on the job because of their gender. This research explored the issue of discrimination against working women at the workplace and its impact on their work performance in District Sahiwal, Punjab, Pakistan. The quantitative data were collected through a cross-sectional survey. A multistage random sampling technique was used for the data collection. A self-designed interview schedule was administered to 200 females of lower, middle, and higher category employees of public and private institutions of District Sahiwal. In the data analysis, both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used. Research findings revealed that females were discriminated more than males in the private sector than in the public sector. The results indicated that 63% of women have adverse physical and mental effects due to discrimination at the workplace. In this regard, 60% of women believed that workplace discrimination increased stress and frustration and reduced job satisfaction, commitment, and motivation. The bivariate analysis also shows that gender discrimination decreases satisfaction and commitment and increases stress levels among working women. Therefore, this study suggested that the government should immediately strengthen legal protections against workplace discrimination based on gender.

Four Basic Postulates Concerning Women and Workplace Bullying in the United States

Responding to Kerri Lynn Stone's "Panes of the Glass Ceiling," this article delves into the pervasive issue of workplace bullying and its nuanced impact on women in professional settings. Stone's book identifies distinct "panes" of gender bias hindering women's progress, with a focus on workplace bullying as a major sub-theme. The essay proposes four postulates, drawing on national surveys by the Workplace Bullying Institute and articles from the author's professional blog, Minding the Workplace. Emphasizing the disproportionate targeting of women, the role of male perpetrators, complexities surrounding female perpetrators, and the potential of anti-bullying laws, the essay contributes to understanding and addressing workplace gender dynamics.

Workplace gender discrimination in the nursing workforce-An integrative review.

To critically synthesise the literature that explores the experiences of workplace gender discrimination from the perspective of registered nurses. Integrative review. Primary research articles reporting on the experience of workplace gender discrimination towards registered nurses in any setting were eligible for inclusion. Studies were critically appraised for methodological quality using a modified Critical Appraisal Skills Program list. The six phases of thematic analysis proposed by Braun and Clarke (2006) were used to guide the analysis. Data were extracted and coded, and themes were identified according to the review aims and significant findings of each study. CINAHL, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library, published between January 2012 and June 2022. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria. Major themes identified were (1) career progression, (2) career interruption, (3) positioning of men in nursing and (4) positioning of women in nursing. This review shows that both men and women in nursing experience workplace gender discrimination; however, the forms and consequences of this discrimination differ substantially by gender. It is important that the pursuit of greater numerical representation of men in nursing does not result in further reinforcing patriarchal advantage. Professional development for nurse leaders in managing gender issues is recommended. This integrative review presents current issues on workplace gender discrimination for men and women in nursing. The findings suggest gender roles and norms have an effect on the careers of both men and women in nursing. The time has come to alter restrictive gender norms and to challenge notions of hegemonic masculinity and femininity. We have adhered to relevant EQUATOR guidelines-PRISMA. For this literature review on workplace gender discrimination for registered nurses, we did not engage members of the patient population, nor the general public.

Workplace gender segregation in standard and non‐standard employment regimes in the US labour market

AbstractThis study provides a comprehensive analysis of workplace gender segregation in non‐standard employment in the United States. It compares segregation in standard and three non‐standard work arrangements paying special attention to independent contracting – a segment of contingent employment representing novel and consequential developments in work organization. In line with the prediction that inequality is lower in more marketized sectors of the labour market, my analyses based on a representative sample of the contemporary US workforce reveal that workplace gender segregation is lower in non‐standard employment. I further find that the degree of segregation corresponds to the degree of attachment to the employer and that segregation is lower in segments of the economy with higher market competition. Overall, my analyses indicate that a shift towards alternative work arrangements can reduce overall workplace segregation but does not lead to uniform desegregation across occupations, and that institutions of employment and market pressures faced by employers play significant roles in the effect of alternative work arrangements on workplace segregation.

Cultural Beliefs on Women Career Advancement in Selected Kenyan Hotels

The hotel employment sector is characterized by a high proportion of women, yet they are underrepresented at the senior management level. Females are disadvantaged in the hotel industry because of the traditional male perceptions of workplace gender roles, stereotypes and discrimination. The objective of the study was to determine how cultural beliefs affect women’s career advancement in 3-5-star hotels in the Nairobi County City Kenya. A descriptive research design was used. This study focused on a qualitative thematic analysis of in-depth, semistructured interviews administered to76 hotel managers. The interviews were used to gain more in-depth knowledge on issues concerning gender bias, leadership styles and gender stereotypes. The data was analysed using content analysis, in order to present data in words and themes, and allow for interpretations to be drawn. The results showed women were fewer at the management level and there were no women who were being paid the top most salaries. The study recommended adopting positive human resource practices that promote a gender-neutral culture in the hotels by providing unconscious bias training for all levels of employees to participate in.

International Women in Biomechanics: Promoting, supporting, and sustaining the careers of women in biomechanics

Gender biases and inequities are prevalent across many scientific fields and biomechanics is likely no exception. While progress has been made to support women in the field, especially at biomechanics society conferences, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated professional isolation. The International Women in Biomechanics (IWB) community started in July 2020 with the mission of fostering an environment for women and other under-represented genders in biomechanics to gain year-round support, visibility, and allyship. Nearly 700 biomechanists have joined the IWB community from over 300 universities/organizations and 33 countries. Our community ranges in career stages and professions and interacts through a forum-style platform, teleconference meetings, and social media. In 2021, we conducted a survey to identify the needs, concerns, and issues faced by individuals in the IWB community. We received 144 responses from members in 16 countries. Our survey revealed three primary needs for women in biomechanics: supportive working environments, career planning support, and addressing workplace gender bias. These results, in conjunction with scientific evidence on workforce gender bias, helped us identify three key areas to meet our mission: Member Support, Community Outreach, and Empowering Allyship. Several levels of support are required in these three areas to ensure a lasting, positive, and sustainable impact on gender equity in biomechanics. We conclude by providing our perspectives on an evidence-based call to action to continue addressing gender bias and inequity at the individual, institutional, and scientific society levels. These actions can collectively enhance our allyship for women in the field of biomechanics.

