Discrimination in the workplace can have different forms and be based on different biases, beliefs, and stereotypes. Gender discrimination presents a severe issue among businesses and is portrayed through various activities and misconduct towards women. The research revealed that more than 40% of women in the US faced discrimination issues at their job because of gender (Parker & Funk, para. 1). In such a way, there is a high rate of providing different conditions and other related judgments for women at the workplace. Gender discrimination is closely connected to the issue of women in leadership because it imposes burdens for females in this area. The purpose of this paper is to analyze females’ discrimination in the workplace as a current leadership issue.
First, it is critical to understand the essence of gender discrimination at work and which forms it can take. Different attitudes towards females can be shown through offering a lower payment for the same job, denying promotion and choosing a male candidate instead, or creating an isolation environment (Parker & Funk, para. 3-4). These are only some of the examples that discrimination can take. Besides, women can experience preconceived attitudes as if they do not have enough competency or receive less support from the male supervisors, and do not receive the most significant tasks. Consequently, one can see that gender discrimination can take various forms, and those aspects have a critical influence on women’s performance and career opportunities.
Women’s discrimination has its initial stage at the human resources practices because one of the forms it can take is the refusal in the position or the hiring but with lower wages. As mentioned earlier, discrimination in the workplace implies several adverse effects. According to Stamarski and Son Hing,, there are “the gender wage gap, the dearth of women in leadership, and the longer time required for women to advance in their careers” (art. 1400).
It is possible to say that some of the most crucial aspects of successful performance and career growth have a lower possibility of happening for women versus men. Stamarski and Son Hing, in their article about gender inequalities in the workplace, conducted a study about women who hold leadership positions. The findings show that those women receive “lower performance evaluations” and are expected to follow “a higher standard of performance” (Stamarski and Son Hing, art. 1400). Thus, female discrimination imposes obstacles for women to acquire leadership positions or to be viewed equally with men.
Although today, there is a presence of women in leadership positions, it is still challenging for them to overcome discrimination issues and have equal perception. One article suggests the concept of a glass ceiling, referring to “the invisible barrier that many women face as they advance through the ranks of their chosen professions” (Chisholm-Burns et al. 312). This barrier can be explained with the perception of women that have high positions or make their way through the career path. In support of the glass ceiling concept, one of the studies found out that men believe that they make better political leaders and more successful business executives (Kiser 609). Hence, men’s opinions emphasize gender discrimination in the workplace and imply the challenges that women have to face while running for leadership roles.
Besides the concept of the glass ceiling, there is another aspect that is considered in terms of women’s presence in leadership roles and related discrimination. The issue of leaky pipeline is referred to as “the loss of women faculty along the path, or pipeline, to advancement” (Surawicz 1434). In other words, women do not have proper conditions to strive in their careers at the same level as men do. It implies the aspect of gender discrimination as well because of the widespread of biases and preconceived attitudes towards females that deter their possibilities to stay on the path to advancement.
Thus, despite high rates of women receiving higher education and holding managerial and professional-level jobs, “women are often absent from leadership roles, such as CEO, board member, president, and dean” (Chisholm-Burns et al. 312). In such a way, gender discrimination in the workplace can be viewed as a factor influencing the rates of women in leadership.
It is essential to mention that the problem of gender discrimination presents numerous challenges and calls women for action. One of the examples of the work towards changing the situation is the creation of the American Association of University Women. One of the reports released by this association talks about the status of women in leadership in detail, mentioning the rates of women in governmental and other high positions. The authors of the report state that “women’s representation in leadership will not increase substantially without major changes in culture, policies, and practices of the organizations where women learn and work” (Hill et al. x). Therefore, it is crucial to raise awareness about the issue of gender discrimination in different areas of the community.
In conclusion, the problem of gender discrimination imposes numerous burdens and challenges for women in different positions and can take various forms, like payment rates, competency biases, and others. Predetermined attitudes towards females in the workplace lead to substantial issues that women face concerning leadership roles. Such concepts, as the glass ceiling and leaky pipeline, are some of the aspects that explain the low rates of women’s presence in leadership. It is essential to consider the issue of gender discrimination and related concept seriously and bring the change to improve the situation.
Works Cited
Chisholm-Burns, Marie A., et al. “Women in Leadership and the Bewildering Glass Ceiling.” American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, vol. 74, no. 5, 2017, pp. 312-324.
Hill, Catherine, et al. Barriers and Bias: The Status of Women in Leadership. AAUW, 2016.
Kiser, Angelina I.T. “Workplace and Leadership Perceptions Between Men and Women.” Gender in Management: An International Journal, vol. 30, no. 8, 2015, pp. 598-612.
Parker, Kim, and Cary Funk. “42% Of US Working Women Have Faced Gender Discrimination on the Job.” Pew Research Center. 2017. Web.
Stamarski, Cailin Susan, and Son Hing, Leanne S. “Gender Inequalities in the Workplace: The Effects of Organizational Structures, Processes, Practices, and Decision Makers’ Sexism.” Frontiers in Psychology vol. 6, 2015, art. 1400.
Surawicz, Christina M. “Women in Leadership: Why So Few and What to Do About It.” Journal of the American College of Radiology, vol. 13, no. 12, 2016, pp. 1433-1437.