Inequality In The Workplace Research Articles

Uncovering Factors and Solutions to Gender Inequity in the Workplace

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

MANdatory - why men need (and are needed for) gender equality progress.

While much progress has been made towards gender equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, education and society, recent years have also revealed continuing challenges that slow or halt this progress. To date, the majority of gender equality action has tended to approach gender equality from one side: being focused on the need to remove barriers for girls and women. We argue that this is only half the battle, and that a focus on men is MANdatory, highlighting three key areas: First, we review men's privileged status as being potentially threatened by progress in gender equality, and the effects of these threats for how men engage in gender-equality progress. Second, we highlight how men themselves are victims of restrictive gender roles, and the consequences of this for men's physical and mental health, and for their engagement at work and at home. Third, we review the role of men as allies in the fight for gender equality, and on the factors that impede and may aid in increasing men's involvement. We end with recommendations for work organizations, educational institutions and society at large to reach and involve men as positive agents of social change.

A bloody mess? UK regulation of menopause discrimination and the need for reform

AbstractThis article considers the regulation of menopause‐related discrimination in the workplace. Many menopausal women experience profound workplace inequalities, often connected with the intersection of ageism and sexism. The United Kingdom Parliament's Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) recently recommended that the government consult about a new protected characteristic, ‘menopause’, and that Section 14 of the Equality Act 2010 (EqA) on dual discrimination be brought into force. The government has rejected these recommendations, asserting that menopausal women are sufficiently protected under the EqA's existing provision. This article presents an alternative perspective, arguing that there is insufficient legal protection from menopause discrimination, with it fitting poorly within age, sex, and/or disability discrimination, and there being no facility for intersectional claims. The WEC is correct: Section 14 should be implemented, ‘menopause’ should be a protected characteristic, and, beyond that, the EqA needs wider reform to provide greater protections from discrimination, beyond inflexible identity categories that fail to allow for complex intersecting structural oppressions.

The Impact of the Need for Cognitive Closure on Attitudes toward Women as Managers and the Sequential Mediating Role of Belief in a Just World and Gender Essentialism.

This research investigated the relation between the need for cognitive closure (i.e., a desire for epistemic certainty) and attitudes toward women as managers among men and women. In a cross-sectional study (total N = 241) collected in Italy, we found that need for cognitive closure, controlling for participants' gender, was related to having more prejudice toward women leaders. Furthermore, the results revealed that the positive relation between the need for cognitive closure and negative attitudes toward women as managers was sequentially mediated by belief in a just world (i.e., the belief that people get what they deserve and deserve what they get and other people do not) and gender essentialism (i.e., the belief that women and men are distinctly, immutably, and naturally different, and thus have complementary skills to bring to the workplace). We suggest that men and women who are characterized by a need for cognitive closure are more sensitive to stereotypes of women as being incompatible with leadership roles. Either priming a low need for cognitive closure or providing contrary stereotypes could obviate the effect on beliefs in a just world and in gender essentialism that impedes progress towards greater gender equality in the workplace.

Gender equality in the workplace: A comparative review of USA and African Practices

This Review presents a comparative review of gender equality practices in the workplace, focusing on both the United States (USA) and various African countries. Gender equality is a pivotal aspect of societal progress, economic development, and fostering inclusive workplaces. The analysis delves into the differing approaches, challenges, and advancements in promoting gender equality within organizational settings, offering insights into the nuanced landscape of gender dynamics. In the United States, considerable progress has been made toward gender equality, driven by legislative measures, advocacy efforts, and cultural shifts. The Review explores initiatives such as affirmative action, diversity and inclusion programs, and policies addressing pay disparities. It examines the impact of landmark legislation like the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, highlighting advancements and persisting challenges in the pursuit of gender parity. Conversely, the review extends its focus to diverse African practices, recognizing the continent's rich tapestry of cultures, economies, and regulatory frameworks. The Review illuminates regional variations in approaches to gender equality, considering factors such as cultural norms, legal frameworks, and socioeconomic conditions. It sheds light on innovative practices emerging in African workplaces, emphasizing the role of grassroots movements, government interventions, and the empowerment of women in various sectors. The Review also underscores shared challenges faced by both the USA and African nations, including gender-based discrimination, underrepresentation in leadership roles, and the impact of intersectionality on women's experiences in the workplace. By comparing these practices, the review seeks to draw attention to successful strategies, lessons learned, and areas for improvement in advancing gender equality globally. This comparative analysis aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on gender equality, offering a nuanced understanding of how workplace practices vary between the USA and Africa. By recognizing the unique contexts and leveraging shared experiences, the review seeks to inform policymakers, businesses, and advocates in fostering workplaces that prioritize diversity, inclusivity, and gender equity.

