Gender Discrimination and Employee Performance

Business Problem: Impact of Gender Discrimination on Employee Performance

Context of the Problem

Discrimination based on gender is a management problem that gained significant interest in the 20th

century as companies were involved in the effort to promote equality at places of work. Gender discrimination is a challenge to both management and employees who have the objective of promoting inclusivity and positive environment for improved performance and employee output (Kaur, 2012). However, most employees still experience gender discrimination at work places in areas such as; the provision of wages and benefits, promotion to higher positions in organizations, and the availability of improved working conditions. Employees constitute a major factor in achieving organizational goals, thus practices of unequal consideration are speculated to affect their performances and organizational outcomes (Omidian et al., 2016). Discrimination occurs because the management does not have trust on employees of a particular gender in relation to the performance of a task or accomplishing an objective. Other factors associated with gender discrimination at work place include; educational attainment, promotion, and lifestyles (Jarrell & Stanley, 2004). While gender discrimination remains a major area of concern in the management of organizations there are a few studies that have been conducted to establish its impact on employee performance (Haas & Hwang, 2007). This paper examines the current literature explaining the concept of gender discrimination and how it is related to employee performance, other variables that have direct impact on employee performance, and a research design aimed at collecting and analyzing data which will be used to understand the research topic.

Variables

Independent Variables

The independent variables in this study are:

o Gender Discrimination

Gender discrimination is the practice of preferential treatment of employees of different sexes in the areas of access to benefits and promotion in a business. It is expected that there will be a change in employee performance as a result of the practice of gender discrimination.

o Leadership structure

Leadership structure is the process of policies that determine the roles of managers compared with employees and how these structures work to promote the achievement of the goals of a business. It is expected that there will be differences in employee performance as a result of the implementation of various leadership frameworks (Imam & Shah, 2013).

o Compensation

Compensation is the earning or benefits to which employees are entitled for their roles in an organization. It is likely that there will be variation in employee performance as a result of a change in the amount of compensation among various categories of employees.

Dependent Variable

The dependent variable in this paper is:

o Employee performance

Conceptual Framework for the Research

The following is the conceptual framework on which this study is based.

Figure 1. Conceptual framework for the research

Literature Review in Relation to the Problem Gender Discrimination on Employee Performance

A number of studies have been conducted to determine the impacts of gender discrimination on employee performance. A study by Abbas, Hameed and Waheed (2011), examined the impact of the concept of gender discrimination and the effect on employee productivity. The study involved a quantitative survey among 200 employees in the telecom services department in Pakistan. The data analysis procedure involved regression and correlation analyses. The study found that gender discrimination is practiced during promotion, and the availability of facilities among employees. The researcher also found that gender discrimination during promotion resulted into low performance of the negatively affected gender. The implication of the study is that human resource managers and researcher need to control discriminatory practices that affect the performance of employees by ensuring facility availability to all employees.

A study by Petersen and Togstad (2006), examined the effect of gender discrimination during hiring on employee performance. The problem statement of the study was that stratification of employees along demographic characteristics has been a major practice in most organizations but has not been published in most studies. Hiring agents have been conscious of the issue of gender bias during the process of employees’ selection and retention. The study found that gender discrimination against women is not as high as speculated but identified the problem to be likely to be exacerbated when hiring agents apply methods of selection and retention that favors a particular gender.

A study by Bhushan (2016) examined the problem of gender discrimination and its impact on employee performance by conducting a study in the form of a survey of private educational institutions in Gurgaon region. The researcher found that some of the forms of discrimination that employees undergo include wall ceiling and glass ceiling during consideration for higher positions. There has been a lack of effectiveness of government laws and regulations in the implementation of policies and frameworks that promote equality between male and female gender. The study also established that in spite of the role of women in contributing to performance of organizations in equal measures as men, they are more likely to be under-rewarded. Those who have been discriminated against based on their gender have experienced loss of motivation and self-drive to perform their roles. The implication of the study was that if gender discrimination against women is controlled, it is possible to achieve better employee productivity and organizational performance.

Kanazawa (2005) examined the subject of gender discrimination in the form of differences in employees’ earnings and its impact on performance of employees. The study found that discrimination is one of the factors contributing to the differences in earnings of male and female employees in most organizations. The study found that from the perspective of reproductive success, earnings are allocated to men rather than women. Segregation based on gender is one of the factors contributing to gender disparity in employees’ earning when demographic characteristics are accounted for. The perception that sex discrimination occurs in employment frameworks is against the assumption that employees should be treated equally irrespective of their gender. However, the desired jobs by employees are not determined by the discrimination they undergo at work places on the basis of their gender.

