Equality in the workplace: a study of gender issues in Indian organisations

Abstract

Purpose – In developing countries like India, changing economic and social condition necessitated working of women irrespective of their religion, class or social status. But at the same time, it raised number of related issues like managing for family adjustment, working environment, etc. The purpose of this paper is to study gender issues like gender stereotype, gender discrimination and sexual harassment in the context of Indian environment. Design/methodology/approach – A structured questionnaire was developed to collect primary data from 500 firms in India. The data collected through questionnaire was coded and tabulated keeping in context with the objective of the study and was analysed by calculating frequencies, factor analysis and one way analysis of variance. Findings – Results elucidate seven job-related factors (infrastructure, HR functions, organisational climate, legal pursuit, empowerment, training and development and ethical concerns) and two individual factors (interpersonal and mindset) that are considered essential for women employees in Indian organisations. Analysis indicates that though age and level of management has no significant effect on these factors but male and female respondents differ significantly on their opinion regarding these issues. Research limitations/implications – The respondents in present study have been taken mainly from service sector, manufacturing sector and education sector, thus the study looks at only organised sector. The research work suffers from the usual limitations of survey research method. Practical implications – With women becoming an integral part of the workforce, managers must examine their reliance on stereotypical views concerning women. Gender is a socio-cultural phenomenon and organisations are a key aspect of a given culture. Organisational analysis needs to take into account the relationship between gender, gender stereotypes and organisational life. Originality/value – The paper studies gender issues of gender stereotype, gender discrimination and sexual harassment on a pan India basis covering various sectors and contribute to the subject from Indian perspective.

Leadership development trends and challenges in the twenty-first century: rethinking the priorities

“…Although there are differences between challenges facing leadership development (Megheirkouni, 2018b) and challenges facing individuals, tasks or/and organizations to complete the required objectives (Megheirkouni, 2016c), we argue, in the current study, that there might be other factors that form the major challenges facing organizations in the twenty-first century. Comprehensive reviews of challenges facing organizations in the twenty-first century in the field of leadership development have been provided by previous studies such as Antwi andAnaloui (2008), Fitzsimons (2009), Gilpin-Jackson and Bushe ( 2007), Khoury and McNally (2016), Megheirkouni (2016cMegheirkouni ( , 2018b, Sekerka et al (2014), Vasconcelos (2015, Zekos (2004), Kaushik et al (2014), Everton et al (2007), Petrie (2014), Davies (2016), Ahmed (2005), Qureshi et al (2013), Fossland (2013, Ramboarison-Lalao et al (2012), Kakabadse and Kakabadse (2007), Park (2012) and Kibria et al (2013). According to these reviews and empirical research, the major challenges facing organizations that have been explored and investigated in the literature include: lack of leadership skills, racism, corruption, lack of training funding, individualized leadership, sexual harassment, employee theft, incivility, violence, financial and economic crises, demographic changes due to immigration, and labor and mind migration.…”

Gender Inequality Issues in India

“…Gender inequality in the workforce in India. Gender inequality in employment implies treating women (or men) differently because of characteristics that are not related to their merit or the requirements of the job (Kaushik, Sharma, & Kaushik, 2014). Gender equality in the workforce does not mandate participation of women in the workforce as an alternative to staying home to take care of the house, children, or elderly family members.…”

Contextual Support and Career Aspirations of Working Women

“…Research in the Indian context has focused on organisational, personal and social barriers, including gender stereotyping, gender discrimination at workplace, family responsibilities and work–family conflicts as limiting women’s career aspirations (Buddhapriya, 2009; Kaushik et al, 2014; Valk & Srinivasan, 2011). Also, though the existing research has documented individual-specific factors and contextual influences having a plausible impact on career development of women, the role of various contextual support elements as the determinants of career aspirations has received little attention in academic research, particularly in India.…”