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Article
Publication date: 2 August 2023

Massimiliano Agovino, Michele Bevilacqua and Massimiliano Cerciello

While the economic literature mostly tackled discrimination looking at labour costs, this work focuses on its relation to labour productivity, arguing that discrimination may…

Abstract

Purpose

While the economic literature mostly tackled discrimination looking at labour costs, this work focuses on its relation to labour productivity, arguing that discrimination may worsen the performance of female employees. In this view, it represents a source of allocative inefficiency, which contributes to reducing output.

Design/methodology/approach

Female discrimination is both a social and an economic problem. In social terms, consolidated gender stereotypes impose constraints on women’s behaviour, worsening their overall well-being. In economic terms, women face generally worse labour market conditions. Using long-run Italian data spanning from 1861 to 2009, the authors propose a novel measure of female discrimination based on the observed frequency of discriminating epithets. Following social capital theory, the authors distinguish between structural and voluntary discrimination, and use Data Envelopment Analysis for time series data to assess the extent of inefficiency that each component of discrimination induces in the production process.

Findings

The results draw the trajectory of female discrimination in Italy and provide evidence in favour of the idea that female discrimination reduces productive efficiency. In particular, the structural component of female discrimination, although less sizeable than the voluntary component, plays a major role, especially in recent years, where more stringent beauty standards fuel looks-based discrimination.

Originality/value

The contribution of this work is twofold. First, based on contributions from social sciences different from economics, it proposes a novel theoretical framework that explores the effect of discriminatory language on labour productivity. Second, it introduces a novel and direct measure of female discrimination at the country level, based on the bidirectional link between language and culture. The indicator is easily understood by policymakers and may be used to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-discrimination policies.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 44 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 March 2023

Áron Hajnal and Ágota Scharle

Employment discrimination persists across global labour markets inflicting considerable social and economic costs. The existing literature tends to focus on explaining and…

Abstract

Purpose

Employment discrimination persists across global labour markets inflicting considerable social and economic costs. The existing literature tends to focus on explaining and measuring discrimination or on the measures to tackle it, overlooking the links between these areas. The paper contributes to filling this gap in order to inform policy design and empirical research on the impact of anti-discrimination policies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper assesses the potential effectiveness of commonly used policy measures in tackling the types of discrimination described in the theoretical literature. The assessment is based on the underlying incentive structure of particular policies, which is matched with the behaviour of employers predicted by particular theories.

Findings

The potential effectiveness of commonly used anti-discrimination policies varies greatly depending on the source of discrimination and the target group. Some commonly used tools, such as wage subsidies are likely to have modest effects for several target groups, while employer counselling may be a more effective and cheaper alternative in many cases. Quotas may be effective against various types of discrimination, but setting them is challenging and they may yield adverse effects.

Practical implications

The findings call for more research on and consideration of the motives behind employment discrimination in the targeting and design of anti-discrimination measures.

Originality/value

The authors propose a framework to link discrimination types with measures against discrimination and potential target groups, which allows for systematically linking the literature on theories of discrimination and research on anti-discrimination.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 43 no. 11/12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 March 2023

Shree Priya Singh, Pushpendra Singh and Jadi Bala Komaraiah

The purpose of this study is twofold. Firstly, the study has investigated the changing scenario of gender bias in households' education expenditure and the socioeconomic factors…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is twofold. Firstly, the study has investigated the changing scenario of gender bias in households' education expenditure and the socioeconomic factors responsible for it. Secondly, the study has estimated the inequality in education expenditure for the male and female students and determined the significance of socioeconomic variables in gender discrimination.

Design/methodology/approach

To address the above-mentioned issues, this paper has used the unit-level data of NSSO 52nd, 64th, 71st and 75th rounds from 1995–1996 to 2017–2018. The log linear regression model is applied to estimate factor impending average education expenditure dynamics. The Oaxaca–Blinder Decomposition method has been employed to measure gender discrimination, and the Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient are used to assess inequality among girls experiencing prejudice.

Findings

The study has discovered an gender bias in education expenditure against females during the study period in India. Further, it has been found that gender discrimination against girl students is decreasing. Moreover, the factors such as age, religion, castes, MPCE (income quantile), type of institution, present enrolment and type of education are responsible for this gender differences.

Originality/value

This paper uses 20 years of household-level data for study and suggests that discriminatory behaviour of households and credit constraints of the underdeveloped countries prevent investment in girl's education. Therefore, the state must pay for education of girls by offering scholarships and free or heavily subsidized education. In addition to this, awareness programs for gender equality should also be implemented by the government, especially in rural areas.

Peer review

The peer-review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-08-2022-0537.

Details

International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 50 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 February 2023

Gabriela Gomes Mantovani and Jefferson Andronio Ramundo Staduto

The article aimed to identify and analyze the income differences across the income distribution between homosexuals and heterosexuals by occupational groups in Brazil.

