Is there a silver bullet to career success for women?

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inge Woudstra
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Flexible Working ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Sports Coaches ◽  
Mixed Gender

Purpose – Organizations were originally designed for men. Women are different and organizations will need to adapt to maximize progress and performance of women as well as men. Line managers need to be aware of gender differences in their approach of a mixed-gender team. Design/methodology/approach – In a review of literature, key gender differences that could play a role at work were identified. Five top sports coaches were interviewed to find how they had to adapt to improve performance of female teams. Practical application of their strategies in organizations was tested in four workshops and 15 interviews with women and managers. Findings – Six key gender differences were identified. Top sports coaches confirmed that they had to adapt their style to a female team, and could relate those to some of the differences from literature. The workshops and interviews showed that teaching managers to adapt their style is a promising approach. Research limitations/implications – The research was set up to find if there is merit in being aware of gender differences in organizations. There is, but as it is exploratory research, it is now important to find further evidence. Originality/value – Gender diversity efforts tend to be focused on equality, flexible working, and upgrading women’s skills. This paper highlights that those initiatives are not enough, and organizations need to adapt to women’s needs to maximize performance and progress of women as well as men.

Gender at work, one size does not fit all

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 349-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inge Woudstra
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Flexible Working ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Sports Coaches ◽  
Mixed Gender

Purpose Leaders have learned to lead men. Women are different and organisations will need to adapt to maximise progress and performance of women as well as men. Line managers need to be aware of gender differences in their approach of a mixed gender team. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach In a review of literature, key gender differences that could play a role at work were identified. Five top sports coaches were interviewed to find how they had to adapt to improve performance of female teams. Practical application of their strategies in organisations was tested in four workshops and 15 interviews with women and managers. Findings Six key gender differences were identified. Top sports coaches confirmed that they had to adapt their style to a female team, and could relate those to some of the differences from literature. The workshops and interviews showed that teaching managers to adapt their style is a promising approach. Research limitations/implications The research was set up to find if there is merit in being aware of gender differences in organisations. There is, but as it is exploratory research it is now important to find further evidence. Originality/value Gender diversity efforts tend to be focused on equality, flexible working, and upgrading women’s skills. This paper highlights that those initiatives are not enough, and organisations need to adapt to women’s needs to maximise performance and progress of women as well as men.

They teach, but do they apply?

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 743-766
Author(s):  
Anete Petrusch ◽  
Guilherme Luís Roehe Vaccaro ◽  
Juliane Luchese
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Additional Data ◽  
Effective Sample Size ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Lean Thinking ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Administrative Services ◽  
The Usa ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Uk

Purpose Although discussed for more than 20 years, information about Lean adoption in higher education institutions (HEIs) is scarce, especially in developing countries. This research aims to investigate the degree of Lean thinking adoption on administrative services of Brazilian private HEIs. The results are compared to studies from USA and UK, highlighting the maturity on enablers, principles, tools and performance measures related to Lean. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative survey research was carried out. The instrument is adapted for HEIs from the proposal of Malmbrandt and Åhlström (2013) for Lean services. Cronbach’s alpha and factor analysis were used to validate the adapted instrument. Additional data analysis was based on non-parametric tests. Findings No evidence of broad implementation of Lean thinking in administrative processes of Brazilian private HEIs was found, with the adoption being incipient. The results are convergent to those presented by other studies in the USA and the UK. There is a gap between the existing knowledge about Lean in the academic sphere of the HEIs and its application on their academic processes. Research limitations/implications The effective sample size was of 47, despite contacts being sent to 2,090 institutions. This sample allows exploratory research, although further research is required. Results are adherent to those found in research from other countries. Originality/value The research presents descriptive and exploratory results regarding the adoption of Lean in Brazilian HEIs. No previous similar research was found in the literature.

Mind the Absent Gap: Gender-Specific Competitive Behavior in Nonprofessional Sports

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-233
Author(s):  
Anna Katharina Pikos ◽  
Alexander Straub
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Professional Sports ◽  
Competitive Behavior ◽  
Sex Composition ◽  
Unique Data ◽  
Single Sex ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Mixed Gender ◽  
Gender Specific ◽  
Opposite Gender

There is wide evidence for gender differences in competitive behavior and performance under pressure from experimental economics and single-sex professional sports. We analyze these differences in a sport with direct gender competition. Our unique data consist of over 500,000 observations from around 11,000 German ninepin bowling games of which around 15% are from mixed-gender leagues. Men perform better against women on average, but this is fully explained by differences in ability. Our results are robust to instrumenting for opposite gender using the sex composition of the opponent team. Gender differences in tight situations do not seem to play a role.

