To what extent can human resource policies and practices promote gender equality - Essay Example

? To what extent can human resource policies and practices promote gender equality Introduction The protection of the rights of employees is often presented as the key priorities of human resource policies in contemporary organizations. In practice, it has been proved that the human resource management plans adopted by firms internationally do not focus on the achievement of the above target: rather efforts are made to promote a balance between the rights of the two parties, meaning the employer and the employees. As a result, it has been claimed that the human resource policies cannot guarantee the protection of basic employee rights, such as the right to equality in terms of gender. The promotion of gender quality through human resource policies and practices is explored in this paper. It is proved that human resource policies can be used for securing gender equality in the workplace but the effectiveness of the measures taken cannot be guaranteed. A series of factors can affect the initiatives developed in the workplace for the protection of gender equality. 2. Promotion of gender equality through human resource policies Gender equality has been a key issue in workplaces worldwide. Indeed, various measures are likely to be taken in businesses of all sizes for ensuring gender equality among employees. Still, it seems that the effectiveness of these measures is limited. According to Wilkinson, Redman and Snell (2009), human resources policies have not particularly helped towards the limitation of discrimination in the workplace; rather gender equality and other discriminatory problems are still intensive in workplace today. At this point, it would be necessary to describe the key characteristics of gender equality as related to the workplace. When referring to the workplace, gender equality means not only the equal compensation of male and female employees, but also their equal chances to professional development in the workplace, such as promotions, training and performance-based rewards (Wilkinson, Redman and Snell 2009, p.62). In other words, gender equality aims to ensure the equality in the terms of employment contracts for male and female employees in each particular organization (Wilkinson, Redman and Snell 2009). The review of the representation of women in management positions in firms across Europe reveals that gender equality is still a problem for businesses of all sizes. Moreover, it seems that the number of women in lower and middle management positions is gradually increased, in opposition with the top management positions, which are likely to be occupied by man (Stahl and Bjorkman 2006, p.506-507). In 2002, the percentage of firms that employ only men at lower and middle management positions was estimated to 44%, decreased from 1996 when the above percentage was 50% (European Business Survey 2002, in Stahl and Bjorkman 2006, p.506). The figures presented above denote the ineffectiveness of HRM to secure gender equality. At the next level, Stahl and Bjorkman (2006) note that the level at which HRM policies focus on gender equality is often depended on ‘the level at which women are represented in HRM’ (Stahl and Bjorkman 2006, p.507). In other words, in firms where the number of women working in the HRM department is high, the promotion of gender equality is expected to be more intensive compared to firms that tend to employ men in their HRM department. In this context, HRM policies are likely to emphasize on gender equality mostly when female HR managers plan them, a fact that reveals the inability of modern firms to secure equality in the workplace. The potential use of HR policies for promoting gender equality is highlighted in the study of Durai (2010). Reference is made specifically to Infosys, a global firm in the area of IT consulting. The particular firm has promoted gender equality through an appropriately customized network, the Women Inclusivity Network, which ‘secures gender equality by mentoring women employees to take up challenging working assignments’ (Durai 2010, p.57). In addition, a forum is used, ‘the Hearing Employees and Resolving’ (Durai 2010, p.57), for resolving various work-related problems of female employees, as for example issues of maternity leave (Durai 2010, p.57). The case of Infosys verifies the potential use of HR policies for securing gender equality in the workplace. The value of HR policies in promoting gender equality is also made clear through the study of Storey (2008). It is further explained that the interaction between HR policies and gender equality has the following implication: in Eastern countries where HRM is not highly developed, at least as compared to the Western countries, the promotion of important values, such as equality and diversity, in the workplace has been significantly delayed (Storey 2008, p.459). Reference is made, as an example, to the case of China, where equality and diversity are not adequately promoted in the workplace, a phenomenon that seems to be related to the limited use of HRM in Chinese enterprises (Storey 2008, p.459). In a report of World Bank, published in 2011, it is made clear that HR policies and practices can promote gender equality but it is necessary for the relevant initiatives to be supported by the state so that the chances for their success are increased. In Egypt, the state has supported the establishment of a certification known as GEME, i.e. ‘the Gender Equity Model Egypt’ (World Bank 2011, p.343). This model helps organizations of the private sector to promote gender equality, mostly by facilitating the access of women to positions at different levels of the organizational hierarchy (World Bank 2011, p.343). Arafa Holding, one of the firms that adopted this certification, has introduced a series of HR policies for securing gender equality (World Bank 2011, p.343); for example, the organization has offered to ‘married women the chance to be exempted from working longer hours’ (World Bank 2011, p.343). In other words, HR policies and practices can promote gender equality, but the measures chosen by organizations to achieve this target can be differentiated, according to their environment and the resources available (World Bank 2011). 3. Conclusion Gender equality is still an important problem for organizations worldwide. The development of initiatives by the states and by international organizations, such as the United Nations, has helped towards the limitation of the problem. Still, the success of firms worldwide in promoting gender equality is rather low. The literature presented above has revealed that firms can choose among different policies for promoting gender equality. In this context, it would be expected that phenomena of gender equality in the workplace would be limited, a fact that has not been verified. The ‘Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)’ (Rao et al 2009, p.7) seems to be the key text initiating the elimination of inequality in the workplace. However, in practice, the promotion of gender equality in the workplace is often problematic, as explained above, mostly because the relevant initiatives are not adequately supported, at least not as other organizational plans. The need for the active support of these initiatives by the state is quite clear. References Durai, P. (2010) Human Resource Management. New Delhi: Pearson Education India. Rao, A., Frugte, A., Wiik, C. (2009) Implementing gender equality policies and practices in private sector companies. A Study Commissioned by CDC, FMO, Norfund and IFC. December 2009. Available at http://www.nordsor.no/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Gender-Study-Final-Report-December-20091.pdf Stahl, G., Bjorkman, I. (2006) Handbook of Research in International Human Resource Management. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. Storey, J. (2008) The Routledge Companion to Strategic Human Resource Management. Oxon: Taylor & Francis. Wilkinson, A., Redman, T., Snell, S. (2009) The Sage Handbook of Human Resource Management. London: SAGE Publications. World Bank (2011) World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development. Washington: World Bank Publications. Read More