To Be or Not to Be a Woman? - Highly Educated Women's Perceptions of Gender Equality in the Workplace (original) (raw)
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1 to Be or Not to Be a Woman? – Highly Educated Women’s Perceptions of Gender Equality
2016
The majority of studies worldwide indicate gender differences and inequality in terms of education, horizontal and vertical/hierarchical occupational segregation, compensations, and work values and preferences. However, highly educated women, as a specific workforce group, are rarely explored in that context. Our starting point is that highly educated women suffer less inequality in the workplace, as well as in their private lives relative to the generally accepted stereotype. To verify our proposal, both secondary and primary researches were conducted. Secondary data refer to field of education, participation in knowledge-intensive activities, hierarchical status, and pay gap of highly educated women in selected European countries compared to men, while primary data reveal perceptions of highly educated women in Croatia on women’s contextual career factors (social, organizational and personal), and personal critical incidents experiences concerning equality. The primary research wa...
2019
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Gender-based inequalities and discrimination in professional careers: An overview
Sociology and Social Work Review, 2020
The unbalanced gender-specific division of labour emerged as early as the end of the nineteenth century, when women work was exploited and underpaid in the wage market. The gendered professional inequalities between women and men continue to persist even today. The present paper aims to provide an outline of the main concepts used for analysing gendered inequalities in professional careers and to delineate the most significant explanations regarding this phenomenon. Besides gender stereotypes and gender roles, other terms which conceptualize the gender-based inequalities and discrimination in professional careers are addressed, such as gender pay gap, horizontal segregation, evaluative discrimination, vertical segregation, glass ceiling, sticky floor, and gender status beliefs. Furthermore, there are discussed both theoretical economic approaches, which emphasize the role of human capital and explain discrimination of women in the labour market by the expectations on their lower productivity, and theoretical sociological approaches, which highlight other aspects, such as differences in power, social and cultural norms and values, and take into consideration the importance of social capital, social interactions and networks, and social closure in professional career and ascension. In the last part of the paper the key aspects of the debate are emphasized and some remarks about the necessity of larger, more integrative and practice-oriented researches in this regard are made.
2021
The purpose of the study is to analyse and uncover non-discriminatory (other than societal stereotyping or bias) factors that are affecting the inequality of women’s career and to suggest implications from the HR’s perspective to ensure equality of career outcomes. Among main objectives are increased awareness around multiple factors of leadership gender inequality, and deeper understanding of work related gender specifications. With these findings, future researchers may select a singular variable to study in depth and with targeted interview process; practitioners to use this knowledge in effective utilization of strengths and transformation of weaknesses to the competitive advantage of their organisation. Research methodology is deductive/inductive with semi-structured cross sectional interviews with women employees of age 25-45 and high career goals. An empirical part is supported by comprehensive literature review on equality and aspects negatively affecting it. The pre-defined categories of our data collection are built from 3 main levels of influence – individual, organizational and private, and include: Career Orientation, Value, Traits, Job Satisfaction, Working Pre-Conditions, Social Context, Household Organisation and External Support Systems. Data collection is followed by a framework analysis with thematic coding and 2 additional categories – under/above 30 years old. Among key confirmed factors of career stagnation are career/family dilemma, prioritization of life balance over aggressive competition, value system conflicts (particularly for those in male dominated teams), lack of supervision and mentorship. Individual factors include different career choices, goals, focus at better results over organizational politics and competition due to deviating values (integrity, ethics, supportive social environment, family), aspirations (life balance, self-fulfillment, positive work experiences) and traits (conflict avoidance, lack of confidence and assertiveness). Among other reasons, the study identified weak diversity initiatives, negative perception of working mothers by businesses, high costs of family care services, and lack of awareness around the challenges women experience daily. Despite high motivation, women feel overwhelmed engaging fully in both family and career roles, and with time choose family over leadership role.