Inequality beneath the surface: a Belgian case study on structural discrimination in the workplace and the role of organizational structure, culture and policies

PurposeThe context of a long-standing research tradition, discrimination has emerged as a critical factor contributing to inequalities within the labor market. While existing studies have primarily focused on overt discrimination during the recruitment and selection process, influenced by biases, attitudes, or stereotypes, there remains a significant knowledge gap regarding discrimination within the workplace and its underlying structural dimensions. This article aims to address this gap by examining the impact of organizational culture, structure and policies on workplace discrimination, with a particular emphasis on women and ethnic minorities.Design/methodology/approachUtilizing a case study strategy centered around a Belgian branch of a multinational professional service agency, data was gathered through ten semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with employees representing various organizational levels.FindingsThe findings reveal that organizational culture, structure and policies may pose inherent risks in perpetuating discrimination throughout individuals' professional trajectories. Furthermore, it becomes apparent that, albeit often unconscious, these elements exhibit biases against women and ethnic minorities.Social implicationsGiven the unintentional nature of structural discrimination, it is crucial to foster increased awareness and understanding of these dynamics.Originality/valueThe originality of this research article lies in its focus on addressing a critical knowledge gap in the existing research tradition on discrimination in the labor market. While previous studies have primarily concentrated on overt discrimination during recruitment and selection, this article delves into the often overlooked area of discrimination within the workplace itself. It explores the intricate interplay of organizational culture, structure and policies in perpetuating discrimination, particularly against women and ethnic minorities. By utilizing a case study approach within a multinational professional service agency in Belgium, the research uncovers hidden biases and unconscious elements contributing to structural discrimination. This emphasis on understanding unintentional discrimination adds a novel dimension to the discourse on workplace inequalities.

Maintaining the gap: women’s early career experiences of entry into the UK graduate labour market

ABSTRACT Gender inequality in the workplace remains a persistent issue that impacts upon women from their first point of entry into the labour market. In this paper, we explore the experiences, of 20 women in the UK as they take their initial steps onto the career ladder upon graduation. Adopting an interpretive methodology that uses a Bourdieusian framework based on habitus, capital, and field, we highlight that women continue to face structural and individual barriers that influence, and in many cases limit, available career opportunities. By intersecting gender with social class and ethnicity, intra-gender differences are identified that demonstrate the deep-seated nature of disadvantage faced by working class and ethnic minority female graduates in securing employment in comparison to their white, middle-class peers. We conclude by recommending that careers support and guidance should be introduced earlier in the education system to raise aspirations and challenge the perpetuation of gender inequality.

Assessment of Socio-Economic Gender Issues Affecting Women’s Participation in Alpine Tourism: A Case Study of Mt. Kenya National Park

The study sought to investigate the socio-economic gender issues affecting women's participation in alpine tourism in Mt. Kenya National Park. The study was guided by the following objectives: to assess the social gender issues affecting women's participation in alpine tourism and to analyse the economic gender issues affecting women's participation in alpine tourism. The study used a descriptive research design, and data was collected through structured closed-ended questionnaires distributed to 133 women participating in alpine tourism activities. 107 questionnaires were duly filled and returned. Structured interviews were conducted with the officials of Kenya Wildlife Service and the leaders of Mt. Kenya Guides and Porters Association. Qualitative data was analysed using content analysis, and quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study established that the marital status of the female mountain crew was the dominant social gender issue affecting women's participation in alpine tourism as most guides, porters and cooks were unmarried, and for those who were married, the majority of them experienced challenges relating to balancing work and family responsibilities. The study also established that there is a wage disparity between men and women working as guides, porters, and cooks. The study recommends the need for policy makers to implement policies that promote gender equality in the workplace, ensuring equal opportunities for women to engage in alpine tourism activities such as guiding, portering and cooking.In addition, the study recommends the need to develop family-friendly policies which enable married women to fully participate in alpine tourism activities without compromising their family duties. The study also recommends the need for the Nyeri County Department of Tourism, Trade, Culture and Cooperative Development in partnership with Mt. Kenya Guides and Porters Association, to organise short course training on mountaineering and capacity-building programs to enhance the English language proficiency of female porters and cooks, thereby improving their communication skills and enabling them to interact more effectively with tourists. The study further recommends the need for Mt. Kenya Guides and Porters Association to undertake a sensitisation forum for its members about sexual harassment subjected to female mountain crew by men participating in alpine tourism activities

