A Case Study of Gender Differences in Job Satisfaction Subsequent to Implementation of an Employment Equity Programme
| Author | E. Sharon Mason |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.0048 |
| Date | 01 June 1997 |
| Published date | 01 June 1997 |
Introduction
There is an emerging climate in North America
which has been labelled a ‘backlash’ to the affirm-
ative action initiatives undertaken in recent years.
Local and national governments in both the
United States and Canada have recently been
voted into power or are running for power on plat-
forms that include repealing affirmative action
initiatives and are taking steps to do so. While a
social and political analysis of this phenomenon is
beyond the scope of the present discussion, a rel-
evant question may be raised as to the outcomes
for employees and organizations of affirmative
action when implemented effectively.
The literature illustrates the use of ineffective
strategies such as setting women up for failure,
thus reinforcing the belief or establishing ‘proof’
of women’s lack of competence, the sabotaging
dynamics inherent in tokenism (Kanter, 1977)
and what has been termed ‘management by
avoidance’ (Vince, 1991). In establishing the
reasons for ‘management by avoidance’ of equal
opportunity initiatives, Vince (1991) states:
‘What we do in an organisation as white men is
conditioned by a limited framework of interests.
That is to say, our own interests .. . We have the
power to be enabling and supportive of the devel-
opment of different values but we use that power
to be defensive, dismissive and blocking . . .
Through inaction we have maintained our power
while pretending a sympathy for change . . . We
have suppressed and ignored the development of
effective forms of evaluation, consultation and ac-
countability . . . because we have a greater invest-
ment in non-change than change.’ (p. 53)
Vince goes on to specify nineteen specific avoid-
ance strategies as ‘the most common element in a
manager’s relation to equal opportunities’ (p. 56).
British Journal of Management, Vol. 8, 163–173 (1997)
A Case Study of Gender Differences
in Job Satisfaction Subsequent to
Implementation of an Employment
Equity Programme
E. Sharon Mason
Faculty of Business, Brock University, St Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1, Canada
In this research case study, the competing hypotheses of socialization, structural and
social role theories were derived and used to explore and compare the job attitudes
and satisfaction of women and men in a Canadian insurance company subsequent to
voluntary implementation of an employment equity programme. Gender comparisons
of both managerial and clerical employees on individual facets of satisfaction indicated
the most support for social role theory, some support for structural theory and the least
support for socialization theory. These findings indicate that managerial women and
men tend to derive work satisfaction from similar sources. The variation in facet results
cautions against global conclusions about gender and job satisfaction. Unanticipated
consequences such as a ‘backlash’ (Faludi, 1991) of managerial men and a ‘glass escal-
ator’ (Williams, 1992) for clerical men were also suggested by the findings in this case.
A key implication is the potential benefit to both organizations and managerial women
from steps taken to level the structural playing field.
© 1997 British Academy of Management
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