Women and Men in the Workplace

Week 3: Intersectionality and Work-Life Integration

June 10, 2015

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Anna Beninger, Director, Research, Catalyst Lead global longitudinal study of high-potential employees Member of the Work-Life Issues Specialty Team

BA in Psychology, Claremont McKenna College Honors thesis on negotiation and the gender wage gap

MSc in Social and Cultural Psychology, London School of Economics and Political Science Masters thesis on women in academia and work/life balance

in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Sweden

About Me

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Presentation Outline due next week, June 17th Topic: general topic and specific focus Articles & Materials: list of resources you are planning to use Presentation Format: format and components of your

presentation (e.g., PPT and video clip, or PPT and group activity)

Any Additional Information: technology you’ll need, which day you would prefer to present (July 1st or 8th)

Email Professor Sabattini with any questions

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Reminder: Presentation Outline

Rituals in the Workplace “Ritual” broadly refers to ‘any form of patterned, repetitive

behavior, with particular attention to interactive strategies or status enhancement’ (Auslander, 2003)

Rituals communicate and instill shared values and understanding of organizational culture

Assignment: identify and observe 1 or more workplace ‘rituals’ Examples include staff meetings, holiday parties, after work

drinks, lunch or coffee breaks, emergency late-night team work

If not currently working, observe in a different workplace4

For Next Week: Homework

Intersectionality Which social identities or roles are particularly salient

to you at this stage of your life? In what ways do different dimensions of identity affect

your day-to-day experiences? How do these dimensions intersect?

Please provide examples of contexts/situations where particular dimensions of your identity are more salient.

Also consider examples of contexts/situations where particular dimensions remain in the background.

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This Week’s Homework

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My Response

IntrovertWoman

Daughter

Caucasian

Tall

Millennial

Middle-Upper Class

Research Expert

Friend

StraightAmerican

Masters Graduate

Blonde

Sister

Baker

CanadianLiberal

Public Speaker

Driven

Learner

Teacher

Pick a partner, any partner Spent 3 minutes getting to know each other by

discovering the most unusual thing you have in common

When I say, “SWITCH,” find a new partner and repeat the activity.

Do it one more time. In the larger group, we’ll ask for duos to share the

most unusual things in common.

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Exercise

Sociological Concept: enables us to approach people’s experiences and identities on multiple levels determined by different axes of cultural and social stratification

Interrelationship between different aspects of identity E.g., gender, race/ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation,

SES, generation, educational background, profession Deeply connected to work-life issues (second part of

lecture) Identity includes cultural background, work-life stage, class Impacts individual personal and professional priorities and

how you integrate work and life Video example 8

Intersectionality

Identity Personal identity: self-knowledge that derives from the

individual’s unique attributes (e.g., intelligent, hard-working) Social identity: membership in social groups (e.g., African

American, Christian) Not all groups are equally important to our sense of self

Identity Salience The likelihood that a particular identity will be invoked in

different situations (Terry et al., 1995) The meanings people attach to their membership in specific

social groups varies with context and throughout the life course 9

Social Identity

In-group vs. out-group Social identity hinges on individuals prioritizing “we” vs.

“I” Membership in a social group leads one to favor their in-

group at the expense of the out-group by placing higher value on their in-group This favoritism is most likely to occur when an in-group is

central to one’s identity and a comparison out-group is meaningful (Tajfel and Turner, 1986)

Stereotyping emerges from this categorization People exaggerate similarities within groups and differences

b/t groups 10

Social Identity in Context

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Implications for the Workplace

Class/socioeconomic status intersecting with educational background heavily impacts the kinds of work people have access to, and subsequently how they are treated

For those whose identities do not include being part of a dominant group (e.g., white, male, straight), barriers remain in the workplace: Outsider status or “otherness” Lack of role models and sponsors Exclusion from informal networks critical to accessing

“hot jobs”

Think about a group or social category you belong to… with which you do identify. with which you don't identify. with which you actively dis-identify.

Pair up with the person sitting next to you to discuss Consider: What factors affect your level of identification? How do you feel when a group with which you identify is

associated with something good? Or something bad? We’ll come back as a whole group to share

Think, Pair, Share

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5-Minute Break

Construction of “separate spheres” Work/public vs. family/private Variations (e.g., social class, generation, global region)

Issues of “choice” in managing work and personal life Choices constrained by structures, roles, barriers E.g., norms dictating women should be primarily

responsible for housework and childcare Achieving Integration: policies/programs vs. cultural

norms Multiple dimensions of flexibility

When, Where, How Much, With Whom

Work-Life & Identity

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Catalyst Research: Flexibility vs. Face Time

MYTH: FWAs are still the exception, not the rule• FWA programs have become the norm at most organizations

• 81% of respondents reported that their current firm offers FWAs of some kindMYTH: Only young, entry-level employees working at

small, nonprofit firms value FWAs• High potentials throughout the pipeline and across organizations

want FWAs• The mean age of high potentials who reported FWAs were very

or extremely important to them was 41 years old• At every leadership level, and across almost all firm sizes, more

than half of all high potentials reported FWAs were very or extremely important to them

MYTH: FWAs are only important to people with children• There was no difference in perceived importance of FWAs between

people with children living at home and those without

MYTH: Women think FWAs are more important than men do, and use FWAs to a greater extent• Women and men value FWA options

• Over half of all high potentials reported FWAs to be important• Women and men report using most flex options to the same extent

over careers• There was no difference in the extent to which women and men

use flex time, flexible arrival and departure, and compressed work weeks over careers

• But women are more likely to telecommute than men, getting less face time

MYTH: Lack of access to FWAs does not negatively impact motivation to succeed• Career aspirations soar where high potential have access to FWAs

• High potentials at firms with FWAs have higher aspirations than those without

• Among women, there is a 30% drop for those without access to FWAs

Catalyst Research: Flexibility vs. Face Time

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Ted Talk: Why Work Doesn’t Happen at Work

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The Modern Workplace

When and where are you most productive? How important do you think face time should be? Do you have the flexibility to arrange your work and

personal life in a way that’s most effective for you? If so, how? E.g., Case Study: Catalyst

Is flexibility important to you? If so, what aspects of your identity drive you to feel this way? E.g., gender, generation, parental status, athlete,

amateur chef 18

Your Experience

A: Effective options include:• Advanced scheduling (at least 3 weeks notice)• Allowing at least moderate schedule control• Guaranteed minimum weekly hours• “Opt-in”/voluntary overtime

Q: I manage employees in hourly-wage positions. How can I provide them with some level of flexibility?

Working Flexibly in the Real World

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Challenge 1

A: Research shows:• Greater employee control over where and when

work is completed results in higher quality work• Telecommuters actually work longer hours—no

commute and increased commitment to organization

Q: The perception of the telecommuter doing laundry and watching TV remains pervasive in my organization. What does the research say about the actual productivity of people who telecommute?

Working Flexibly in the Real World

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Challenge 2

A: The business case for FWAs has been demonstrated time and again: • Cost savings• Increased employee retention, commitment,

satisfaction, efficiency, and productivity• Staying competitive with other organizations (most offer

it!)• Reduced environmental impact

Q: We currently have no formal flex work arrangement policies and management is resistant to introducing them. How can I convince our leaders to understand the importance of making flex options available to all employees?

Working Flexibly in the Real World

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Challenge 3

Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or feedback:

Anna Beninger Director, Research, Catalyst 120 Wall Street, 15th Floor abeninger@catalyst.org (646) 388-7707

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