A study conducted by Tesfaye (2011) examined the concept of gender discrimination and the impact on the performance of employees by examining the theories associated with discrimination based on gender. The study found that women are considered to be those who do not have legal identity, but dependent on the contributions of men. Direct discrimination was identified as a form of segregation where the act of segregation can be easily observed or the affected person can discover being discriminated against. While direct discrimination is less favorable to a particular gender, indirect discrimination is practiced without an intention and may occur in the course of employment. The recommendation from the article is that organizational management practices should put more emphasis on compliance to acts that promote equality, such as: the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975, Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 2010, and Equality Act of 2010. The study found that if organizations implement workplace equality programs, there is a corresponding positive impact in employee’s satisfaction and productivity.

A study was conducted by Gberevbie et al. (2014) that examined the concept of gender discrimination and its impact on employee performance in public universities in Nigeria. The study was based on the background that discrimination against men and women based on their genders, religious and other demographic characteristics. Questionnaire was used during data collection by distributing questions to 187 respondents who were academic staff members in the University of Lagos. The finding was that there were discriminatory practices in promoting women to managerial roles in most organizations. It was concluded that as long as the management of organizations continue to use discriminatory practices during employee recruitment and compensation, there is stills an opportunity to y conduct an evaluation of recruitment processes to ensure they are all-inclusive.

In a study by Memon (2015), the objective of the study was to determine the effects of gender discrimination on employee performance or productivity by focusing on three factors, namely, selection, promotion, and access to facilities. The study incorporated closed ended questionnaires that were distributed among 192 respondents from Upper Sindh public university. Data analysis was done using quantitative analysis techniques such as regression and correlation analyses. It was found that discrimination based on gender is not a major factor affecting employee performance, but it is a factor in the context of promotion of employees who are already in their working positions in the institution. The implication of the findings was that organizations need to examine their promotion policies to ensure employees are not discriminated against based on their gender so that they can become motivated and perform their roles in an effective manner.

Two Other Independent Variables Affecting the Dependent Variable

Variable of Compensation

A number of other forms of studies have been conducted that examine the effect of compensation on employee performance. An example of such a study is by Hameed, Ramzan and Zubair (2014) which involved the use of a questionnaire in collection of data in relation to aspects of compensation such as; salaries, indirect compensation, and the actual productivity of an employee. The study involved collection of responses from employees in the banking industry. The Statistical package for Social Scientist (SPSS) was used during the analysis of the data. It was found that there was a weak relationship between the independent variables (compensation factors) and the dependent variable (employee performance). However, descriptive analysis showed that there was a relationship between the independent variables and employees performance. The implication of the findings is that there is the need to reduce discrimination in terms of compensation of employees by ensuring all workers are compensated effectively depending on their contribution.

Variable of Leadership Structure

Leadership structure is another independent variable associated with employee performance. According to a study by Dammen (2001), employees prefer to work in an environment where they are provided with the opportunities for job satisfaction, respect, and trust. They prefer to work in an environment where they are able to apply individual creativity to accomplish their roles and responsibilities. The main objective of the study was to examine the relationship between a people’s trust in the leadership structure of his/her organization and performance. Various hypotheses were formulated for the purpose of examining this relationship in a survey that examined their job satisfaction and productivity. The findings of the study showed that there was a general positive relationship between an employees’ trust in leadership structure and job satisfaction and performance in the organization.

Hypotheses Relating the Dependent Variables (Employee Performance) to Independent Variables (Gender Discrimination, Compensation, and Leadership Structure)

The hypotheses associated with the variables are as follows:

H1: High rate of gender discrimination has a negative impact on employee performance

The theory associated with this hypothesis is Hertzberg’s Two factor Theory which states that employees are motivated to perform well and achieve improved productivity when provided with motivating factors such as positive working environment, respect, and being recognized at their place of work (Yusoff, Kian & Idris, 2013). In this hypothesis, it is likely that discrimination will diminish employees’ respect thus contributing to negative performance.

H2: High compensation benefits results into a positive employee performance

The theory that supports this hypothesis is that the compensation is a form of motivation which shows the appreciation of a business towards the contribution of an employee. Vroom’s Expectancy Theory states that the manner in which people choose to behave is determined by their expectations of benefits (Chiang, Jang, Canter & Prince, 2008). For instance, employees in an organization may show commitment towards their roles when the benefits are pleasing or when they are promised pay rise.

