The Role of Data Analytics in Assessing Gender Equality in the Workplace
A fascinating piece of research conducted by Ben Waber (January 2014) addresses a constant concern in the business world: work-life balance and equitable treatment of women. As Sheryl Sandberg, COO FaceBook) claims, "Who isn't going to choose life over work?" Waber makes the argument for women to scale the peaks of professional stature they have to be wealthy, superhuman, or self-employed. The equal treatment for women in the workforce is littered with economic and cultural obstacles.
To get a better read on the contrasting styles of men and women and to determine if the difference is linked to career outcomes, Waber analyzed behaviors in three different companies:
- banking call center (more than 10,000 employees)
- office products manufacturer (about 10,000 employees)
- pharmaceutical company (1,000 employees)
He tracked conversations, speech patterns (he ignored actual content to protect privacy), who interacted with whom, e-mail, instant message and phone call data. Sociometrics is a technique that analyzes patterns of relationships and social engagement; in short, this is hard behavioral data. Here are his findings:
- At the call center women were more productive than men (this was the only company that had quantifiable productivity) completing calls 24 seconds more quickly; a 9% difference in productivity.
- No difference in workplace performance or collaborative styles were observed to support the idea that men and women perform or interact differently.
- Women were disadvantaged when it came to winning promotions and reaching the upper echelons of management.
- At the pharmaceutical company despite a 50/50 gender split, women were only 13% of the top executive positions.
In another study conducted by Cornell University researchers submitted 1,276 fake resumes for real jobs listed in the classified section of the local paper. The resumes were identical but varied in gender and whether the candidate had children. The faux male candidates with kids were most hirable. Next were men and women without kids. And least desirable were women with children.
Subjects told researchers they
- viewed women as more likely than men to sacrifice work duties for family commitments
- Male candidates with kids were viewed as more responsible
Conflicting attitudes about a mother's role complicate a woman's career in ways that are of no concern for men. This is an issue that has been around for decades and continues today. To change these deep seated attitudes will require a sustained and conscious effort. Every organization should ask:
Do Men Get Bonus Points for Being Fathers
and
Are Women Penalized for Being Mothers? |
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Audrey Nelson PhD. is an international trainer, key-note speaker, consultant and author who works with organizations to increase their productivity and profitability through winning communication strategies.
You can reach Audrey at audrey@audreynelson.com
or at 303.448.1800 O - 303-448-1801 F - 303.448.1802 C
www.audreynelson.com
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The Gender Communication Handbook –
Conquering Conversational Collisions Between Men and Women
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The Gender Communication Handbook is for anyone who works with the opposite sex. If you are a part of a management team, in HR, or develop corporate training, this book is a comprehensive guide filled with smart advice, extensive research, self-assessments, and compelling true-to-life case studies. More |
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Code Switching is a hands-on tool for everyday use at the office. It is a practical resource with how-to steps to help businesswomen conquer the communication nuances between men and women in the workplace. This book explores the gender impact on business talk. - More |
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You Don’t Say – Navigating Nonverbal Communication Between the Sexes |
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You Don't Say is the first book to explore the misunderstandings that often arise between the sexes due to nonverbal communication — and to show readers how to say what they mean and get what they want. More than words, it's nonverbal cues that have the power to improve — or impair — our interactions with the opposite sex at home and in the workplace. |
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