[ad_1]
While increasing male engagement is a necessary part of improving gender equality, there remains a clear disconnect between men and women about what needs to be done in the workplace to make a difference.
Inequality in the workplace is one of the most common shortcomings in the labor market, while differences between male and female employees persist. In general, women are underrepresented in leadership roles, are less likely to be promoted to management roles, and are paid less for similar jobs. On the plus side, gender parity has improved over the past decade, both globally and in Australia, but change is slow.
Improving the representation of women in the workforce is not just an ethical cause, it is known to bring a number of benefits. Across geographies and sectors, gender equality has been shown to positively impact business outcomes. According to Chio Verastegui, a partner at Bain & Company in Australia, “organizations with greater diversity have greater retention, higher levels of employee advocacy, better overall performance and faster growth”.
Together with Freek Jorna, who is also based in Bain’s Sydney office, Verastegui looked at one key factor in how to cultivate greater gender equality – male engagement. “Corporate Australia is still a long way from achieving gender parity, so coordinated action is still needed to balance the scales. However, gender equality cannot be achieved without significant involvement of men. Given their predominance in leadership positions, the support of men is critical,” they say in their report entitled “Better Together”.
Men have traditionally shown less support for gender equality initiatives than women. That’s because some men simply don’t care about the issue or don’t want to push for gender equality — “but those men are a minority,” Verastegui and Jorna point out. More men are supporting this shift, yet they operate in and are part of environments with all kinds of barriers to women’s advancement. In a survey of more than 1,900 male respondents, the authors found that most men actually sit in a benign middle ground, neither strongly biased nor completely disengaged.
Why men support gender equality
After analyzing engagement data points, four factors were identified as contributing to higher male engagement – seniority, age, exposure to female role models, and fatherhood. Senior managers are nearly two and a half times more likely to be highly engaged than other employees. “This is encouraging because visible and committed leadership is a critical factor in creating equal opportunities in the workplace.”
Age is negatively correlated with support, with those under 34 5% more likely to be highly engaged than their older counterparts. Younger men who have been exposed to more gender-balanced and diverse environments tend to see gender parity as a two-way street—that is, it addresses their needs as well as women’s. “They understand that workplace programs that have historically been reserved (or marketed) for women, such as flexible work options and leave for caregivers, also benefit them,” Verastegui and Jorna write.
Men with children are significantly more likely to be employed – 19% for non-primary carers and 31% for primary carers. Those without children are the least likely to get engaged, at 12%. After all, it’s no wonder that men with female role models, whether at work or at home, are more than twice as likely to be highly engaged compared to those who don’t.
Factors such as ethnicity, sexual orientation and partner’s employment status were found to have no meaningful relationship with high or low involvement in gender equality.
Building engagement
From a women’s perspective, there is a great need for greater commitment from men to gender mainstreaming in the workplace. Almost 70% of women said they would like men to be more involved in gender equality and participate more in initiatives. However, illustrating the gender discrepancy, a large proportion of male respondents (64%) feel satisfied with their current level of engagement. Men and women also value gender equality activities differently. Men generally do not participate in initiatives that women believe are most likely to enhance equality, including raising awareness of gender discrimination and de-biasing human processes.
This disconnect threatens progress, the authors warn. “If both parties fail to understand or acknowledge the opposing view, a dangerous cycle can occur in which women demand greater participation, causing men to disengage or withdraw their support. In this scenario, progress stalls as criticism and frustration mounts on both sides.”
Based on their analysis and Bain’s experience helping clients with diversity and inclusion, the authors have created a list of five ways organizations can promote gender parity within their ranks. The first is to ensure there is leadership commitment – male leaders create a strong impetus for change, especially if they are in CxO roles themselves. Second, make sure there are adequate and tailored inclusion and diversity programs. As with virtually all change efforts, the key drivers of transformation are awareness building and training.
Fostering continuous communication, both vertically from leadership to the workplace and between men and women, building a stronger connection between overall gender parity and the benefits men experience as a result, and promoting better, not just greater, engagement. tips.
“Men and women, societies and individuals must act together to make a difference. That’s one business problem that needs to be solved together,” the authors conclude.
[ad_2]