Legislative approaches to nondiscrimination at work: a comparative analysis across 13 groups in 193 countries

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jody Heymann ◽  
Bijetri Bose ◽  
Willetta Waisath ◽  
Amy Raub ◽  
Michael McCormack
Keyword(s):  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Ethnic Discrimination ◽  
Legal Rights ◽  
Foreign National ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The World ◽  
And Gender

PurposeThere is substantial evidence of discrimination at work across countries and powerful evidence that antidiscrimination laws can make a difference. This study examines the extent of protections from discrimination at work in countries around the world and which groups were best covered.Design/methodology/approachThis study assesses legal protections in hiring, pay, promotions/demotions, terminations and harassment for 13 different groups across 193 countries using a database the authors created based on analysis of labor codes, antidiscrimination legislation, equal opportunity legislation and penal codes. Differences in levels of protection were examined across social groups and areas of work, as well as by country income level using Chi-square tests.FindingsProtection from gender and racial/ethnic discrimination at work was the most common, and protection across migrant status, foreign national origin, sexual orientation and gender identity was among the least. For all groups, discrimination was more often prohibited in hiring than in promotion/demotion. There was inconsistent protection from harassment and retaliation.Research limitations/implicationsAddressing discrimination at work will require a broad range of synergistic approaches including guaranteeing equal legal rights, implementation and enforcement of laws and norm change. This study highlights where legislative progress has been made and where major gaps remain.Originality/valueThis article presents findings from an original database containing the first data on laws to prevent discrimination in the workplace in all 193 countries around the world. The study analyzes legal protections for a wide range of groups and considers a full range of workplace protections.

A cross-national investigation into the effects of religion on gender equality

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid Yeganeh
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Religious Diversity ◽  
National Level ◽  
World Value Survey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The World ◽  
And Gender

PurposeThis study aims to analyze the effects of religion on gender equality at the national level.Design/methodology/approachThe study distinguishes between the concepts of religiosity and religious affiliation and introduces a measure of religious diversity. The study defines religiosity and gender equality as multidimensional concepts and relies on a wide range of secondary data from credible sources such as the World Value Survey, the United Nations, Gender Gap Report and the World Economic Forum to analyze the effect of religious factors on gender equality in more than 70 countries.FindingsThe analyses show that after controlling for the effects of socio-economic development, religiosity tends to impede gender equality. It is found that Muslim and Hinduism affiliations are negatively and Protestant affiliation is positively associated with gender equality. Furthermore, Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox affiliations and religious diversity do not significantly affect gender equality.Originality/valueAt the theoretical level, this study distinguishes between religious affiliations and religiosity and relies on the modernization theory to offer valuable insights into the relationship between religion and gender equality. This study's findings could serve managers and policymakers in dealing with gender disparities in different spheres of social life at the practical level.

Violence against Women in Politics

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona Lena Krook
Keyword(s):  
Political Violence ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Political Life ◽  
Women In Politics ◽  
Equal Rights ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The World ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Ongoing Dialogue

Women have made significant inroads into politics in recent years, but in many parts of the world, their increased engagement has spurred attacks, intimidation, and harassment intended to deter their participation. This book provides the first comprehensive account of this phenomenon, exploring how women came to give these experiences a name—violence against women in politics—and lobby for its increased recognition by citizens, states, and international organizations. Drawing on research in multiple disciplines, the volume resolves lingering ambiguities regarding its contours by arguing that violence against women in politics is not simply a gendered extension of existing definitions of political violence privileging physical aggressions against rivals. Rather, it is a distinct phenomenon involving a broad range of harms to attack and undermine women as political actors. Incorporating a wide range of country examples, the book illustrates what this violence looks like in practice, catalogues emerging solutions around the world, and considers how to document this phenomenon more effectively. Highlighting its implications for democracy, human rights, and gender equality, the volume concludes that tackling violence against women in politics requires ongoing dialogue and collaboration to ensure women’s equal rights to participate—freely and safely—in political life around the globe.

