Just talking? Middle managers negotiating problem ownership in gender equality interventions

Lansu, M.E.M.; Bleijenbergh, I.L.

doi:10.1016/j.scaman.2020.101110

Cited by 26 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…While middle managers are often reluctant owners of change in regard to gender equality (Lansu et al, 2020), senior leaders are regularly seen as central for changing organisational cultures (Schein, 2010). Leaders can act as role models that others emulate (Sawyer and Valerio, 2018).…”

Section: Contemporary Gender Theories See Gender Essentialism As Probmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…How leaders talk about gender equality can potentially inspire others to also act on gender equality. Leaders can also put pressure on middle managers to change their practices (Lansu et al, 2020). Prior research has therefore suggested that senior leaders in particular can be powerful agents for change to achieve gender equality (Mattis, 2001;Morrison, 1992;Prime and Moss-Racusin, 2009;Wahl, 2014).…”

Section: Contemporary Gender Theories See Gender Essentialism As Probmentioning

confidence: 99%

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CEOs as agents of change and continuity

Kelan

Wratil

2021

EDI

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PurposeChief executive officers (CEOs) are increasingly seen as change agents for gender equality, which means that CEOs have to lead others to achieve gender equality. Much of this leadership is going to happen through talk, which raises the question as to how CEOs talk about gender equality to act as change agents. The purpose of this paper is to understand the arguments of CEOs deploy.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on interviews with global CEOs, who have publicly supported gender equality work, the article draws on discourse analysis to understand the arguments of CEOs deploy.FindingsThe analysis shows that CEOs deploy three arguments. First, CEOs argue that women bring special skills to the workplace, which contributes to a female advantage. Second, CEOs argue that the best person for the job is hired. Third, CEOs talk about how biases and privilege permeate the workplace. The analysis shows that CEOs are often invested in essentialised views of gender while holding onto ideals of meritocracy.Originality/valueThe article suggests that how leaders talk about gender equality leads to continuity, rather than change in regard to gender equality.

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Section: Contemporary Gender Theories See Gender Essentialism As Probmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Contemporary Gender Theories See Gender Essentialism As Probmentioning

confidence: 99%

CEOs as agents of change and continuity

Kelan

Wratil

2021

EDI

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“…Research has identified that the slow progress towards workplace gender equality can stem from middle managers not taking ownership of the problem, with “ownership” defined as engagement, role modelling, and facilitating change (Lansu et al, 2020). Problem ownership is essential to gender equality change projects, and extends beyond awareness of, and understanding, the problem (Kelan & Wratil, 2018; Lansu et al, 2020). It relies on middle managers taking responsibility and taking action.…”

Section: Middle Managers' Role In Progressing Gender Equalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It relies on middle managers taking responsibility and taking action. The unwillingness to take responsibility, coupled with a reluctance to engage in change initiatives is also a form of resistance, based on managers seeing themselves as “change recipients” rather than as “change agents” (Lansu et al, 2020). Managers can express commitment to gender equality, but resist taking action (Wahl & Holgersson, 2003), thereby not bridging the gap between change recipient and change agent.…”

Section: Middle Managers' Role In Progressing Gender Equalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…By examining how middle managers engage with or resist gender equality initiatives, we apply these under‐explored concepts and develop and clarify the boundaries between the types of resistance. We also draw on the concept of ownership, where managers do not fully own the problem of gender inequality and therefore make limited progress towards equality (Lansu, Bleijenbergh, & Benschop, 2020). Problem ownership becomes a mediating factor and a missing link between policy understanding and active implementation, and lack of problem ownership becomes a form of passive resistance as managers “kick the can down the road.”…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Understanding, ownership, or resistance: Explaining persistent gender inequality in public services

Colley

Williamson

Foley

2020

Gender Work & Organization

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Gender inequality persists in the public services in many Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development countries, despite decades of policy and strategic initiatives designed to promote greater equality. Resistance to gender equality, characterized by opposition to change or support for the status quo, has emerged as one potential explanation for the disconnection between policies and outcomes. This article explores whether concepts of resistance assist to explain slow progress towards gender equality in our study of four Australian public sector jurisdictions, where we asked middle managers about their understanding of, and action towards, gender equality. We found that managers were committed to gender equality and held a general understanding of their jurisdiction's gender equality policies, but lacked a deeper understanding of how organizations and human resource practice are gendered, which impeded translating commitment into action. This resulted in various levels of resistance and an unwillingness or inability to operationalize policies and strategies. This indicates that public services have progressed from identifying the problem to not knowing how to operationalize solutions. Our research contributes to the resistance literature, showing the existence of the various forms of gender equality resistance, which can impede action. A further contribution is that our research did not find differences between the approaches of male and female managers in gender‐balanced organizations, with both equally aware of the policies but demonstrating similar levels and types of resistance.

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All talk and no action? Making change and negotiating gender equality in Swedish forestry

Johansson

Andersson

2023

Forest Policy and Economics

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Just talking? Middle managers negotiating problem ownership in gender equality interventions

Cited by 26 publications

References 38 publications

CEOs as agents of change and continuity

CEOs as agents of change and continuity

Understanding, ownership, or resistance: Explaining persistent gender inequality in public services

All talk and no action? Making change and negotiating gender equality in Swedish forestry

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