Skilled migrant employees' perceptions of support from line managers

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
pp. 931-947
Author(s):  
Rosa Faaliyat ◽  
Keith Townsend ◽  
David Peetz ◽  
Susan Ressia
Keyword(s):  
Performance Appraisal ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Social Exchange Theory ◽  
Career Progression ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Diverse Workforce ◽  
Skilled Migrant

PurposeThis paper explores the experiences of non-English-speaking background (NESB) skilled employees working in Australian workplaces, their perceptions of managers' actions and how a lack of employee involvement and participation (EIP) practices and performance appraisal (PA) is perceived regarding career progression.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory research project is based on 26 semi-structured interviews with skilled migrant NESB employees based in Australia. Social exchange theory (SET) and labour market segmentation theory (LMST) are applied to help explain macro- and micro-level influences on NESB employees and their relationships with their line managers and the workforce.FindingsParticipants perceived line managers to be highly communicative and approachable; however, they indicated how a lack of EIP in decision-making and in their PA affected career progression opportunities for NESB employees. While they were satisfied overall with their jobs, the research indicated a need for improved practices and support from the broader organisation in these two identified areas.Originality/valueThere is relatively little research on how the challenges of an increasingly diverse workforce are managed, particularly from NESB employees' perspective. Therefore, this research fills a gap concerning NESB employees' experience in Australian organisations.

Gender makes the difference: the moderating role of gender on the relationship between management structure and performance in banking

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikola Stefanovic ◽  
Lidija Barjaktarovic
Keyword(s):  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Threshold Level ◽  
Bank Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Executive Authority ◽  
The Difference ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Executive Boards

Purpose This study aims to explore the factors moderating possibly indirect relationships between gender diversity and its effect on bank performance. The causality of this relationship remains unclear. Design/methodology/approach The sample consists of all banks (n = 27) operating in Serbia. Findings The gender diversity-performance relationship is indirect. The gender diversity of executive boards positively impacts bank performance, over a threshold level. This is observed only in banks where gender diversity is extended to more than one level of executive authority. Research limitations/implications Gender diversity should be fostered, particularly in small and competitive markets. The gender diversity-performance link is based on gender-related social interactions, which are interdependent and should not be taken into account as isolated factors. Originality/value To the knowledge, this is the first study to provide insight into indirect, gender related, moderatory interactions effecting gender diversity – performance link, in banking.

scholarly journals Regional initiative in the Gulf Arab States: the search for a common currency

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Basher
Keyword(s):  
Monetary Union ◽  
Commodity Prices ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Common Currency ◽  
Individual Country ◽  
Fiscal Union ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Gcc Countries ◽  
Set Up

Purpose – This paper aims to make two main additions to the literature on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) monetary union. First, it emphasizes that the creation of a fiscal union is necessary for the GCC monetary union to succeed. Second, it proposes some alternatives to pegging to the dollar, which would allow the GCC countries to absorb large swings in global commodity prices (oil, food) in the short to medium run. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses exploratory research to shed light on the feasibility of a common currency for the proposed GCC Monetary Union. Findings – Given the challenges associated with creating a GCC fiscal union as a requirement for a successful monetary union, the GCC countries could easily set up an “anti-crisis fund” to partially protect themselves from the economic and social costs of unforeseen crises. A basket, band and crawl (BBC) currency system, at an individual country level or a regional level, would allow the GCC countries to cope with not just large swings in global commodity prices, but also as an effective instrument for the governments to promote their economic diversification. Practical implications – This paper offers a template for the GCC central banks to consider the BBC currency system as an alternative to their existing dollar peg regime. Originality/value – This is the first paper that attempts to provide a formal argument in support of the BBC currency system as an alternative exchange rate arrangement for the GCC countries.

Breaking the glass ceiling: opportunity for the organization

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 311-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debashish Kumar Sahoo ◽  
Usha Lenka
Keyword(s):  
Glass Ceiling ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Diversity Initiatives ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Competitive Edge ◽  
Participation Of Women ◽  
Corporate Hierarchy ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Female Employees ◽  
And Performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to decipher the benefits of breaking the glass ceiling in the organization, providing strategies to overcome it, and discussing the benefits availed by the organization in bringing more participation from women in middle and senior level management. Design/methodology/approach – This paper critically analyses the literature on women’s contribution to the organization’s success, their barriers to their advancement to corporate hierarchy, and breaking the glass ceiling, supported by appropriate theories. Findings – Gender diversity initiatives are perquisite for an organization ' s success and performance because presence of more women in the organization increases firm’s productivity. It is because more participation of female employees offers organizations a wide range of resources, ideas, skills, and energy to the business, providing a competitive edge against the competitors. Research limitations/implications – With understanding the benefits of gender diversity initiatives, an organization will emphasize more on the development of female employees personally and professionally. This, in turn, will help organizations in terms of productivity. Originality/value – Originality and value with understanding the benefits of gender diversity initiatives in an organization can focus more on growth and development aspects of female employees by breaking the glass ceiling and recognizing their competencies, qualifications, and achievement. This will lead to more participation of women in every echelon of management, resulting in firm performance.