Ranajit Guha’s Historiography of Colonial India

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasant Kaiwar
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Subaltern Studies ◽  
Latin American History ◽  
Indian History ◽  
Bengali Literature ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The World ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Moment

Ranajit Guha is one of the best-known and most innovative historians of modern India. The bulk of his best-known work was published between 1981 and 2002. The main historiographical issues that appear in his work include (a) the colonial appropriation of the Indian past and its representation as a “highly interesting portion of British history,” which together with the force of colonial conquest added up in Guha’s terminology to a colonial expropriation of Indian history; (b) the complicity of all branches of colonialist knowledge in the fact or force of conquest; (c) British rule in India as a “dominance without hegemony,” in which the moment of coercion outweighed the moment of persuasion by contrast with western Europe; (d) an Indian historiography of India that attempts to redress the expropriation of Indian history and make “the Indian people, constituted as a nation, the subject of their own history”; (e) a subaltern historiography that identifies the limitations of the mainstream Indian historiography of India and the need to pay attention to the “neglected dimension of subaltern autonomy in action, consciousness and culture,” the “contribution made by the people on their own”; and (f) a historiography that goes beyond “statism” to the everyday being-in-the-world of ordinary people, countering the pretensions of the “prose of world-history” with the “prose of the world.” These issues recur in various forms and combinations in Guha’s books and essays, notably the ones he contributed to Subaltern Studies, an edited series that he launched in 1982. The theoretical influences on Guha’s work are not limited to Marxism and its many offshoots. Guha used the concept of “subaltern” to signify anyone in India who did not belong to the “elite” and therefore included peasants, workers, impoverished landlords, and others whose behavior exhibited a combination of defiance and deference to the elite. It has many points of contact with Gramsci’s work. Guha drew freely on the philosophy of Hegel and Heidegger, Bengali literature, notably the works of Rabindranath Tagore, not to mention semiotics, linguistics, structuralism, and poststructuralism, the objective being not theoretical monism or purity but the mobilization of a wide range of references to shed light on history’s dark corners. The eclectic richness, if not elusiveness, of the concept of “subaltern” and Guha’s deployment of it in various forms to speak to caste, class, and gender issues has perhaps inspired its wider diffusion for rethinking the history of popular consciousness and mobilization in fields as far apart as Asian, African, and Latin American history.

Gender discourse in the social studies curriculum: an international literature review

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-194
Author(s):  
Molly D. Siebert
Keyword(s):  
Social Studies ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Comparative Education ◽  
Women And Gender ◽  
Social Studies Curriculum ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gender Discourse ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
And Gender

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore research on the inclusion of women and discourses on gender in the social studies curriculum, with the goal of promoting gender equality.Design/methodology/approachTo gauge how issues on gender are being taken up in classrooms around the world, the process started by exploring Compare, Comparative Education, Comparative Education Review and International Journal of Educational Development. Initially, studies related to the social studies curriculum were examined. The research then expanded beyond the social sciences and these journals. The next level of research used a mixture of the key search terms “inclusion,” “gender discourse,” “women,” “gender equality” and “curriculum.” Studies conducted around the world were examined to broaden the understanding of global research on women and gender discourses in the curriculum.FindingsAlthough progress is evident, reform measures are necessary to ameliorate the inclusion of women and gender discourses in the curriculum. Implementing these strategies in social studies education may be effective steps to achieve gender equality: (1) consistently encourage students to critique power structures and systems of oppression; (2) include the exploration of gender fluidity, masculinity and the fluidity of masculinity in the curriculum; (3) examine intersectional identities such as race, gender and sexuality; and (4) utilize teacher education programs and professional development as key sites to help educators improve the amount of and approach to gender discourse in the classroom.Originality/valueAfter reviewing these studies, the combined findings offer potential steps to achieve gender equality.

Exploring the experiences of women and migrant medical professionals in Swedish hospitals

2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 666-677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Mulinari
Keyword(s):  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Ethnic Discrimination ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
High Status ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Anti Semitism ◽  
Collective Resistance ◽  
The Difference ◽  
And Gender

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the different ways in which experiences of marginalisation within organisations are named and acted upon. Of particular interest is examining the ways in which the visibility of gender discrimination and the invisibility of ethnic discrimination indicate what the professionals in the study identify as horizons of possible individual and collective resistance. Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes as its point of departure Cho et al. (2013) notion of “intersectionality as an analytical sensibility” (p. 795). The material consists of qualitative semi-structured interviews with 15 chief medical doctors employed in two Swedish hospitals. Findings – The findings indicate that while there is an organisational visibility of gender inequality, there is an organisational invisibility of ethnic discrimination. These differences influence the ways in which organisational criticism takes place and inequalities are challenged. Female Swedish identified doctors acted collectively to challenge organisations that they considered male-dominated, while doctors with experience of migration (both female and male) placed more responsibility on themselves and established individual strategies such as working more or des-identification. However, they confronted the organisation by naming ethnic discrimination in a context of organisational silence. Research limitations/implications – The paper does not explore the different forms of racism (islamophobia, racism against blacks, anti-Semitism). In addition, further research is needed to understand how these various forms of racism shape workplaces in Sweden. Originality/value – The paper offers new insights into the difference/similarities between how processes of ethnic and gender discrimination are experienced among employees within high-status professions. The value of the paper lies in its special focus on how forms of resistance are affected by the frames of the organisation. The findings stress the importance of intersectional analyses to understand the complex patterns of resistance and consent emerging within organisations.

