Shaped by resistance: Discursive politics in gender equality work

Abstract

While existing research offers an understanding of the antecedents, forms, and consequences of resistance to gender equality work in organizations, studies primarily regard resistance as a challenge to be overcome or as something that can at times be beneficial for change. In this paper, we argue that resistance shapes gender equality work. We focus on covert forms of resistance and give voice to experts in Finland and Sweden who work for gender equality in organizations. Analyzing the discursive politics involved in (de)legitimizing and (de)politicizing equality work, we elucidate how experts deal with resistance by shaping the meaning of equality and working for it. Our findings suggest that covert resistance undermines the quest for gender equality by molding the conditions for how equality work can be done, thus influencing what it can achieve in organizations and in society.

Gendered executive headhunting with Chinese characteristics

“…First, headhunters reported that clients believe that men are superior to women in both physical and mental terms. Gendering was overt, lacking the covertness of Western resistance to equality initiatives (Stierncreutz & Tienari, 2022). Hong, a male manager of a headhunting firm stated:

For some positions, I believe that men have more strengths than women, such as software development, while women have more strengths than men, for example, HR management.

…”

“…First, headhunters reported that clients believe that men are superior to women in both physical and mental terms. Gendering was overt, lacking the covertness of Western resistance to equality initiatives (Stierncreutz & Tienari, 2022). Hong, a male manager of a headhunting firm stated:…”

“…Studying this high‐stake process provides a means to sharply illuminate these broad contextual issues, and the way overt and covert processes work dynamically in executive recruitment and selection. While many studies have identified barriers that inhibit women's career advancement (Brands & Fernandez‐Mateo, 2017; Coles & Eikhof, 2021; Cooke, 2022; Evans & Maley, 2021; Manfredi et al., 2019; Stierncreutz & Tienari, 2022), studies of how different actors interact to work systemically, but secretively, to reduce opportunities provide insight into the role of political system and culture. Headhunters are motivated experts in elite labor markets.…”

Anticipating resistance: Teaching gender and management to business school students

“…Our teaching takes place in this societal and socio‐cultural context. While gender equality is commonly assumed to be achieved in Finland, this assumption co‐exists with persistent gender segregation and inequalities in organizations, giving rise to often subtle yet significant resistance to equality work (Stierncreutz & Tienari, 2023).…”

“…We argue that the interplay between resistance to feminism and feminist resistance defines the conditions under which we and others work with gender‐related topics in business schools. In such contexts where feminist perspectives on gender (in)equality can be deemed illegitimate, working for change involves drawing on established discourses to legitimize one's cause: in dealing with resistance to feminism, we rely on our ability to “read the room” and to develop discursive strategies tailored for the discursive context (Stierncreutz & Tienari, 2023). Ylöstalo and Brunila (2018) refer to “discourse virtuosity,” which involves drawing on discourses one seeks to criticize to create a space for change in contexts that would otherwise remain out of reach.…”