Gender and Its Effects on Working Life

Gender and Its Effects on Working Life Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Course Name/Number Instructor’s Name Due Date Gender and Its Effects on Working Life Typically, within the workplace, gender differences are a result of social factors which affect how men and women conduct themselves within a workplace. Some organizations advocate for gender diversity by supporting the inclusion of both men and women when offering promotional opportunities and coming up with new company policies. Other organizations are against gender inclusion; instead, they encourage partiality in the workplace. Entailed in this paper is a discussion of the effects of gender in a workplace, and how specific genders dominate the workplace in different job industries. Also discussed is how specific genders contribute and detract from the work ethics in an organization. Gender differences have been in existence since women entered the workforce in droves at the beginning of the twentieth century. These differences are attributed to physical factors which include employee’s ability to accomplish assigned duties, or psychological factors such as upbringing. Gender differences are also linked to gender stereotypes linked to men and women. For illustration, men are stereotypically expected to go to work, make money, and provide for the family. Contrastingly, women are not expected to work; rather, they are to stay at home, cooking, bearing children, and maintaining the neatness of the house. Women have often described the workplace environment as inhospitable because of the existing forms of gender inequalities. According to Stamarski & Son Hing, women’s opportunities and earnings are negatively affected by workplace inequalities because of the dearth of women in leadership positions, the gender wage gap, and the additional time needed for women (versus men) to progress in their professions (2015). Alternatively stated, gender differences promote the lower socio-economic status of women. An employee’s gender can reveal different perceptions related to problem-solving techniques, work-related conflict, and organizational structure. Women assert that individual work styles should be collaborative, whereby team members work as part of a whole. In contrast, men assert that work should be executed independently without the involvement of others (Ritvo et al., 1995). In workplaces, many legal issues arise due to the different or unjust treatment of men and women. In response, several labor and employment laws that interdict workplace practices that encourage the unfair treatment of certain individuals based on gender have been established. One such law is the Civil Rights Act which outlaws employee discrimination including firing, hiring, or promoting an employee based on gender and not competency. The late twentieth century and the early twenty-first century have seen an increase in the number of women entering the workforce. Despite this increase, some job industries are still largely male-oriented. Many job industries are male-dominated due to reasons that include job requirements, stereotypes, cultural norms, historical perspectives, and preference from prospective employees. One such industry that is male-oriented is the construction industry. Most construction careers are predominantly male-oriented because stereotypically, they are perceived as easily executed by men. As reported by Globe Staff, in the United States, 92.6% of construction managers are men. 93.6% of construction and building inspectors are also men. And, 98.1% of carpet, floor, and tile installers and finishers are men (2017). The technical industry is also male-dominated. 65.4% of chemical technicians are men, 64.3% of emergency medical technicians are men, and 80.2% of engineering technicians are men. The mechanics, automobile, and engineering industry are also predominantly male-oriented industries. As reported by Globe Staff, 92.2 % of aerospace engineers are men. 93.6% of mechanical engineers are men, 91.2% of motor vehicle operators are men, 89.2% of civil engineers are men, and 96.8% of locomotive engineers and operators are men (2017). Again, the physical requirements, historical prevalence, and low interest from women in these occupations may explain the high percentage of men in ...