Acceptability and challenges of online higher education in the era of COVID-19: a study of students' perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raj Kishor Bisht ◽  
Sanjay Jasola ◽  
Ila Pant Bisht
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Initial Time ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Online Mode ◽  
The World ◽  
Students First ◽  
Chi Square Test

PurposeEmergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) forced the world-wide education system to adopt online mode immediately. There are two main objectives of the paper: the first one is to know the acceptability of online mode of examination and learning amongst students by analysing the various aspects like difficulty, mental pressure, study pattern, etc. and the second one is to know the role of gender in adopting online education.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey is conducted amongst the students of Graphic Era Hill University, Dehradun, India. Stratified sampling method has been used to select the students. First, a simple statistical analysis of the responses is conducted, and then chi-square test of independence has been used to know the dependency of various aspects on gender.FindingsThe two main findings of the present study are as follows: first, the online examinations were accepted with ease and low pressure in comparison to regular examination and second, the gender has a significant role in adopting online education with the observations that female students were more adoptable with online education in terms of assignments, study patterns and comfort. The present work also focuses on the challenges of online education like Internet connectivity, class interactions, etc.Research limitations/implicationsThe present work was carried out during the initial time of pandemic in India when the focus was to continue the academic process by utilizing all the available resources in the absence of well-defined standards of online education.Practical implicationsThe findings of the paper can be used for making strategies for online education across the world.Social implicationsThe findings of the paper have shown that gender plays a significant role in adoptability of online education in Indian context.Originality/valueThe present work is conducted amid the environment of COVID-19. It reflects the analysis of students' responses towards the acceptability of online education under the difficult conditions developed due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown.

The level of individual social capital and social activity among librarians and managerial personnel

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 132-148
Author(s):  
Maja Dorota Wojciechowska
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Social Capital ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
The One

PurposeThe purpose of this paper i to determine which group – the managerial personnel or the directors of libraries – had a more extensive social network and were more eager to engage in cooperation, in other words – had the qualities believed to be important in managerial positions.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents the results of research on the levels of individual social capital, as well as the social activity among librarians in 20 countries across the world, which are important for integration with the local community and development of library services.FindingsThe research confirmed that library directors are more active than managerial personnel or line workers, although there were areas in which line workers and managers scored higher than directors. In some areas of civic activity, line workers and managers, rather than directors, led the way.Research limitations/implicationsThis is the first research into the social capital and social activity of the managerial personnel of libraries conducted on such a large scale – in 20 countries across the world. The electronic survey resulted in the total of 6,593 valid responses, which were analysed statistically. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistics were calculated, and the chi-square test of independence and the Mann–Whitney U test were applied. The level of individual social capital was calculated on the basis of a resource generator – Questionnaire for the Measurement of Individual Social Capital (KPIKS).Originality/valueThis is the first research into the social capital and social activity of the managerial personnel of libraries conducted on such a large scale – in 20 countries across the world. The electronic survey resulted in the total of 6,593 valid responses, which were analysed statistically. The one-way ANOVA statistics were calculated, and the chi-square test of independence and the Mann–Whitney U test were applied. The level of individual social capital was calculated on the basis of a resource generator – Questionnaire for the Measurement of Individual Social Capital (KPIKS).

Understanding the ease of doing agribusiness in emerging Asian economies: evidence from world enterprises survey

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Waseem Khan ◽  
Trilok Pratap Singh ◽  
Mohammed Jamshed
Keyword(s):  
Political Stability ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tax Rate ◽  
Doing Business ◽  
Top Managers ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Asian Economies ◽  
A Minor ◽  
India And China

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the characteristics of agribusiness firms in India, China and Pakistan, as well as the challenges they face in doing business. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on the World Bank’s Enterprises Survey (WBES) data. The survey was carried out through a questionnaire survey from the owner and top managers of 716, 247 and 174 agribusiness from India, Pakistan and China, respectively. This enterprises survey has comprised the information regarding the wide range of firms’ characteristics and 16 parameters of business obstacles. Simple statistical tools such as chi-square and analysis of variance have been used to analyze the data. Findings Chi-square test shows the statistically significance difference in firms’ characteristics across agribusiness firms of India, China and Pakistan. Chinese firms are better in terms of having an international quality certification, own websites and getting credit. In Pakistan, access to land for agribusiness is an obstacle while for India and China, it is easy to acquire land for agribusiness purposes. In Pakistan, tax rate and political stability is a moderate obstacle while in India and China, it is a minor obstacle in agribusiness. Labor regulation does not perceive any considerable obstacle in doing business in India and Pakistan. Practical implications This study provides an understanding of differences in the agribusiness environment in emerging economies such as India, Pakistan and China based on WBES data. This study can be helpful for agribusiness managers and government policymakers for promoting agriculture-based entrepreneurship. Originality/value It is the first attempt to compare the profile of agribusiness firms in growing Asian economies such as India, Pakistan and China, as well as perceived business hurdles, using a comprehensive enterprises survey data of World Bank.

