Gender Bias in the Workplace PDF

Masculine defaults: form of bias that exist when behaviors associated with the male gender role are valued, rewarded, or regarded as standard, normal, neutral, or necessary characteristics. Includes ideas, values, policies, practices, interaction styles, norms, symbols that are valued within a cont...

Masculine defaults: form of bias that exist when behaviors associated with the male gender role are valued, rewarded, or regarded as standard, normal, neutral, or necessary characteristics. Includes ideas, values, policies, practices, interaction styles, norms, symbols that are valued within a context; beliefs that do not appear to discriminate but result in disadvantaging women more than men. Examples: Ideas level: when organizations emphasize meritocracy (a belief that organizations hire and promote the best and most talented employees). But what does 'the best' mean? Institutional level: gender-neutral tenure clock stoppage (fathers are more able to use this for working on publications) Interactions level: interactions between worker and organisations, e.g., ideal worker norm, masculine words in job adds Individuals level: excellence is associated with being assertive in meetings (interjecting, standing one's ground, defending own ideas), self-promotion, competitiveness and brilliance (qualities that fit male gender norm). See also Ryan & Morgenroth on definition of risk taking. See optional podcast on BB about how shyness can limit one's career. Most D&I interventionsfocus on differentialtreatment But onlybyaddressingmasculinedefaultswillwe reallyimproveinclusion Social Role Theory (Eagly, 1987) We expect women to be communal: Caring, warm, collaborative We expect men to be agentic: Self-confident, competitive, performance oriented Gender roles are not only expectations; they are normative (women should/should not, men should/should not) and protect the gender hierarchy For women at work this can result in role incongruity between gender role and work role Low expectations: Prove it again! 'Gender trouble': Women should not be agentic -\> Backlash: dominant women are disliked Intersectionality: backlash is different for white vs. Black vs. Asian vs. Latino women (depends on ethnicity specific gender role) Motherhood wall/ penalty (vs. fatherhood bonus) Communicated on different levels: Institutional: performance assessments that detail masculine norms absence/presence of paid partner/parental leave lack of women's or gender-neutral public bathrooms lack of nursing mothers' room having deadlines right after school holidays Symbolic:Manels and pictures of successful white men 'Daddy days' (pappadag) Leaders don't communicate about work-family experiences 'women leaders' vs. the rest of the leaders Think about how in Dutch we often say 'gewoon' (bijv 'gewoon hetero..') Lackof fit: Notagenticenoughtobea successfulacademic Occupational stereotype seems correct: higher up the academic ladder (i.e., profs) stronger agentic self-descriptions and smaller lack of fit. Lackof fit is strongestamongassistantprofessors andis largestamongfemaleassistantprofessors Masculine default in occupational stereotypes create lack of fit and dissuade early career academics from pursuing a career in academia (men as well!!) 2.Lackof fit with masculine default particularly large for early career female academics 3.Lackof fit works as a self-fulfilling prophecy: academics themselves (esp. women) tend to expect that they will not succeed, and look for opportunities outside academia 4.It is less effective for women than men to be agentic: often perceived as pushy, bossy, bitchy 5.ImplicationsforD&I policies: question norms and defaults! 6.See Cheryan& Markus for ways to reduce masculine defaults Identity threat is the psychological threat arising from possible devaluation of one's group. Threatens goals to belong and to achieve. Triggers: Numerical underrepresentation (being different) Stigmatization and devaluation of ones group (subtle - explicit) Emphasis on domains associated with the dominant group (e.g., masculine defaults) Note that triggers tend to work together: workplace underrepresentation sends the message that the reasons for the underrepresentation of a particular group are legitimate -- the result of the lower abilities or skills on the part of these individuals. This bolsters devaluation and maintains segregated roles and contexts that themselves then reconfirm the stereotypes. Coping : Hiding/concealing (part of) your identity Passing & code switching Displaying rewarded qualities and distancing from the stigmatized group -\> self-group distancing, 'résumé whitening' (Kang et al. 2016) Finding solace in stigmatized identity (we are together, sharing experiences) Resisting: proving stereotypes wrong, strong work motivation, greater support for 'collective action'. Coping strategies can be combined and can change over time (first trying to fit in, later fighting for change) Fix the individual: interventions designed to boost motivations, ambition, abilities of members of underrepresented groups (e.g., confidence training, negotiation skills). Problematic because: No clear evidence base, often based on stereotypes. Places responsibility of being included on underrepresented groups (blaming the victim: "gender inequalities comes down to women's own career choices"). Overlooks the systemic and structural factors that are the root of inequalities and that lead minoritized individuals to have qualitatively different experiences (e.g., leading them to question their ability) A focus on promoting 'individual mobility' of individuals (rather than systemic change) leaves the status quo untouched Most likely to benefit 'privileged' minorities (e.g., White middle- and upperclass women) Having a more diversie workforce ('diversity') does not automatically result in more diversity in work styles, knowledge, traits, demographics etc. 2.When the definitition of what quality means is based on the majority group (e.g., masculine defaults, superhero standards, ideal worker), minority group members may experience identity threat 3.Some strategies to cope with threat (e.g., hiding, concealing, code-switching, self-group distancing/queen bee phenomenon) lead minorities to fit in rather than contribute new ideas, new experiences. IS THAT DIVERSITY? 4.In order to make diversity work, we need inclusion: Questioning and changing the default Fix the system to create real opportunities to be authentic and to belong Improving inclusiveness at the level of institutions, symbols and experiences