Moving from problems to solutions: A review of gender equality interventions at work using an ecological systems approach

Abstract

Despite the mounting research on gender inequality in the workplace, progress toward gender parity in organizational practice has stalled. We suggest that one reason for the lack of progress is that empirical research has predominately focused on the antecedents and manifestations of gender inequality in the workplace, paying inadequate attention to the solutions that could potentially improve gender equality and women’s experiences at work. Indeed, we report here that less than 5% of the relevant studies published in preeminent management, psychology, and diversity journals since the turn of the century identify practical interventions for solving gender inequality in organizations. To advance gender equality at work, we argue that a paradigm shift from problem to solution is critical and urgent. Using ecological systems theory (EST; Bronfenbrenner, 1977) as our guiding framework, we present an integrative review of gender equality interventions spanning across the management, psychology, and feminist literature over the past two decades at the ontogenic system, interpersonal microsystem, and organizational microsystem levels of analysis. We subsequently provide an overview of domains not currently addressed in extant research – meso-, macro-, and chronosystems – and identify future research directions to spur progress towards workplace gender equality.

The EThIC Model of Virtue-Based Allyship Development: A New Approach to Equity and Inclusion in Organizations

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Going beyond good colleagues: Men’s and women’s perspectives on allyship behaviors toward women faculty in male-dominated disciplines in academia.

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So you think you are an ally? Effects of (in)congruence between men's self‐perceptions and women's perceptions of men's values and allyship on women's inclusion and vitality

“…In the wake of high-profile campaigns such as the #MeToo movement and the UN Women HeForShe campaign, there is growing public recognition that men can be active partners in improving gender equity and inclusion in the workplace. Similarly, scholars are recognizing the pressing need to engage men as allies to foster culture change and workplace inclusion (Bilimoria et al, 2008;Lau et al, 2022;Warren et al, 2019). For decades, the presence of workplace sexism and the work of shifting systems toward equityspearheaded primarily by womenhas fomented stress, exhaustion, and depletion for women (see review, Joshi et al, 2015;also, Major & O'Brien, 2005;Sojo et al, 2016).…”