A performance-based budget in the judiciary: allocation of resources and performance variability in first instance courts. An analysis of three case studies

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Viapiana
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Allocation Of Resources ◽  
Close Link ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Unequal Treatment ◽  
Performance Variability ◽  
The Law ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compare the different performance-based budgeting models used in the judiciaries of three European countries: Italy, Finland and the Netherlands. In particular, this paper focusses on the criteria adopted by these three countries to fund the courts, and it analyses the effects of these criteria on the distribution of resources and performance variability among first instance courts.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory research is based on a literature review and data analysis of three case studies. Equity in resource distribution and equality in courts' performance are assessed using the coefficient of variation.FindingsThe preliminary findings suggest the following: (1) funding models with a close link between performance and budget better guarantee equitable allocation of resources among courts and, therefore, more equal performance among courts within a country; (2) unbalanced allocation of resources is associated with disparities among courts in terms of judicial efficiency and effectiveness and consequently, unequal treatment of/outcomes for citizens coming before the law.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is part of a broader research project aimed at analysing the impact of performance budgeting on the efficiency, quality, organization and values of judiciaries. This study only considers quantitative aspects of performance, but it will be followed by further analysis that will explore performance and judicial budgeting from other perspectives.Practical implicationsThis paper describes examples of three different models of performance-based judicial budgeting from other countries, which aim to reform the budgeting processes of the judiciaries in question. The paper emphasizes the importance of adopting rational and transparent funding criteria in order to ensure judicial independence and accountability and to balance courts' performance, guaranteeing the principle that every citizen must obtain the same treatment before the law.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the existing performance-based budgeting literature by studying its application to the judiciary, which, due to its peculiarities, is an area that has been overlooked in previous studies and deserves further attention. This study contributes to the court administration literature by exploring the issue of budgeting, which, despite its importance, is still a neglected subject.

The effect of workplace diversity management in a highly male-dominated culture

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hye Kyoung Kim ◽  
Ung Hee Lee ◽  
Young Hyung Kim
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Job Performance ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Role Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Male Dominated ◽  
Male Workers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to, first, examine gender differences in response to the presence of diversity management and in the level of organizational commitment, second, to investigate the influence of diversity management practices on organizational commitment, and third, to examine the relationships among gender, diversity management, organizational commitment, and job performance in a more highly male-dominated culture. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a review of the literature, this empirical study uses a survey and statistical analysis, including t-tests and regressions, to test the hypotheses. Findings – The major findings are as follows: first, female workers reported a more favorable perception of diversity management practices than did male workers. However, there was no difference between female and male workers in organizational commitment. Second, diversity management was positively and significantly related to organizational commitment. Finally, the results show that gender was not related to in-role performance, while diversity management and organizational commitment were positively related to in-role performance. Originality/value – The significance of this study lies in its investigation of the effect of diversity management on employees’ attitude and behavior and the gender differences in the perception of diversity management and organizational commitment in a highly male-dominated society. In addition, since Korean companies have become more performance oriented (House et al., 2004), finding the positive relationship between diversity management practices and job performance can also suggest one way for all organizations to increase their employees’ task performance for their continuous development.

The multiple faces of front line managers

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 410-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Kilroy ◽  
Tony Dundon
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Employee Outcomes ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Leader ◽  
Line Manager

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present exploratory research on the potential variation of front line manager (FLM) types and attendant causal links between FLM style and employee outcomes. It challenges the value of a homogenous FLM construct and tests for variation in FLM styles which may affect behaviours and employee outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – A set of discreet FLM types is defined from extant theory and literature (named here as Policy Enactor; Organizational Leader; and Employee Coach). Each type and its relationship to employee outcomes is explored empirically using survey data and qualitative interviews with a small sample of employees (n=46 employees across eight FLM groups) within a multi-national manufacturing plant. Findings – The findings provide preliminary support for an FLM “type” construct. Employees reported a significant dominance of the “Organizational Leader” type for one FLM, while across a broader set of FLM’s the proportions showed measurable variation. The qualitative data provides context examples that help explain FLM typologies and link to employee outcomes. Originality/value – Much of current literature explores the FLM construct as a singular construct, relying on its contextual relevance for definition within a certain discipline. This paper focuses on combining these contextual experiences to present a multi-faceted construct for the role of FLMs within the employment relations literatures. By moving from the implicit to the explicit, the paper offers a conceptual lens for quantitative and qualitative exploration of the role of FLM types. As a result, attendant and subsequent FLM and employee behaviours may be better examined and possibly better specified. To add value to this contribution longitudinal and more extensive data sets could be examined and tested in the future.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document