The adoption of human resource practices to support employees affected by intimate partner violence: Women representation in leadership matters

AbstractIntimate partner violence (IPV) is a global public health issue that negatively impacts organizations and their employees. Research suggests that organizations can play a supportive role to lessen this negative impact. However, it has been relatively silent on the conditions under which organizations choose to play such a role. Integrating social role and critical mass perspectives, we examine the extent to which organizations adopt human resource (HR) practices to support employees affected by IPV. Specifically, we argue that organizations are more likely to adopt IPV‐related HR practices when they are led by female Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Top Management Teams (TMTs) with more female members. Furthermore, we argue that when women's representation reaches a critical mass plateau, appointing more women in TMTs has no incremental impact, and this non‐linear relationship moderates the CEO gender effect. Overall, we found support for our hypotheses based on a survey study of HR professionals from 414 Australian organizations (Study 1) and an archival study using 2 years of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency data from 4186 Australian organizations (Study 2). Theoretical and practical implications on the influence of gender configurations in leadership positions on the adoption of diversity, equity, and inclusion‐related HR practices are discussed.

Addressing workplace gender inequality: Using the evidence to avoid common pitfalls.

In this Landmark article I outline four common missteps that are made when designing and implementing workplace gender equality initiatives: (1) when we don't go beyond describing the numbers; (2) when we try to 'fix' women rather than fix systems; (3) when we are overly optimistic about the progress we have made; and (4) when we fail to recognise the intersectionality of the experiences that women face. I will briefly consider each of these missteps in term, presenting research that suggests alternative ways of approaching gender equality initiatives.

Workplace gender harassment, illegitimate tasks, and poor mental health: Hypothesized associations in a Swedish cohort

Workers exposed to gender harassment and illegitimate tasks may experience adverse mental health outcomes such as depression and burnout. However, the longitudinal effects and the complex interrelationships between these variables remain largely unexplored. We investigated the cross-lagged relationships between gender harassment, illegitimate tasks, and mental health outcomes among working adults in Sweden over a period of two years, as well as the gender differences in the cross-lagged effects. Additionally, the study examined whether illegitimate tasks mediated the relationship between gender harassment and negative mental health outcomes over time. Data were drawn from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH), covering 2796 working men and 4110 working women in a two-wave analysis from 2018 to 2020. We employed a structural equation model to examine the cross-lagged effects and the mediating effect between gender harassment, illegitimate tasks, and mental health outcomes over time. Furthermore, we applied a multigroup analysis to determine gender differences in the cross-lagged effects.The results showed statistically significant cross-lagged relationships (forward, reverse, and reciprocal) between gender harassment, illegitimate tasks, and mental ill-health. There were statistically significant gender differences in these cross-lagged relationships (burnout: △χ2(47)=106.21, p < 0.01; depression: △χ2(47)=80.5, p < 0.01). Initial illegitimate tasks mediated the relationship between gender harassment and mental ill-health outcomes over time. The gender differences in the interrelationships between gender harassment, illegitimate tasks, and mental ill-health outcomes among workers in Sweden indicate that policies, regulations, and interventions that address these exposures in organisations must be tailored to benefit both men and women.

Re-shaping the medical imaging leadership landscape: A woman's call for action

Although women represent 70% of the healthcare workforce, men hold the most senior roles [1]. Furthermore, global health organizations have board chairs and leaders who are 80% and 69% males, respectively. Ironically, only 20% of global health organization boards and 25% of senior management level boards practice gender parity. Moreover, gender biases, discrimination, and inequities are widening, with an alarming 202 years estimated trajectory to achieve workplace gender equality [2]. Likewise, 75–80% of trainees, health workers, and faculty involved in global health are women.

The role of strategic internal communication in empowering female employees to cope with workplace gender discrimination

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how the excellent practice of public relations concerning strategic internal communication may help empower female employees to cope with workplace gender discrimination. It constructs and empirically tests a theoretical model that investigates the role of transparent internal communication on diversity and inclusion in shaping female employees' sense of empowerment, and that empowerment may affect how they cope with such problems in the workplace.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was conducted with 402 full-time female employees in large-sized organizations in the United States. Structural equation models were conducted to test the proposed measurement model and hypothesized model.FindingsThe findings of this study offer support for the proposed model that featuring transparent internal communication regarding workplace gender discrimination increases female employees' empowerment to tackle the problems, which in turn encourages them to adopt problem-focused coping and participate in collective coping behaviors.Research limitations/implicationsExcellent internal communication not only facilitates organization-employee relationships as prior research widely demonstrated, but, according to the findings of this study, also creates a sense of empowerment among female employees, which encourage them to proactively address workplace gender discrimination issue.Practical implicationsOrganizations should practice transparent communication regarding diversity and inclusion, ensuring employees receive sufficient information, clear guidelines, and opportunities to voice as well as aim to develop empowerment interventions that help employees address discrimination issues in the workplace.Originality/valueTo the best of the author's knowledge, this study is among the first empirical studies that present the importance of strategic internal communication, particularly transparent communication, in facilitating gender equality in the workplace.