The Power of Gender in Work Place - Essay Example

The Power of Gender in Work Place

Organizations are broad entities where individuals of different gender and culture come together to ensure organizational goals and objectives of the firm are achieved. The issues of gender and power and power in the workplace have been of great debate in various organizations. For instance, intensive research finds out that having individuals of diverse cultures and hence gender enhances teamwork among employees. According to Nash (2018), the power of gender in the workplace is essential in that it results in equity and equality. The issue of gender and power in workplaces contributes to the success of an organization and ensures the smooth functioning of different departments. The paper analyses gender and power issues in workplaces, which will significantly include but not limited to the discussion of stereotyping, gender relations, sources of gender inequality, the structuring of both formal and informal power, and sexual harassment.

Women Stereotype

According to Nash (2018), feminists have established a long theory on the role of gender discrimination due to the occupation of women. The same researcher indicated that workplace discrimination results in gender inequality. Despite the importance of gender equality in the workplace, many people are not aware of the different advantages that power and gender in the workplace can have. Additionally, gender stereotypes in the workplace are suited to big problems. The first problem is associated with traditionally female-gendered painting traits. The traits that influence gender include emotional and empathy awareness that affects them negatively. Similarly, males are usually associated with traits such as dominance, confidence, and assertiveness that make them useful for leadership positions. Therefore, the factors force women to conform to prevailing leadership styles, limiting the organization's ability to hire traits such as humanity. According to Lavaysse & Probst (2020), the firms' ability to hire humility is essential in increasing workplace innovation that compels employees to exceed their performance in the workplace.

The second problem associated with gender stereotypes is prevailing leadership traits that present themselves as a foil to more feminine characteristics. The feminine traits associated with leadership hence enhancing subordinate positions. Therefore, men who may display quality such as empathy can be whipped or soft, which confers adversely to behaviours deemed feminine. Many organizations attribute the feminine traits to negative behaviours that are a source of verbal weapon which punishes or mocks men who are seen to take behaviours associated with women. Stereotyping women increases pressure on the manner they can manage the leadership positions in the workplace. According to Lavaysse & Probst (2020), women are more likely to be singled out or judged than men when it comes to having excellent social skills.

Besides, gender stereotypes have resulted in increased misconceptions in the workplace. There is evidence that gender stereotypes are a cause for poor communication in the workplace. Additionally, gender stereotypes result in discord and create friction, which reduces productivity and morale. Some of the gender stereotypes include the view that women are not experienced; hence they cannot form a good team player. Similarly, there is a stereotype that influences the assertive that women are worse or trouble. Additionally, numerous people in the workplace believe that women are not committed to the work they undertake. The last stereotype is that women are the source of many emotions and gossip in the workplace.

Gender Relations

McCormack et al. (2018) defined gender relations as to how a culture or society defines responsibility, rights, and the identities of women and men in how they relate to one another. The same author noted that the relationships between the women and the men exist among the societies characterized by the marginalization of women in decision-making, among other forms of power-sharing in the workplace. Similarly, the tradition of communication between men and women have been faced with many challenges that form the modern challenges in the workplace. The women have been faced with economic exploitations and increased violence, which adds to gender inequality. The process involves problems such as increased gender-based violence and poor performance in the workplace.

According to Nash (2018), if an organization is to be in the line of growth and making profits, there is a need to analyze the gender relation. The process is essential in establishing the solutions that are effective in making transformations in the organization that can be a source of success. According to Warren (2015), organizations that are in apposition to analyze the gender relationships from both personal and systemic roots is in a position to solve the issues.

Both men and women play a significant role in the workplace. Hence, Warren (2015) stated that one could not treat the males differently from women or the other way. Even though such laws seem to favour women, they also work in favour of the men. Notably, the men recently are enjoying paternity leaves and take sick leaves to care for their children. Understanding gender roles is essential in understanding the traditional behaviours and functions of the colleague from the opposite gender that may assist individuals in understanding their values and feelings.

Sources of Gender Inequality

Women roll the world literally due to the activities they undertake. According to McCormack et al. (2018), women juggle with numerous activities that result from the demands made by their life, such as giving birth and raising the kids. Similarly, the women are charged the role of providing financial stability and health preparedness. Cooking, establishing time for exercising and finding time for friends are other activities that they undertake. Despite the events that are success factors among women, most of them are treated as less when it comes to the workplace. The factors that facilitate gender inequality in the workplace are as follows. The first one is unequal pay between the two genders.

