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1 – 3 of 3Rebecca Badawy, Robyn Brouer and Michael Stefanone
Research indicates that inconsistent gender norm presentations are met with backlash, which is particularly damaging to women. With social media use in selection rising, it is…
Abstract
Purpose
Research indicates that inconsistent gender norm presentations are met with backlash, which is particularly damaging to women. With social media use in selection rising, it is important to understand if this remains consistent for job applicants on social media.
Design/methodology/approach
In two experiments, this study investigates hiring managers' reactions to job applicant (in)consistent gender norm-based communication on Facebook (n = 197) and YouTube (n = 203). Participants located in the United States were asked to review social media materials, reported perceptions of task and social attraction, and make hiring recommendations.
Findings
Inconsistent with work on backlash in face-to-face settings, results demonstrated that masculine communication styles on social media may be detrimental to job seekers, and this was more pronounced for male job seekers. Feminine presentation styles had more favorable results.
Practical implications
The findings challenge the long-held understanding that men have more leeway to behave in agentic ways in job seeking contexts. While this may remain true in face-to-face settings, these findings suggest that social media, lacking media richness, may be a context in which males experience backlash for agentic behavior.
Originality/value
The research offers a novel perspective investigating traditional gender expectations in the digital realm, paving the way for a more comprehensive understanding of gender in employment contexts. This study contributes to the growing body of research on online behavior and expands understanding of how hiring managers react to gender norms in the era of social media.
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Isaac Nyarko Adu, Angela Duoduaa Nyarko-Tetteh and Michael Kyei-Frimpong
This study aims to examine students' experiences of sexual harassment (SH) in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ghana as well as their coping strategies.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine students' experiences of sexual harassment (SH) in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ghana as well as their coping strategies.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted the cross-sectional descriptive survey research design and used the convenience sampling technique to sample 926 students from four public Universities in Ghana. The data collected were analyzed using an independent-sample t-test with the aid of IBM SPSS Statistics version 23.0.
Findings
The study found no significant difference in male and female students' experience of gender harassment and unwanted SH. Additionally, female students were sexually coerced considerably more than males. In the case of coping strategies, the study found no significant differences among male and female students use of passive coping strategies. Finally, the study found significant differences among male and female students use of active, self-blame and benign coping strategies.
Practical implications
This implies that specific attention is required when students experience SH since they may be exposed to more aggressive sexual behavior.
Originality/value
The originality of this present study rest on its unique contribution by exploring the prevalent SH and coping strategies among tertiary students in HEIs in Ghana.
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Tanya Jurado, Alexei Tretiakov and Jo Bensemann
The authors aim to contribute to the understanding of the enduring underrepresentation of women in the IT industry by analysing media discourse triggered by a campaign intended to…
Abstract
Purpose
The authors aim to contribute to the understanding of the enduring underrepresentation of women in the IT industry by analysing media discourse triggered by a campaign intended to encourage women to join the IT industry.
Design/methodology/approach
Internet media coverage of the Little Miss Geek campaign in the UK was analysed as qualitative data to reveal systematic and coherent patterns contributing to the social construction of the role of women with respect to the IT industry and IT employment.
Findings
While ostensibly supporting women's empowerment, the discourse framed women's participation in the IT industry as difficult to achieve, focused on women's presumed “feminine” essential features (thus, effectively implying that they are less suitable for IT employment than men), and tasked women with overcoming the barrier via individual efforts (thus, implicitly blaming them for the imbalance). In these ways, the discourse worked against the broader aims of the campaign.
Social implications
Campaigns and organisations that promote women's participation should work to establish new frames, rather than allowing the discourse to be shaped by the established frames.
Originality/value
The authors interpret the framing in the discourse using Bourdieu's perspective on symbolic power: the symbolic power behind the existing patriarchal order expressed itself via framing, thus contributing to the maintenance of that order. By demonstrating the relevance of Bourdieu's symbolic power, the authors offer a novel understanding of how underrepresentation of women in the IT sector is produced and maintained.
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