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1 – 10 of over 2000Denise J. Luethge and Philippe Byosiere
This research aims to examine differences in male and female tacit knowledge conversion behaviours in Japan, essentially marrying the studies from knowledge creation and…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to examine differences in male and female tacit knowledge conversion behaviours in Japan, essentially marrying the studies from knowledge creation and gender‐based management in an Asian context.
Design/methodology/approach
Data are collected from a sample of 986 junior, middle and senior level managers in a Japanese firm, of which 14 per cent are women, examining socialisation variables from Nonaka's SECI model.
Findings
The study finds that female managers in Japan believe they attach more importance and perceive that they allocate more time to tacit knowledge socialisation variables than do males for all of the variables in question, although they rank the importance of the variables in much the same way.
Research implications/implications
The study concludes that Kingston may be correct in his description of a “demographic time bomb” in Japanese society, as women begin to undertake similar management behaviours as men.
Practical implications
Women focus on or show a preference for using certain types of information while men may focus on or show a preference for using different types of information. As more women move into middle and upper management in Japan, firms that better meet the needs and focus upon opportunities for women will be able to take advantage of the diversity these individuals bring to an organisation.
Originality/value
Because women are so sparse in Japanese management, few studies have examined their preferences and behaviours. This study gives us a window into the future of how women may act as their numbers increase in Japanese organisations.
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Raises questions about the links between gender and organizational changes, and between gender and learning at work. The empirical base is a qualitative study of organizational…
Abstract
Raises questions about the links between gender and organizational changes, and between gender and learning at work. The empirical base is a qualitative study of organizational changes in the pulp and paper industry, electronics industry, food industry, and laundry industry in Sweden during the late 1990s. In the studied companies, restoration responses in the work organizations brought the organization back its original form and function. Shows that gender exerts an influence on the existing work organization and on the organizational change. The learning organization, with its focus on integration and decentralization, challenges gender order, which is a strong system, built on segregation and hierarchy. Concludes that gender segregating and stereotypic gender‐coding of workplaces and work tasks were strong restoring mechanisms and obstacles to strategic organizational changes, and to individual and to organizational learning.
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Miquel Centelles and Núria Ferran-Ferrer
Develop a comprehensive framework for assessing the knowledge organization systems (KOSs), including the taxonomy of Wikipedia and the ontologies of Wikidata, with a specific…
Abstract
Purpose
Develop a comprehensive framework for assessing the knowledge organization systems (KOSs), including the taxonomy of Wikipedia and the ontologies of Wikidata, with a specific focus on enhancing management and retrieval with a gender nonbinary perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employs heuristic and inspection methods to assess Wikipedia’s KOS, ensuring compliance with international standards. It evaluates the efficiency of retrieving non-masculine gender-related articles using the Catalan Wikipedian category scheme, identifying limitations. Additionally, a novel assessment of Wikidata ontologies examines their structure and coverage of gender-related properties, comparing them to Wikipedia’s taxonomy for advantages and enhancements.
Findings
This study evaluates Wikipedia’s taxonomy and Wikidata’s ontologies, establishing evaluation criteria for gender-based categorization and exploring their structural effectiveness. The evaluation process suggests that Wikidata ontologies may offer a viable solution to address Wikipedia’s categorization challenges.
Originality/value
The assessment of Wikipedia categories (taxonomy) based on KOS standards leads to the conclusion that there is ample room for improvement, not only in matters concerning gender identity but also in the overall KOS to enhance search and retrieval for users. These findings bear relevance for the design of tools to support information retrieval on knowledge-rich websites, as they assist users in exploring topics and concepts.
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Helen Jane Liebling, Hazel Rose Barrett, Lillian Artz and Ayesha Shahid
The study aimed to listen to refugee survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and/or torture and explore what justice meant to them in exile. This study argues that…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aimed to listen to refugee survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and/or torture and explore what justice meant to them in exile. This study argues that what the survivors who participated in this research wanted was “viable justice”. The research was funded by the British Academy and Leverhulme Trust.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a survivor-focussed justice lens combined with a trauma-informed approach, narrative interviews were held with 41 women and 20 men refugee survivors living in refugee settlements in Northern Uganda. The researchers also conducted semi-structured interviews with 37 key informants including refugee welfare councils, the UN, civil society, non-government and government organisations. Thematic analysis of the data resulted in the following themes being identified: no hope of formal justice for atrocities that occurred in South Sudan; insecurity; lack of confidence in transitional justice processes in Ugandan refugee settlements; abuse and loss of freedom in refugee settlements; and lack of access to health and justice services in refugee settlements.
