scholarly journals Women in the German Workplace: What Facilitates or Constrains Their Claims-Making for Career Advancement?

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Luekemann ◽  
Anja-Kristin Abendroth
Keyword(s):  
Gender Gap ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Career Advancement ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Workplace Cultures ◽  
Ideal Worker Norm ◽  
Ideal Worker ◽  
Employee Data ◽  
The Ideal

To contribute to the understanding of gender inequalities within the workplace, this article explored gender differences in claims-making for career advancement and how they depend on workplace contexts based on unique German linked employer–employee data. Applying organizational fixed-effects models, we found that women were less likely than men to make claims, especially when they had children, and that this was related to their working fewer hours. The gender gap in claims-making further depended on workplace characteristics that influenced women’s ability and their feeling of deservingness to work in more demanding positions. Although claims by mothers’ increased in work–life supportive workplaces, highly demanding workplace cultures seemed to hinder women’s attempts to negotiate for career advancement. Thus, the dominance of the ideal worker norm was a relevant driver for the gender gap in claims-making. Whereas this gap in making claims was found to be only partially related to the workplace gender structure, the formalization of human resource practices, such as performance-based evaluations in the workplace, fostered mothers’ claims-making, indicating that these evaluations were used to legitimize their claims in the workplace.

Not Just a Mothers’ Problem: The Consequences of Perceived Workplace Flexibility Bias for All Workers

2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 808-829 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey Trimble O’Connor ◽  
Erin A. Cech
Keyword(s):  
Turnover Intentions ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Workplace Flexibility ◽  
Family Responsibilities ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Workplace Cultures ◽  
Ideal Worker Norm ◽  
Ideal Worker ◽  
The Ideal

Flexibility bias and the “ideal worker” norm pose serious disadvantages for working mothers. But, are mothers the only ones harmed by these norms? We argue that these norms can be harmful for all workers, even “ideal” ones—men without caregiving responsibilities who have never used flexible work arrangements. We investigate how working in an environment where workers perceive flexibility bias affects their job attitudes and work-life spillover. Using representative survey data of U.S. workers, we find that perceived flexibility bias reduces job satisfaction and engagement and increases turnover intentions and work-life spillover for all types of workers, even ideal workers. The effects of perceived bias on satisfaction, turnover, and spillover operate beyond experiences with family responsibilities discrimination and having colleagues who are unsupportive of work-life balance. We show that workplace cultures that harbor flexibility bias—and, by extension, that valorize ideal work—may affect the entire workforce in costly ways.

Moving On Up? Effects of Leadership Training and Intersectoral Mobility on Women’s Advancement in Danish Public Administration Management

2021 ◽  
pp. 0734371X2110548
Author(s):  
Müge Kökten Finkel ◽  
Caroline Howard Grøn ◽  
Melanie M. Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Leadership Training ◽  
Career Advancement ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Upper Management ◽  
The Public ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
Public Managers

Women’s underrepresentation in middle and upper management is a well-documented feature of the public sector that threatens performance and legitimacy. Yet, we know far less about the factors most likely to reduce these gender inequalities. In this article, we focus on two well-understood drivers of career advancement in public administration: leadership training and intersectoral mobility. In theory, training in leadership and experience across government levels and policy areas should help both women and men to climb management ranks. We use logistic regression to test this proposition using a representative sample of 1,819 Danish public managers. We find that leadership training disproportionately benefits women, and this helps to level the playing field. However, our analyses show that differences in intersectoral mobility do not explain the gender gap in public sector management.

Conclusions: Change in Policies, Fathers’ Caregiving and the Ideal Worker Norm

2020 ◽  
pp. 197-202
Author(s):  
Berit Brandth ◽  
Elin Kvande
Keyword(s):  
Parental Leave ◽  
Processes Of Change ◽  
Process Of Change ◽  
Dual Earner ◽  
Supportive Role ◽  
Sense Of Entitlement ◽  
Ideal Worker Norm ◽  
Ideal Worker ◽  
The Ideal

This concluding chapter discusses the ways in which the parental leave design in terms of the father’s quota may have consequences for change in fatherhood and caregiving and thus for the wider processes of change towards a dual earner/dual carer model. It highlights change in fathers’ sense of entitlement to leave, which has made it into a norm. Aspects such as flexible use and the possibility for mothers to stay home are identified to harm the process of change towards dual caring. A focus on the content of the leave identifies further aspects of change in the father-child relation and care competence of fathers in the direction of caring masculinities. Working life’s supportive role contributes to placing a change of the ideal worker norm within sight.

scholarly journals Contextualising work–life balance: a case of women of African origin in the UK

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-153
Author(s):  
Loliya Agbani Akobo ◽  
Jim Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Career Advancement ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
African Origin ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Uk

Purpose The existing gender gap in the workplace, that affects job satisfaction and career advancement of women, creates a need to understand further the causes and effects of the gender gap phenomenon. Although, there are many challenges that affect women’s job satisfaction and advancement in the workplace, this paper aims to investigate work–life balance using multiple theoretical lenses. Design/methodology/approach In total, 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with women from Nigeria and Ghana residing in the UK, they were selected using a purposive sampling method. Findings The findings show four main factors that explain the choices these women make in relation to work–family. These are cultural sensitivities, current phase in family and work–life, personality types and other influences such as policies and financial commitment. Results also show how these women make these work–family choices using networks and services. Practical implications The paper postulates the need for organisation’s to pay attention to the acculturation and enculturation of these women, which would indicate observing their cultural behaviour’s, values, knowledge and identities to understand how they integrate, assimilate and to also prevent separation and marginalisation. In addition, the use of (internal and external) networks as support systems for these women can create the opportunity for informal learning. Finally, organisation’s should create structure that support workplace learning and should include activities such as decision-making, communication, career advancement planning and flexible work patterns. Originality/value This study contributes to theory using multiple theories (work-family, gender inequality and Theories X and Y in explaining the work–family construct of women of African origin in the UK.

The Ideal Worker Norm and Workplace Social Support among U.S. Workers

2021 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 120-137
Author(s):  
Krista Lynn Minnotte ◽  
Michael C. Minnotte
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Workplace Social Support ◽  
Ideal Worker Norm ◽  
Ideal Worker ◽  
The Ideal

The female fightback

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Career Advancement ◽  
Top Management ◽  
Senior Leadership ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Female Leaders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Group Coaching ◽  
Ideal Worker ◽  
The Ideal

Purpose Female leaders are hindered in career advancement efforts by ongoing adherence to notions of the “ideal worker” who epitomizes largely masculine traits. But development programs that blend individual and group coaching sessions supported by top management sponsorship can help women overcome barriers presented by the “gendered organization” and make the transition into senior leadership roles. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Female leaders are hindered in career advancement efforts by ongoing adherence to notions of the “ideal worker” who epitomizes largely masculine traits. But development programs that blend individual and group coaching sessions supported by top management sponsorship can help women overcome barriers presented by the “gendered organization” and make the transition into senior leadership roles. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

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