H3: The nature of leadership structure has an effect on employee performance

Employees would like to seek the support of their leaders and managers to perform their roles effectively in case they encounter operational challenges. The availability of an effective leadership structure ensures employees perform well and improve the performance of an organization (Channar, Abbassi & Ujan, 2011). Hawthorn Effect Theory states that employee performance is determined by the extent to which they are provided with adequate supervision and greater attention to them rather than increasing the number of physical changes (Achim, Dragolea & Balan, 2013).

Questionnaire Usable to Create Data to Test the Conceptual Model

The following questionnaire will be useful in testing the conceptual model for this research.

1. What is your age?

Age range

Below 30

30-35

36-40

Above 40

Use the Mark (√)

2. What is your gender?

Gender

Male

Female

Use the Mark (√)

3. What is your experience in the current position?

Experience in years

Below 5

6-7

8-10

Above10

Use the Mark (√)

4. Has the practice of gender discrimination been practiced in the organization?

Level of Agreement

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Use the Mark (√)

5. What is the impact of gender discrimination on employee performance?

Impact

Reduced Morale

Reduced Output

Reduced Cooperation

Not Sure

Use the Mark (√)

6. Does the organization provide an environment for gender inclusivity?

Level of Agreement

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Use the Mark (√)

7. What forms of gender discrimination have you encountered in the organization?

Form of Discrimination

Low Salary

Lack of Promotion

Lack of Facility

Reduced number of benefits

Use the Mark (√)

8. Does improved compensation contribute to better employee performance?

Level of Agreement

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Use the Mark (√)

Quantitative Research Plan

Population of Interest and Sample Selection Procedure

The population of interest will be medium-sized enterprises in Texas State in the United States. The sample frame will constitute employees in medium sized enterprises within Houston, Texas. Sampling will be conducted using systematic random sampling. In this type of sampling procedure, the sample collected includes respondents that possess particular characteristics (Elsayir, 2014). The characteristics to be used in the selection of respondents will be the inclusion of respondents who are under the supervision of managers and supervisors in their organizations. The required sample size will be 200 respondents.

Data Collection procedure to be used

Data collection will be conducted by survey and online questionnaires. According to Kelley, Clark, Brown and Sitzia (2003), a questionnaire is a research instrument composed of questions that researchers can use to get responses from participants. The selected respondents who are within the reach of the researcher will be involved in personal interview in which they will be asked to provide responses to the research questions while the researcher records the responses by note taking or audio-recording. Those who are inaccessible to the researcher will be provided with mailed questionnaires that they will fill and send back as replies.

Data Analysis Procedure

The analysis will be conducted by performing reliability and validity analyses. In reliability analysis, the researcher examines the repeatability of the research outcomes (Ponto, 2015). Reliability will be measured by conducting test-retest procedure. In validity analysis, the researcher examines the similarity of the current findings with the actual knowledge in relation to a research topic. Validity analysis will be conducted by comparing the outcomes with the current knowledge in literature to determine areas of similarities.

Ethical Implications of the Research

Ethical considerations to be observed when conducting the research include seeking the permissions of authorities before conducting research in the selected organizations, ensuring the respondents are selected on voluntary basis and none of them is forced to participate, ensuring the researcher promotes confidentiality and anonymity of respondents when collecting the responses and presenting the results (Ellis-Barton, 2016).

References

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Achim, I. M., Dragolea, L., & Balan, G. (2013). The importance of employee motivation to increase organizational performance. Annales universitatis apulensis: Series oeconomica, 15(2), 685.

Bhushan, A. (2016). Gender Discrimination at Work Place & its Impact on Employee’s Performance. Kaav Publications.

Channar, Z. A., Abbassi, Z., & Ujan, I. A. (2011). Gender Discrimination in Workforce and its Impact on the Employees. Pakistan Journal of Commerce & Social Sciences, 5(1).

Chiang, C. F., Jang, S., Canter, D., & Prince, B. (2008). An expectancy theory model for hotel employee motivation: Examining the moderating role of communication satisfaction. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 9(4), 327-351.

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Gberevbie, D. E., Osibanjo, A. O., Adeniji, A. A., & Oludayo, O. O. (2014). An empirical study of gender discrimination and employee performance among academic staff of government universities in Lagos State, Nigeria. International Journal of Social, Human Science and Engineering, 8(1), 101-108.

Haas, L., & Hwang, C. P. (2007). Gender and organizational culture: Correlates of companies' responsiveness to fathers in Sweden. Gender & Society, 21(1), 52-79.

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