Abstract

Purpose

The article aimed to identify and analyze the income differences across the income distribution between homosexuals and heterosexuals by occupational groups in Brazil.

Design/methodology/approach

PNAD-C microdata was used in two periods (2013–2015 and 2016 to 2019), highlighting the different economic, social and political contexts in Brazil. Recentered influence function and quantile income decomposition were estimated to verify the difference and income discrimination according to the guideline the worker’s sexuality.

Findings

For some cases homosexual workers earn more and in others, homosexuals earn less than heterosexuals. The differences in remuneration according to sexual orientation were smaller in positions that demand low qualification and competence. The quantile income decomposition between 2013 and 2015 revealed the positive effect of discrimination was the generator of income disparities between homosexuals and heterosexuals, with greater impact for the 10th and 90th quantiles and on groups that require small levels of complexity and education. Between 2016 and 2019, there was the presence of both effects, but the explained effect was the promoter of wage disparities in most occupational groups.

Research limitations/implications

Given the dataset, it was only possible to work with proxies of homosexual couples.

Originality/value

There has been little research linking the themes of discrimination based on sexual orientation and occupational groups, and so far, it does not exist similar in Latin America. This study found that sexual orientation influences remuneration according to the occupational group that the worker belongs to, affecting income and, consequently, occupational choice. This connection of issues will contribute to new insights into discrimination based on sexual orientation, as well as more effective public policies aimed at reducing discrimination against homosexuals.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 44 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 January 2023

Joel Rudin, Tejinder Billing, Andrea Farro and Yang Yang

This paper aims to test penis panic theory, which predicts that trans women will face more discrimination than trans men in some but not all situations.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to test penis panic theory, which predicts that trans women will face more discrimination than trans men in some but not all situations.

Design/methodology/approach

Respondents were 262 American college students who were all enrolled in the same undergraduate course. They were presented with a case about coworker resistance to transgender employees' use of the workplace restrooms of their choice. Four versions of a case were randomly distributed as follows: trans woman, restroom with one toilet; trans woman, restroom with three toilets; trans man, restroom with one toilet and trans man, restroom with three toilets.

Findings

The authors observed greater discrimination against trans women compared to trans men when there was one toilet but not when there were three toilets. This supports penis panic theory.

Research limitations/implications

The chief limitation was the use of American college students as respondents. The results may not generalize to practicing managers especially in other countries. Future researchers should develop a scale to measure situational discrimination against trans women. This study should be replicated in other contexts to deepen the understanding of discrimination against trans men and trans women with disabilities, as well as discrimination against nonbinary individuals who identify as neither trans men nor trans women.

Practical implications

Employers need to search for situations in which trans women face greater discrimination than trans men, because they can be resolved in ways that protect the rights of transgender employees no matter how transphobic their coworkers may be. Also, employers need a nuanced approach to combat discrimination that recognizes the unique perspectives of trans men, trans women and other members of the transgender community.

Originality/value

This is the first quantitative study of penis panic theory, and it illuminates the understanding of discrimination against transgender individuals.

Details

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, vol. 42 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7149

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 September 2023

Lois James, Stephen James and Renée Jean Mitchell

The authors evaluated the impact of an anti-bias training intervention for improving police behavior during interactions with community members and public perceptions of…

Abstract

Purpose

The authors evaluated the impact of an anti-bias training intervention for improving police behavior during interactions with community members and public perceptions of discrimination.

Design/methodology/approach

Fifty patrol officers from a diverse municipal agency were randomly selected to participate in an anti-bias intervention. Before and after the intervention, a random selection of Body Worn Camera (BWC) videos from the intervention group as well as from a control group of officers was coded using a validated tool for coding police “performance” during interactions with the public. Discrimination-based community member complaints were also collected before and after the intervention for treatment and control group officers.

Findings

The treatment group had a small but significant increase in performance scores compared to control group officers, F = 4.736, p = 0.009, R2ß < 0.01. They also had a small but significantly reduced number of discrimination-based complaints compared to control group officers, F = 3.042, p = 0.049, p2 = 0.015. These results suggest that anti-bias training could have an impact on officer behaviors during interactions with public and perceptions of discrimination.

Originality/value

Although these results are from a single municipal police department, this is the first study to suggest that anti-bias trainings may have a positive behavioral impact on police officers as well as the first to illustrate the potential for their impact on community members' perceptions of biased treatment by officers.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 46 no. 5/6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 June 2023

Anna-Maija Lämsä, Merle Ojasoo, Marjut Jyrkinen and Raminta Pučėtaitė

Appearance-based discrimination in workplaces based on an employee's physical appearance is a legal and ethical problem. This study provide important research findings concerning…

Abstract

Purpose

Appearance-based discrimination in workplaces based on an employee's physical appearance is a legal and ethical problem. This study provide important research findings concerning such discrimination in Estonia.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative case study strategy and narrative inquiry were used. The information which was gathered for the research consists of three cases which concern appearance-based discrimination against young women. Information for two of the cases was gathered together by means of open interviews. Information for the third case is based on articles which were found in Estonian daily newspapers.