Aspects of the gender inequality issue in knowledge society careers
Professional segregation, as a form of gender inequality persists in the labor market. The main issue with this phenomenon is gender inequality payment, with drawbacks in both individual and social evolution. Women’s potential as professionals is not used at its highest level and, thus, the economic and social development is not in the right pace. Also, the additional income generated by equal payment would offer benefits for the society, as well as for its members, through the reduction of poverty rate. As gender bias seems to be the main cause of professional segregation and unequal payment, this paper aims to study the causes and the existent situation at a global level. The comparison between European countries and the US best reflects the differences and causes of gender inequality issues in both education and labor market. Also, the paper sheds light upon unemployment as an indicator of gender equality in the workforce.
Women in workforce: The “Glass Ceiling”. Are they being discriminated
Abstract: Numerous studies and research have been conducted in order to identify the scenario of “glass ceiling” in women‟s career and ways to encounter this situation. Throughout the years, the world witnessed the advancement of women in career building and penetration into job that was conventionally dominated by men, however, based on several research and studies, this progression is somehow still limited and hindered by some sort of gender discrimination, and women does not exactly progressing to a level that they deserved to be. The paper address this gender discrimination under the three main issues that have been found and frequently reviewed in previous research, studies in relation to „glass ceiling‟. There are gender wage gap, gender/job segregation and barrier in promotion process. Subsequently, this study will show that these three issues are directly related to each other. Keyword: Glass Ceiling, Glass Ceiling Effect, Women in Workforce, Gender Wage Gap, Gender Segregation, Barrier in Promotion.
Perceived Gender Equality in Managerial Positions in Organizations
Organizacija
This research aims to achieve two main objectives: to investigate differences between male and female managers regarding the perceived gender equality in organizations and to analyze the gender differences in relationships among the perceived gender equality, the perceived satisfaction with employment position and career, the perceived satisfaction with work, and the perceived work-family conflict.The sample of research includes 82 managers in Slovenian organizations. In first stage, we analyzed with t-test differences between male and female regarding perceived gender equality in decision-making positions. In the next step we developed the conceptual models and used structural equational modeling (SEM), and analyzed differences between constructs in two conceptual models.The research results show that female managers perceive gender equality in organizations in general to be significantly lower than males; furthermore, perceived gender equality is positively related to the perceive...
Gender Inequality, Career Success and the ‘Quality’ of Organizational Policies
Psychology & Psychological Research International Journal
The results of a study aimed at finding a relationship between manifestations of gender inequality and the resources available for development in the workplace and with women’s career success are described. А socio-psychological model of success factors of working women was developed, which includes both organizational context and personal career resources. The study was conducted in two stages in 2020-2021 using an online survey. The sample consisted of women working in organizations in various fields. At the first stage, the relationship between particular constructs of the model was tested; at the second stage, the theoretical-empirical model and its alternatives were tested by the structural equation modeling (SEM). The results of the study confirm the relationship of women’s career success with the availability of organization resources, with the possibility of implementing networking behavior and the perceptions of organizational politics, the negative relationship with struct...
Gender inequalities in highly qualified professions: A social psychological analysis
Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 2016
Research in social and political psychology contributes towards understanding the persistence of job market gender segregation prevailing in recent decades, the consequences for those involved and their reactions when having to cope with gender inequality. Within the framework of the literature on shared ideologies that justify and legitimize discrimination against women, this article focuses on Portugal and analyses the particular case of women in two highly qualified professions traditionally carried out by men-politics and medicine. Drawing on the results of quantitative and qualitative studies, our analytical approach demonstrates how while a majority of participants show awareness of the existence of gender inequality in these markedly masculine professions, meritocratic individualism and personal attributions to discrimination are the recurring explanations rather than any gender-based account. These results allow us to highlight the relevance of gender-based analysis as an ideology and furthermore to argue that ignoring this perspective not only diminishes individual responsibility for social change but also perpetuates gender asymmetries.