New ways of promoting gender equality

Résumé du document

This paper provides an overview of gender inequality comparing Europe and North America through media perspectives and company front runners within each region. It will provide an analysis of the methods used by companies and how actions are successfully carried out. As well it will discuss the likelihood of sustaining and gender equal company and how quickly or slowly companies can change.

Discrimination is a very relevant topic today and has been in recent years. To discriminate in the labor market means to treat or favor a person on a basis other than individual merit. There are several ways that discrimination can occur, race, gender or disabilities are some examples. On the subject of gender discrimination there have been numerous studies concluding men have higher average incomes than women. Although, this does not always mean women are being discriminated against. The difference in wages can be explained by educational attainment, age, occupational choice, prior work experience and average weekly hours of work.

In many organizations today there have been changes from task specialized structures towards more integrated organizational structures (Lindbeck and Snower, 2000). Job rotation, learning across tasks, teamwork, decentralization of responsibility and worker participation in decision making are now common work practices. These forms of human resource management were adopted by over 71 percent of U.S firms (Ostermann, 1994; 2000). In Europe the number was considerably lower but Scandinavian countries were more frequent to adopt these new structures than the rest of Europe.

A company aiming to be a frontrunner in equal rights has to first create equal promotion rights in their company; to ensure female workers have the same chance of being promoted as male workers. Secondly, it is important that men and women in the same position have equal pay for the equal work they are doing. Thirdly, creating quality control and job rotation in the firm, so that typical "male dominant" jobs are more diversified. It is of high importance that all different jobs are open for all candidates because a diversified workforce often leads to better work environment and better results.

Extraits

[...] IBM makes an effort to implement diversity programs within the workplace and by doing this they hope employees will maximize their personal productivity. The number of women executives at IBM has increased significantly from 1995 to 2005; from 14 percent to 19.4 percent. Although the issue remains that more men choose to study science and technology than women. Leadership from women in their industry can continue only if middle school-aged girls and young women choose studies and careers in science and technology ant this is why IBM has launched the E.X.I.T.E camps. [...]

[...] This fall could suggest a declining effort by the United States towards a gender-equal society. One article, published in the New York Times in 2004, asks if women really are on the way towards equality with men. It suggests that a lot of the figures and statistics quoted in the press overstate what women are really earning. It examines many other factors that affect overall pay, such as the number of hours a woman works per week. The article states that female-dominated jobs tend to be lower paying than male-dominated jobs despite similar levels of education. [...]

[...] The corporate management team had no female members at 31 December. Three of Aker Kvaerner's six shareholder-elected Directors are women, which corresponds to 50 percent. None of the employee-elected Directors are women. With a commitment to Female Futures, it is clear there is an effort to include women on boards. There still remains however, unequal pay for the same work. It is stated that none of the employee-elected directors are women; which may lead one to believe the commitment towards gender equality is filtering down into the organization with difficulty. [...]

[...] The core activities of the NHO include promoting legislation and providing services to increase the competitiveness and long- term goals of Norwegian companies. In 2003 the NHO created a new project called Female Futures to bring women into top positions and boardrooms. The main goals of this project are to: Facilitate that the private sector is viewed as an attractive place to work by women. Increase the percentage of women in decision-making processes, in management and in boards in general Involve managers as key helpers in the process aimed at recruiting more women to executive positions and to board posts Facilitate that executive responsibilities may be more easily combined with family responsibilities - the balance between work and private life By participating in the NHO project Female Futures Aker Kvaerner has earned a positive reputation for female labour force participation. [...]

[...] Operating within a male-dominated industry this organization is well recognized for its progress in promoting gender equality among its workforce. Alike Sweden, Norway has also imposed governmental legislation and bodies to govern and supervise gender issues in the private sector and ranks second place on the Gender Gap Index. Norway's main strategy in achieving gender equality has been to strengthen women's economic independence through increasing their labour market participation.[xvii] The Norwegian welfare system aims to take care of all people from birth to death in a gender neutral manner and makes it easier for individuals to find balance between work and family. [...]