Suggestions for improvement in Vietnam employment laws in the context of gender equality

Improving gender equality in the workplace is an urgent task for Vietnam Communist Party and the Government. Despite the ratification of international conventions on labour, women rights, as well as amendment to relevant domestic laws, it appears that the provisions have not satisfied the requirements set forth to combat discrimination at work against women. Through this article, the author intends to propose some ideas to improve the laws on the protection of the current female workers’ rights based on the 2012 Labour Code (amended and supplemented in 2019), related laws and sub–law documents.

“Everybody that's here, is legal” white employers' racial ideologies in the workplace and justifications for hiring undocumented Latino laborers

AbstractWhite employers routinely hire undocumented Latino immigrant workers based on their perceived racializations about their subservience. Researchers have explored how employers racialize Latinos, yet there is less understanding of how white employers justify breaking immigration labor policies. This study analyzes the justifications of both racialized exploitation and organizational decoupling that supports violations of immigration laws. Using in‐depth interviews with 20 white employers, this study explores employer racializations of Latinos, views of whiteness in the workplace, and justifications to hire undocumented immigrants. White employers praise Latinos for their perceived subservience, favor whites for management, and neutralize their own unlawful actions of hiring undocumented laborers. White employers frame themselves as rational, innocent, and virtuous while reinforcing racial stratification and breaking immigration laws. This study provides insights on employer labor practices with implications for labor mobility, migration reform, and racial inequality in the workplace.

Female desire in phallocentric industries: A duo-ethnographic interrogation

The persistence of workplace inequality requires female subjects to examine their place in exploitative systems of production and consumption, and to identify means for emancipation beyond masculine dominant orders. In this paper we examine our past experiences as young women in the finance and oil industries, the phallocentric and extractive engines of global capitalism. We do this by employing a duo-ethnographic approach and a feminist reading of Jacques Lacan’s ideas on sexual difference, aiming to contribute to the literature on female identification in phallocentric organizations. Our analysis reveals how we oscillated between accepting subordinate feminine subject positions linked to emotional work and striving to access ‘universal’ masculine subject positions linked to success and achievement. At the same time, we both engaged with imaginaries of uniqueness and critique, control and success in order to keep functioning in our roles. Both our stories feature moments of rupture experienced as affective embodied responses, when our organizations placed ourselves or others at risk. We analyse these as moments when cracks were exposed in our fantasmatic survival strategies, leading to our eventual exit from these industries. We conclude that while a feminist Lacanian framework provides a useful lens for understanding processes of female identification in phallocentric organizations, the quest for female desire and subjectivity outside the masculine dominant order requires other (feminist) frameworks.

Relational Responsibilisation and Diversity Management in the 21st Century: The Case for Reframing Equality Regulation

This article critiques equality regulation within neoliberal policy regimes and suggests an alternative. We argue that, globally, neoliberal regimes exacerbate social divisions by individualising responsibilities for addressing inequalities. Consequentially, a new policy direction for equality regulation is required. Using the UK economy as an exemplar, we make the case for relational responsibilisation, which involves raising awareness of workplace inequalities on an international basis; attributing responsibility for inequalities onto specific socioeconomic causes and institutions; and systematically developing policies and practices that extend accountability for and ameliorate the negative consequences of workplace inequalities. Theoretically, Bourdieusian social critique and realist sociological imagination are used to conceive responsibilisation in relational terms and to imagine a policy agenda that might make societies more responsible for tackling the forms of inequality they produce. Our overall argument is for the creation of a new equality, diversity and inclusion-aware form of social democracy.

Turning ingroup wounds into bonds: perceptions of gender inequalities predict attitudes toward other minorities.

