Equbusiness book VERSION 28SEPT2023 - Flipbook - Page 66
become a senior manager, the chances of women becoming senior managers in that company are quite low.
Training program designs should ensure equal access for women to training opportunities provided by the
organization, comparable to their male colleagues, addressing any barriers they may face due to family
responsibilities or other factors. Online training programs with flexible schedules can help these women (Kroese,
2022).
Another vital role of training and development programs in the realm of gender equality is to broaden awareness,
challenge entrenched biases, and dispel misconceptions. These programs should aim to create a profound impact
by curating comprehensive training activities that delve into various aspects of gender equality, fostering a
deeper understanding and promoting inclusivity within the organization or community. (McDonald and Hite,
1998). For instance, gender sensitization training programs have been shown to foster an inclusive work
environment, ensuring equal respect and opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their gender, by arming
staff with the required knowledge, skills, and awareness (Upadhyay, et al., 2023). Employees who undergo this
training gain the ability to recognize and challenge their own biases, fostering empathy and understanding
towards individuals of diverse genders. It also discusses how social and cultural norms affect gender inequality,
emphasizing how crucial it is to remove these obstacles and advance equal rights and opportunities for all
workers.
5.4 PERFORMANCE AND CAREER MANAGEMENT
Performance assessments are the first important obstacles women face in terms of performance management in
their workplaces. Manager9s unfair and biased evaluations are faced by women due to gender stereotypes. Even
sometimes clearly put goals can cause women to fail. A company that evaluates the total number of sales for a
year for a salesperson will result in giving low-performance evaluation grades to women who give birth or take
maternity leave for that year. So performance criteria can be reconsidered to avoid this type of unrealistic
comparison for men and women in the workforce.
Another important factor causing women not to be considered for top management positions is their low
presenteeism. Men are being more visibly dedicated to work and participating in decision-making processes in
organizations, causing them to be considered more for promotion opportunities (Nyberg, 2015). Visibility can
change from industry to industry but even in academic life, where women are highly qualified and self-confident,
Carter et al. (2018) study is showing that women in academic life ask fewer questions in seminars, appear less
frequently as first names in academic publishing, and receive fewer citations from other authors. While women
can be less visible due to family responsibilities, their presenteeism will be perceived as low (Martin-Pena, et al.,
2023).
Literature suggests that women may face challenges in receiving informal mentoring due to their exclusion from
the dominant culture and the fact that the current managers are mostly men will be a factor that makes it
difficult for them to receive informal mentoring (Burke and McKeen, 1990; Cox, 1993; Dreher and Cox, 1996;
Hale, 1995). It draws attention to the need to create formal mentoring services for women's career development
(McDonald and Hite, 1998). It should be noted that structures in which mentors and their protégés are formally
assigned within the scope of corporate human resources development plans may offer benefits, although not as
much as spontaneous close relationships men develop as mentor-protégé (Lewis and Fagenson, 1995; Ruderman,
Ohlott, and Kram, 1995).
It would not be inaccurate to suggest that women tend to derive greater benefits from organizational career
management programs compared to their male counterparts (Pazy, 1987). These programs serve as a formalized
platform for women to receive support, which they might typically obtain informally. As a result, such programs
facilitate career decisions that are more explicit and skill-based. Moreover, the formal provision of career
management support by organizations implies a tailored approach that takes into account women's multifaceted
responsibilities, both within and outside the workplace. This, in turn, is likely to enhance women's engagement
within the organization.
