Search results

Introduction This study investigates the impact of extra‐organisational or “new structuralist” factors on the employment status of women in Canada. Employment status is measured by the representation ratio, inter‐occupational segregation index, intra‐occupational status index and the salary advantage index. In this article, “new structuralist” factors (organisational context and external environmental factors) hypothesised as contributing to the employment status of women are described. The results of statistical analyses of the relationships between employment status measures and a specified set of “new structuralist” variables are presented.

Introduction In this article, the employment status of women in Canada is described and analytical approaches to the employment status of women is assessed. The explanatory value of four perspectives on the determinants of the employment status of women are explored using available Canadian statistics. It is concluded that public policy needs to account for contribution factors from each of the four frameworks and that research should focus on creating integrative models of the determinants of employment status that include relevant factors from each of the four perspectives.

In this chapter, Lituchy, Reavley, and Bryer report on their interviews with women entrepreneurs from the Czech Republic, Poland, and Japan. Eastern European respondents expressed a desire for and the importance of business training. Many who had attempted to get bank loans were refused for lack of collateral or because their business plans were inadequate. Japanese respondents felt that experience was most valuable. They stated that gender adversely affected their financing prospects. Human resources issues as well as dealing with clients or suppliers from other cultures were concerns for all the women. Discussion and implications are presented.

Reports on a study which sought to test the impact of gender‐based training experiences on selection decisions. Subjects evaluated the credentials of a job candidate for a management position. The training experiences of the three candidates were manipulated so that a third of the applicant materials were described as relating to a female with gender‐based or “women‐only” training; another third of the materials were described as belonging to a female with gender‐neutral training; and a final third were labelled as male with gender‐neutral training. Results suggest that female candidates whose training is not gender based may be viewed more positively because their behaviours appear more consistent with the male socialization view. Discusses the implications of these findings for women in management training and for managerial selection.

Introduction This article is concerned with Canadian federal government efforts to improve the employment status of women. It pertains only to the statutory efforts taken by the federal government to protect and promote equality in employment within the Canadian federal jurisdiction. In combination, these policies can be characterised as the technology for moulding and shaping an equitable work force for Canada.

Despite the high interest in work/family issues, little attention has been paid to changing the design and structure of managerial work so as to facilitate the work/family interface. Outdated work designs and unquestioned assumptions about “how things are done” may be a significant barrier to women′s advancement in management. Proposes that human resource management professionals need to examine managerial work from the perspective: “What activities and demands are ′corporate convenient′ and what are job related?” Discusses the implications of challenging corporate convenient requirements.

The Sixteenth Annual Report of the Equal Opportunities Commission for Northern Ireland argues that the enforcement of individual rights is a crucial pre‐requisite for change. There was a 28% increase in the number of legal complaints and enquiries dealt with during the year under review. The most marked increase was in the area of employment (34%). With the increasing influence of European law many of these complaints have led to the commencement of very complex actions.

The need for special training programmes for women in management is discussed. Traditionally, the assumption has been that, in order for women to succeed in the firm, they require special educational and development opportunities. Prior to undertaking such initiatives, it is suggested that organisations examine the philosophy underlying the demand for special training programmes which focus on assisting women in overcoming “sex‐related deficiencies”.

Proposes the concept of women‐friendliness, as a measure of organizations′ receptivity to women, and explores the roles of the human resources function in achieving it. Different human resources management strategies are linked to the role, prestige and attitudes of the HR function, to the attitude of the organization′s CEO towards women′s issues, and to the institutionalization of the HRM strategy. Proposes an agenda for research.

Many organizations with quality management programs in place have also engaged in downsizing. Aims to show how employees' perceptions of their organization's quality management practices provide some indication of how organizational downsizing affects an organization's quality management initiative.

Managerial and professional employees from 343 Canadian organizations completed a questionnaire assessing their perceptions of the extent to which their organization was currently engaging in quality management practices.

Respondents in organizations that had downsized their workforce perceived significantly lower organizational‐level quality management practices (management commitment to quality management program, management communication of mission and goals, customer service focus, provision of quality‐related training) than respondents in organizations that had not downsized. Respondents in downsized organizations also perceived significantly lower employee‐level quality management practices (empowerment, employee commitment to quality management, job security).

The cross‐sectional research design does not allow insight into whether prior differences existed in quality management practices. Future research is needed to investigate how other issues related to organizations and to downsizing influence employees' perceptions of their organization's quality management practices following downsizing.

For practitioners and managers, this study illustrates the need for careful planning of downsizing efforts to avoid their organization's quality management practices being seriously undermined.

Little research has been conducted on the effect of downsizing on an organization's quality management program. The findings show that employees from diverse organizations perceive organizational downsizing to have a detrimental effect on those factors that are critical in promoting and sustaining quality management.