Findings

Covert and overt discrimination based on an employee's physical appearance can occur in Estonian workplaces, even though discrimination and inequality are not tolerated in public and all forms of discrimination are illegal in Estonia. The appearance norms, which frame perceptions of attractiveness and unattractiveness, may at times be rather narrow and stereotypical in Estonian workplaces. The attempts by employees to resist such discrimination in an early phase of the employees' careers are generally not successful.

Originality/value

Through real-life cases, this study makes empirically visible a problem at the workplace related to employees' physical appearance in Estonia. This study makes suggestions for preventing this kind of discrimination in organisations. Narrative inquiry offers a fruitful approach for how researchers can address a sensitive problem, such as the appearance-based discrimination against the employees discussed in this study.

Details

Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, vol. 18 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5648

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 May 2023

Sucharita Maji, Nidhi Yadav and Pranjal Gupta

The inclusion of LGBTQ + persons (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and having other sexual orientations and gender identities) is a crucial step in improving gender…

2010

Abstract

Purpose

The inclusion of LGBTQ + persons (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and having other sexual orientations and gender identities) is a crucial step in improving gender diversity in the workplace; however, till date, it remains a significant challenge for human resource management professionals. The current study critically examines this issue of an inclusive workplace for LGBTQ + people through a systematic review of the existing research that has empirically studied their experiences at the workplace. It also examines the resistance and challenges organizations face in LGBTQ + diversity training and provides future research avenues.

Design/methodology/approach

For systematically reviewing the literature, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) model has been used. A total of 101 empirical studies have been reviewed.

Findings

The result shows that LGBTQ + people encounter multiple negative workplace experiences, including proximal (hiring discrimination and housing discrimination) and distal workplace discrimination (unsafe work climate, microaggressions and harassment). These aversive experiences lead to work stress while also mandating that people manage their sexual identity and style of dressing. This stress, in turn, impacts their work–family outcomes, job satisfaction and decision-making with regard to their careers.

Originality/value

The paper provides a holistic understanding of the aversive workplace experiences encountered by sexual minorities.

Details

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, vol. 43 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7149

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 August 2023

Beatrice Meda Wendeln and Lindsay Sheehan

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an online mental health ally program on several measurements of readiness to help and stigma reduction. Allyship is one…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an online mental health ally program on several measurements of readiness to help and stigma reduction. Allyship is one way to support people with mental health challenges beyond traditional care services.

Design/methodology/approach

The efficacy of the program was evaluated in pre and postintervention surveys (n = 26) including measures of self-care, help-seeking intentions, peer-support self-efficacy, advocacy, knowledge of resources and stigma. A within-subject, repeated measures design was conducted analyzing changes at completion. Twenty-six participants who completed the program (either with or without lived experience of mental illness) were included in the study. A subgroup of participants (n = 11) who reported lived experiences of mental illness were assigned additional measures of internalized stigma, stigma stress, stigma resistance and self-esteem.

Findings

Analysis of mean differences indicated a statistically significant change in scores pre and postcompletion. The program increased peer-support, help-seeking intentions and self-esteem, while reducing internalized stigma and stigma stress. Findings provide preliminary support for program effectiveness in training individuals to support others and themselves through mental health challenges.

Research limitations/implications

Trained allies might improve the lives of individuals with mental health challenges by reducing discrimination and improving social support. We discuss the implication of allies to complement the mental health system.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first exploratory study on the efficacy of an online ally training program for individuals with mental illness. The NoStigmas Ally Program is a novel and original development in ally training.

Details

Journal of Public Mental Health, vol. 22 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5729

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 September 2023

Yaoqi Li, Jinghua Tu, Mang He and Pei Liu

This study aims to examine the effect of regional discrimination on tourists’ unethical behavior intention and the mediating role of tourist anger. Furthermore, the study examines…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effect of regional discrimination on tourists’ unethical behavior intention and the mediating role of tourist anger. Furthermore, the study examines whether the impact of regional discrimination on tourist anger is moderated by tourist self-efficacy.

Design/methodology/approach

Three scenario experiments were conducted to test the research hypotheses.

Findings

The results indicated an indirect effect of regional discrimination on tourists’ unethical behavior intention via tourist anger. In addition, the findings showed that tourist self-efficacy would weaken the relationship between regional discrimination and tourist anger.

Research limitations/implications

This study reveals tourists’ emotional and behavioral reactions to regional discrimination. Further research can examine the influence of regional discrimination from other theoretical lens and field experiments are encouraged.

Originality/value

This study enriches current knowledge on regional discrimination by developing an integral framework to explore tourists’ reactions toward regional discrimination.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 35 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

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