scholarly journals Factors and “illusions” influencing the choice of PFI-type public private partnerships

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 222-238
Author(s):  
Ronald McQuaid
Keyword(s):  
Risk Sharing ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Public Private Partnerships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Alternative Funding ◽  
Published Evidence ◽  
Wide Range

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to critically assess some of the micro- and macro-economic reasons for using public finance initiative types of public–private partnerships (PPPs) and how a lack of transparency may result in an “illusion” of making optimal, rational decisions related to them. A series of balances that decision makers need to make in order to choose whether or not to use PPPs are set out, as well as 15 potential “illusions” may affect such decisions. Design/methodology/approach This paper synthesizes published evidence and develops a framework for analyzing PPPs. Findings A wide range of factors influence the choice of PPPs, including: budget enlargement; efficiency and value for money; certainty of expenditure and delivery; flexibility; financing costs; risk sharing; procurement process and transaction costs; legacy and public assets; and the wider impacts on the local economy. However, reasons why PPPs can provide improved infrastructure and services may not be realised due to in-built incentives, behavioural biases and implementation shortcomings. Necessary support for PPPs includes strong, robust and transparent regulatory and governance systems, the dissemination of good practice to all partners, consideration of alternative funding models and high-quality advice and training. Research limitations/implications The paper sets out a number of reasons for using PPPs, and also assesses potential drawbacks and identifies areas where greater research is required. A number of potential “illusions” are identified, whereby decisions may be affected by factors not explicitly or transparently considered, hence giving the decision an “illusion” being rational. Practical implications PPPs are significantly influenced by the socio-economic, legal, legislative and financial system they are embedded in. A clear process for approving projects and recognising all the costs and benefits of PPPs is needed, including developing criteria and instruments to measure each phase of a PPP and its overall value added to the economy and society over its lifetime. Full transparency, having suitable support and explicitly taking account of potential “illusions” affecting decisions, could lead to different decisions, including the decision not to progress the project or to use alternative funding and development methods. Social implications Decisions on PPPs should be based on a clear and transparent long-term basis which includes the perspectives of the full range of stakeholders to help improve the appropriate operation and social sustainability of a PPP. Originality/value The paper sets out some key arguments for and against the use of PPPs in different circumstances, including why non-optimal decisions may be made.

Research on women in international business and management: then, now, and next

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Bullough ◽  
Fiona Moore ◽  
Tugba Kalafatoglu
Keyword(s):  
International Business ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Women And Gender ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Research ◽  
Cross Cultural Research ◽  
The World ◽  
And Gender ◽  
New Research ◽  
Business And Management

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the paradox that represents a shortage of women in management and senior leadership positions around the world, while research has consistently shown that having women in positions of influence leads to noteworthy organizational benefits, as guest editors for this special issue, the authors provide an overview of four key streams of cross-cultural research on gender – women in international management, anthropology and gender, women’s leadership, and women’s entrepreneurship – which have been fairly well-developed but remain underexplored. Design/methodology/approach Each author led the review of the scholarly literature stream that aligned most with personal research areas of expertise, while particularly focusing each literature review on the status of each body of work in relation to the topic of women and gender in international business and management. Findings The authors encourage future work on the role of women and gender (including gay, lesbian, and transgender) in cross-cultural management, and the influence of cross-cultural matters on gender. In addition to new research on obstacles and biases faced by women in management, the authors hope to see more scholarship on the benefits that women bring to their organizations. Practical implications New research could aim to provide specific evidence-based recommendations for: how organizations and individuals can work to develop more gender diversity in management and senior positions around the world, and encourage more women to start and grow bigger businesses. Social implications Scholars can lead progress on important gender issues and contribute to quality information that guides politicians, organizational leaders, new entrants to the workforce. Originality/value This is the first paper to cover these topics and review the body of work on cross-cultural research on women in international business and management. The authors hope it serves as a useful launch pad for scholars conducting new research in this domain.

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