Findings
This study argues that what the survivors who participated in this research wanted was “viable justice”. That is justice that is survivor-centred and includes elements of traditional and transitional justice, underpinned by social justice. By including the voices of both men and women survivors of SGBV and/or torture and getting the views of service providers and other stakeholders, this paper offers an alternative form of justice to the internationally accepted types of justice, which offer little relevance or restitution to refugees, particularly where the crime has been committed in a different country and where there is little chance that perpetrators will be prosecuted in a formal court of law.
Research limitations/implications
The research findings are based on a small sample of South Sudanese refugees living in three refugee settlements in Northern Uganda. Thus, wider conclusions should not be drawn. However, the research does suggest that a “viable justice” approach should be implemented that is gender and culturally sensitive and which could also be trialled in different refugee contexts.
Practical implications
Improvements in refugee survivors’ dignity, resilience and recovery are dependent upon the active engagement of refugees themselves using a “survivor-focussed approach” which combines formal and community-based health services with traditional and transitional justice responses.
Social implications
The provision of a “viable justice approach” ensures those who have experienced SGBV and/or torture, and their families, feel validated. It will assist them to use their internal, cultural and traditional resilience and agency in the process of recovery.
Originality/value
The research findings are original in that data was collected from men and women survivors of SGBV and/or torture and service providers. The empirical evidence supports this study’s recommendation for an approach that combines both formal and survivor-focussed approaches towards health and viable justice services to meet the needs of refugees living in refugee settlements. This is a response that listens to and responds to the needs of refugee survivors in a way that continues to build their resilience and agency and restores their dignity.
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Changzheng Zhang and Damto Basha
Much research has been conducted regarding leadership success challenges. However, few are practically oriented on whether the success of women's leadership aligns to…
Abstract
Purpose
Much research has been conducted regarding leadership success challenges. However, few are practically oriented on whether the success of women's leadership aligns to organisational, personal and societal contexts as glass cliffs. Thus, this study aims to examine these factors and introduce how they inhibit women from leadership success.
Design/methodology/approach
This research examined the glass ceiling effects Ethiopian women leaders face. This research focused on adjusted clusters and a survey of 446 female employees from zones, woreda and kebeles. The data was processed through SPSS 25.0 to regress the values.
Findings
Breaking the glass ceiling, the glass cliffs effects on women’s income levels, the lack of an arena for self-improvement, the nature of organisation policies and challenges in teamwork were found to contribute to women’s under-representation in top leadership positions.
Research limitations/implications
The results focused only on the 94 public organisations in Ethiopia that were selected by adjusted cluster sampling.
Practical implications
Realizations of substantial change and refocusing on bringing a significant number of women to the boardrooms in the public bureaucracy, besides glass cliffs.
Social implications
Enhancing the importance of accepting women leaders.
Originality/value
To add value to the stock of literature in gender equality, this research brings a strategic focus on factors that inhibit women from top leadership positions.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the purchasing behaviour of consumers across four nations and evaluate the influence that gender has on wine purchasing decisions.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the purchasing behaviour of consumers across four nations and evaluate the influence that gender has on wine purchasing decisions.
Design/methodology/approach
An interviewer‐administered questionnaire was used to examine the actual purchase decisions made by 399 consumers inside stores in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and the USA.
Findings
The results indicate that gender has little significant impact on the frequency with which consumers purchase and drink wine. In addition, gender does not significantly influence the number of attributes which are evaluated by consumers nor the importance that they attach to them. In terms of product attributes, gender was found to significantly influence consumer utilisation of the discount price cue and the region of origin cue.
Practical implications
For those wine marketers who are targeting the female consumer, one implication of this research is that this may be achieved by utilising price discounts. In general, however, the results provide little evidence of significant differences between males and females in terms of wine purchasing behaviour and therefore suggest that gender may not be a useful variable for segmenting the global wine market.
Originality/value
This paper adds to current knowledge regarding the influence of gender on purchase decision making. In particular, the paper is of significance because it has explored the behaviour of consumers during an actual purchase decision and examined the views of consumers across four nations.
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Guillaume Andrieu, Francesco Montani, Ilaria Setti and Valentina Sommovigo
This study aims to shed light on the relationship between gender diversity and group performance by considering the moderating role of relative cultural distance. Drawing from the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to shed light on the relationship between gender diversity and group performance by considering the moderating role of relative cultural distance. Drawing from the categorization–elaboration model (CEM), the authors hypothesize that gender-diverse collaborative learning groups perform better when a low level of relative cultural distance in country-level individualism–collectivism or power distance exists among group members.
Design/methodology/approach
To test this hypothesis, the authors conducted a study on 539 undergraduate students organized into 94 groups. The assessment of group performance was based on scores given by external raters.