Despite significant strides in reducing gender disparities over the past decades, women still face disparities in several domains. While extensive research has explored the various consequences of gender inequalities for women, this study (N = 493 participants) delves into a less-explored dimension, investigating whether and how perceiving gender inequalities is associated with attitudes toward minorities. Drawing on relative deprivation theory and intra-minority solidarity research, we examined the relationship between women's perceptions of gender inequalities-spanning workplace inequality, domestic inequality, sexual harassment, and social expectations-and attitudes toward gays and lesbians, transgender women, and immigrants. We also explored whether indignation, arising from recognizing unjust circumstances, mediated these relationships, and the moderating role of perceived friends' support for gender equality. The results of the path analyses unveiled a nuanced relationship. While women who were more aware of gender inequalities exhibited more positive attitudes toward gays and lesbians and transgender women, no such relationship was observed regarding immigrants. Indignation and perceived friends' support for gender equality were key factors in fostering positive intergroup attitudes. Regarding their moderating role, perceived social norms only influenced the relationship between indignation and attitudes toward gays and lesbians. These findings shed light on the intricate interplay between gender inequalities and minority group attitudes. Recognizing the multifaceted nature of gender inequality and its emotional impact can catalyze promoting coalitional attitudes and collective action among disadvantaged groups. The study also underscores the potential of close groups' norms in promoting positive intergroup attitudes, warranting further exploration.

Taking a “Leap”: How Workplace Allyship Initiatives Shape Leader Anxiety, Allyship, and Power Dynamics That Contribute to Workplace Inequality

Taking a “Leap”: How Workplace Allyship Initiatives Shape Leader Anxiety, Allyship, and Power Dynamics That Contribute to Workplace Inequality

Women economic empowerment at the labor market through ESG means in Taiwan

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

Gender Equality in the Workplace: Strategies for Promoting Women's Empowerment

Gender Equality in the Workplace: Strategies for Promoting Women's Empowerment

Gender disparity in job responsibility allocation at Ajegunle community project in Lagos, Nigeria

Gender disparity in job responsibility allocation at Ajegunle community project in Lagos, Nigeria

Gender inequalities of psychosomatic complaints at work vary by occupational groups of white- and blue-collar and level of skill: A cross sectional study.

Previous research has shown that women report more psychosomatic complaints at work than men. However, knowledge about gender inequalities in psychosomatic complaints within occupational groups and specific symptoms is lacking. This study aims to compare gender inequalities in psychosomatic complaints in the occupational groups of white-collar high-skilled, white-collar low-skilled, blue-collar high-skilled and blue-collar low-skilled workers. The study implemented a cross sectional design using data from the nationwide German Employment Survey of the Working Population on Qualification and Working Conditions conducted in 2017/ 2018. Psychosomatic complaints were operationalised by the following symptoms: headache, insomnia, tiredness, irritability, dejection, physical fatigue, and emotional fatigue. N = 20012 working German-speaking respondents were sampled. After excluding persons with missing data on the study variables, the sample consisted of N = 16359 persons. Women reported significantly more psychosomatic complaints than men in the subgroups of white-collar high-skilled and white-collar low-skilled (ps < .05), inequalities in blue-collar high-skilled and blue-collar low-skilled only being numerical. Regarding specific symptoms, women reported more psychosomatic complaints then men in the subgroups of white-collar high-skilled workers, white-collar low-skilled workers, and blue-collar low-skilled workers. Headaches, physical fatigue, and emotional fatigue were the most common symptoms. The white-collar high-skilled subgroup had the highest number of symptoms with significant gender inequalities. These effects remained after controlling for age, working hours, parental status and marital status. Gender inequalities in psychosomatic complaints are ubiquitous but vary in their frequency by occupational subgroup and specific psychosomatic complaint. Women in white-collar high-skilled jobs in particular report to be burdened more often by many specific psychosomatic symptoms. Future studies should investigate the reasons for these occupational inequalities and develop interventions to reduce health inequalities in the workplace.

Determination of Workplace Inequalities Through a Microscopic Lens

Determination of Workplace Inequalities Through a Microscopic Lens

Maskulinitas Baru: Redistribusi Kerja Perawatan dalam Perspektif Feminisme

Gender inequality in the workplace is rooted in patriarchal norms within families, institutions, and states. Gender roles exclude women from job opportunities, promotions, equal income, and more. Care work, associated with women, often forces them to choose between a career and family caregiving. However, a feminist perspective advocates for the redistribution of care work involving men. This research emphasizes the importance of changing men’s understanding and practices in care work to achieve gender equality in the workforce. Through in-depth interviews, the study critiques and synthesizes challenges in care work redistribution, shares successful practices, and recommends practical and conceptual suggestions to ensure men’s involvement in caregiving within the workplace context.