According to Warren (2015), women are more learned than men in most countries, including developed ones such as the United States of America. The same author reported that for many years, women earned more degrees compared to their male counterparts. However, they receive less pay as compared to their males who have either the same or lower level of education. According to Nash (2018), women in America earn 80% of what is paid to the men in the job group. The same report indicated that the salary gap between the males and the females continues to increase even much. If an organization is to grow, there is a need to curb the discrepancy in the workplace. The process should involve the introduction of new policies that call for payment of parental leave, pro-family and support for childcare policies.

The other source of inequality in the workplace is facilitated by racism. According to Warren (2015), race plays a significant role in how women are compensated and treated in the workplace. There are some working stations where the pay women receive is based on their ethnicity and race. According to a study conducted by the Institute for Women's Policy Research, Pacific/Asian women get the highest annual earnings amounting to $46,000. Their counterpart White women follow $40,000 while the Native women from America and the Hispanic earn the lowest at $31,000 and $28,000 per year.

The third source of gender inequality arises from less promotion that women face in their workplace. Even though women are more educated than their counterpart men, they receive fewer chances of promotion in the workplace. Discrimination occurs even though women constitute almost half of the workforce. Keeping in mind that only about five percent of women make up the CEOs, it is evident that most women do not receive promotion. Besides, women-only accounts for 10 percent in the top earners in the S&P 500. The black women are even worse off as they are nowhere to be seen in both Fortune 500 board and S&P 500 board. According to McCormack et al. (2018), the reason why most women do not get high executive seats is that there are no role models in higher levels of the workplace.

The fourth source of gender inequality is job segregation. According to Warren (2015), the division of jobs within the employment sources is a significant source of gender inequality. Many societies believe that men are simply better suited and equipped to undertake specific jobs. In most cases, the jobs that are undertaken by men are said to be paying best. Discrimination is a source of low income among women in the workplace. Additionally, women are also forced to undertake primary roles and responsibilities accompanied by unpaid labour. Therefore, in situations where women participate in operations that are to be paid labour, they are already tasked with extra jobs.

The fifth source of gender inequality is the lack of legal protection for women. McCormack et al. (2018) stated that the world has over one billion women who lack legal protection against harassment in the workplace, such as domestic economic violence and sexual violence. The two violence has a significant impact on the ability of women to thrive and ensure freedom. According to Warren (2015), most of the countries lack adequate legal protections against harassment in the workplace. Such environments become unconducive for women to make decisions that regulate the attainment of their goals.

The last source of gender inequality in the workplace is the fear of asking to be paid what one is worth. According to Nash (2018), women suffer when it comes to asking for more employers' pay. Despite the issue of unequal pay, the majority of women fear to discuss the amount they ought to be paid in the workplace. The few who are in a position to negotiate for their pay are viewed as desperate or greedy. The two factors lead to hesitation on the part of women regarding bargaining for their worth in the workplace. Warren (2015) stated that only a small percentage of women negotiate for their pay. The report indicated that about 70 percent of women are satisfied with the salaries they are offered without negotiating against 52 percent of men.

The Structuring of both Formal and Informal Power

According to Nash (2018), an employee receives formal power based on the position that one occupies and the authority given that position. Conversely, an employee receives informal power based on their relationships you build, and the respect stemmed from your coworkers. While personal viewpoints result in informal power, corporate structure drives formal power. Most workplaces have an organizational chart that lists the relationship and the ranks. Women need to understand the relationships and organizational charts that will ensure they have a conducive working environment.

Similarly, the chart details the lines of responsibilities and authority of different positions. If the women are to maintain a formal power in the workplace, understanding the corporate ladder, job function, and organizational structure is essential. On the other hand, informal power is a position given to lead a team towards the achievement of a given task. Women should utilize the informal power offered to them by ensuring that they achieve the best result to gain organizational respect. According to McCormack et al. (2018), employees with informal power possess the most experience and knowledge in specific fields.

Sexual Harassment

According to Shaikh (2019), sexual harassment is an unwelcomed request for favours in terms of sexuality. Any act that can be seen as a form of sexual harassment adversely affects productivity in the organization. Similarly, women that face sexual harassment develop a sense of intimidation, hostility and offensive work environment. The modern work environment has changed the forms of sexual harassment, thereby introducing insulting remarks and suggestive jokes directed at one sex.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, the power of gender in the workplace is the main topic that needs to be addressed to meet organizational success. Most organizations in the current world aim to deal with gender inequalities in the organization to attain organizational growth and productivity. Stereotyping is one factor that organizations must deal with to ensure equality in the organization. Similarly, organizations that have developed structured gender relations are in a position to allocate work between men and women. Besides, working towards establishing the power of gender in the workplace is facilitated by the determination of sources of gender inequality. The power of gender is also influenced by structuring, both informal and formal authority in the workplace. Lastly, a firm that is to grow and maintain productivity should address sexual harassment among the employees.