Women at Work
Women Engineers, Informal Networking and Inequalities in a Project-based Organisation in Australia
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Kim Ball
The retention of women engineers has remained a problem world-wide despite more than forty years of research. Women engineers will leave their organisation (e.g. Professionals Australia 2015) and the profession (e.g. Fouad et al. 2011) to attain interesting, challenging work. However, there is little understanding of how this work is attained, particularly in project-based organisations (PBOs). Additionally, analysis of the gender composition of professional networks identifies crucial issues that impact negatively on women’s careers (e.g. Xu & Martin 2011), yet there is little knowledge of engineers’ informal networking practices within organisations or the impact of these on their careers. To address these gaps, this study asks: How do informal networks impact on professionals’ ability for attaining interesting, challenging work in an engineering PBO in Australia? It adopts a critical ethnography methodology incorporating Social and Organisational Network Analysis and traditional ethnographic fieldwork methods framed by Acker’s (2006) inequality regimes theory. This study establishes that interesting, challenging work in a PBO is attained through projects where engineers are assigned to project teams through an intraorganisational recruitment and hiring process where connections with powerful and influential people are vital for team assignment. Through this organising process and the general work requirements (Acker 2006)—long work hours and network development out of work hours, plus structural differences in women’s and men’s informal network relations, women experience inequalities in attaining interesting, challenging work. This study provides recommendations for managers, organisations, and individuals to improve women engineers’ retention by lessening gender inequalities and facilitating change.
A Moment of Truth: Disclosing Pregnancy at Work
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Naama Bar On Shmilovitch
Being first-time pregnant at work and not telling about it means intentional concealment of the newly emerging maternal identity to be accumulated over the familiar, professional one. Research shows pregnant employees tend to keep their secret for as long as possible, lest they be perceived as undermining the "recognized order" in the workplace. Recently, scholars have begun to explore the experience of pregnancy in the workplace, focusing mostly on the circumstances after a pregnancy has been disclosed. Pregnancy disclosure represents a turning point of a transformative significance in a woman’s working life, as well as a test for her manager and a moment of truth for their relations. Yet, this unique act of pregnancy disclosure has hardly been addressed in research. The current study sheds light on this lack. Placing the disclosure at its center, this study aims to unpack the complexities surrounding this act for both pregnant employees and their managers. Data for this study was derived from in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 first-time pregnant employees and 15 managers of large organizations and small businesses. Similarities between the act of disclosure that publicizes maternal identity and the process of "coming out of the closet" that informs of sexual orientation are noticeable. Analyzing this unstudied constituency enhances the rising research of pregnancy at work and adds to the study of secrets in organizations.
Women in the Male-dominated Technology Sector: Confidence and Self Advocacy
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Madison Winter Kurchik
There are many studies about women in the workplace, especially those in male-dominated fields, that identify confidence as a challenge. This paper investigates how women who work in the technology sector characterize themselves, and their efficacy, at different stages in their career. Eighteen qualitative life-history interviews are examined through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The contributions of this study are twofold. First, by centring women’s experiences and voices, this study goes beyond simply identifying confidence as an issue. In fact, the women participants describe a plethora of complex factors that impact their confidence, as well as ways they have attempted to rectify low confidence. Second, the novel empirical illustrations in this study yield opportunities for organizations to better themselves and become more inclusive.
Reflecting on Board Gender Diversity in South Africa: Change Mechanisms and the Way Forward
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Nadia Mans-Kemp
Although female board representation features high on policy agendas in many countries, the association between gender diversity and good governance is more complex than merely enforcing the appointment of female directors. The directorates of most listed South African companies include less than twenty percent females. Given the country’s history of inequality, which impacted women, I joined the academic debate on mechanisms which could address gender imbalances at board level. In Norway, a mandatory forty percent board gender quota is enforced, while a thirty-three percent target applies in the United Kingdom. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with local asset managers to gauge their views on the applicability of these mechanisms in South Africa. Attention was also given to the role of shareholder activists. Interviewees acknowledged that although shareholder activists could play a significant role to enhance board gender diversity, this topic did not (yet) feature on their engagement agendas. Interviewees opposed the introduction of board gender legislation. The King IV Report on corporate governance calls on listed South African companies to set voluntary board gender targets. While companies have the flexibility to determine realistic targets, they are expected to annually report on progress in this regard. Suggestions are offered pertaining to the future enhancement of board gender diversity and possible new research avenues. Companies should develop potential female leaders from the middle to the top of the corporate ladder by offering mentoring and training to expand the director talent pool. Shareholders should furthermore encourage board gender diversity by supporting eligible female candidates.