Findings
The authors found that relative cultural distance significantly moderated the gender diversity–group performance relationship such that gender diversity was positively related to group performance when the collaborative learning group included members who similarly valued individualism–collectivism or power distance (i.e. relative cultural distance was low) and was negatively related to group performance when the collaborative learning group comprised members who differently valued individualism–collectivism or power distance (i.e. relative cultural distance was high).
Originality/value
This study contributes to understanding when gender diversity is positively associated with group performance by expanding the range of previously examined diversity dimensions to include relative cultural distance in country-level individualism–collectivism and power distance.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine mentoring experiences and preferences aimed at creating equal mentoring opportunity for male and female employees in the Nigerian work…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine mentoring experiences and preferences aimed at creating equal mentoring opportunity for male and female employees in the Nigerian work setting.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were obtained from 140 randomly selected managers (70 males and 70 females).
Findings
Results revealed that mentoring occurrence is entirely informal and more males compared to females served as mentors. Respondents commonly reported and preferred career‐related benefits of mentoring. An examination of preferred mentor gender indicated a significant relationship between gender of respondent and that of preferred mentor and protégé. Concern for positive interaction reflects frequently mentioned reasons for this preference among men and women. The preferred qualities of a mentor often cited by respondents were those which enable a mentor to deliver career functions while reverence was the most mentioned protégé quality. The distribution of male and female respondents differed on some of the preferred qualities.
Research limitations/implications
Though based on a self‐report instrument, findings imply that mentoring preferences of males differ from those of females.
Practical implications
A training and policy intervention should be considered to enhance delivery of mentoring and create equal opportunity for male and female employees.
Originality/value
Mentoring is currently being canvassed as a mandatory human resource tool in the Nigerian work setting. Empirical guidance on fostering the relationship in ways that create equal opportunities for male and female employees however, remains elusive due to a lack of research in this direction. This study narrows this gap in literature and contributes empirical information that equips management to better deal with the gender issue in mentoring. Beyond the Nigerian environment, it serves as a basis for advancing equal opportunities in mentoring, especially for Africans. This addresses shortcomings in the scholarly scope of reference journals which has a dearth of African empirical findings on mentoring.
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Linzi J Kemp and Susan R. Madsen
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the state of affairs in the Sultanate of Oman for the presence (or absence) of women in senior and managerial roles in private…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the state of affairs in the Sultanate of Oman for the presence (or absence) of women in senior and managerial roles in private companies. The study also investigates where women are located within the organisations (e.g. as board members, chief officers, vice presidents, top management, division or unit heads).
Design/methodology/approach
This is a quantitative study that analysed gender in the largest 122 private and publicly listed organisations in Oman. The study is based on data available from the Zawya database that tracks information about companies in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Findings
Women are employed in Oman in small numbers when compared with the number of men. Women remain extremely underrepresented in senior roles in Omani organisations currently. Women are found slightly (but not significantly) more in departmental management roles (particularly in human resource management, marketing/communication, public relations, and project management) and in the transport and finance industries.
Research limitations/implications
The Zawya database did not contain complete data on each company analysed. Hence, this is a descriptive study and lacked advanced statistical techniques for comparison and relationship analysis.
Practical implications
This study increases the academic knowledge on international issues in gender and management. The study also provides insights for government leaders, educators, and scholars who work to help prepare women for leadership in this region.
Originality/value
This is one of the first scholarly studies conducted on the presence of women in senior positions and management within Oman. It adds value as it is the first study to compare gender in management across roles, industrial classification, size of company, and ownership.
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The aim of this study is to examine leadership development programs in the context of diversity and inclusion and from the perspective of their owners.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to examine leadership development programs in the context of diversity and inclusion and from the perspective of their owners.
Design/methodology/approach
The core of the qualitative study was the 26 in-depth interviews that were conducted. The participants were selected purposefully. The data analysis was based on reflexive thematic analysis.
Findings
The analysis resulted in three themes. (1) “Policy” encompasses thoughts and an understanding of common diversity activities at the organizational level. Anti-discrimination, diversity, inclusion, tolerance, equality, cognition, acceptance and equal opportunity were factors in this narrative. (2) “Inclusion in the role” deals with the perception of diversity in terms of program recruitment. In this context, inclusion is defined by socially acceptable criteria of non-exclusion. (3) “Leadership development” represents the justification for addressing diversity and diversity activities. The findings suggest that the perception of an organization as homogeneous provides an argument for not addressing the diversity connoted with problems and inequities.
Research limitations/implications
Qualitative research does not aim to generalize but to identify conceptual threads. Only the perspective of LDPs' managers was adopted. The selection of the purposive sample was guided by the criterion of active management of LDPs, to obtain as much information as possible about nurturing leaders.
Originality/value
The research findings expand knowledge on the perception of the role of diversity and indicate the benefits of diversity discussed in leadership training interventions. The study may become a starting point for capitalizing on leadership development in sustainable development.
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