There are a myriad of places where organizational professionals from CEOs, to HR leaders to line managers can intervene to make their organization more equitable. Where will you start?
Explore the many things that conspire to create gender gaps. Then consider what action you can take. (Hint: one option involves hoovering.)
Socialisation & Gendered Roles
- Men Do Less Unpaid (Care = Household) Work Which Allows ↓
- More Energy For More Paid Work (& Fun)
- Fatherhood Brings A Baby & Pay Bonus
- Dads Are Perceived As More Responsible
- Dads Are Perceived as More Deserving (Particularly Those Already Privileged)
- Stereotypes Of Independent Competitive Aggressive Male as Leader
- Discrimination (Including Unconscious Bias)
- Flexible Work Options are Weak
- Dads are Worried about using the Visuals of Using Flexible and Parenting Work Options.
Workplace Organizational Design
- Less 1st Time Line Managers Are Women
- Imbalance In Seniority – Fewer Women
- On Average Men Are Better Paid
- Less Women In Highly Paid Sectors
=> Check out Actions for Mens
=> Check out Actions for Women
Socialisation & Gendered Roles
- Societal Design for Households = 1 ‘Employed’ + 1 Carer / Homemaker
- Gender Imbalanced Paid Leave
Socialisation => Gendered Roles
- Women Do Most Unpaid Family, Child/ & Elder Care Work.
- Women Contend with a Stereotype of Nurturing.
- The ‘Non-Nurtures’ Are Perceived As Less Likeable, & That’s Bad For Promotions.
- Women Contend with a Double-Bind with Nurturing Perceived As Ineffectual.
Discrimination (including unconscious bias)
- Ambition Penalty
- Motherhood Brings a Wall
- Mothers Are Less Likely to be Hired, Promoted and Are Paid Less
- Mothers Are Held to Higher Performance & Punctuality Standards
- Mothers Are Perceived as Less Committed.
Horizontal (Sectoral) Pay Gap
- Less men in low paid sector
=> More Actions for Organizations here
Combined these two groups of ideas, how men’s pay gets pushed up, and how women’s pay gets pushed down are powerful forces. But, workplace inclusion measures typically benefit everyone – going beyond a gender binary into other aspects of workplace inequality. One example is enabling all parents to have quality family time which benefits not just parents but also children.
