Influencing Gender Specific Perceptions of the Factors Affecting Women’s Career Advancement Opportunities in the United States

Copyright © 2018, Kevin Taliaferro. This article is published under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. Permission is granted to copy and distribute this article for non-commercial purposes, in both printed and electronic formats This research investigates the sociological, psychological, and physiological factors known to affect women’s career advancement opportunities. It examines how awareness and knowledge shared through the #MeToo (hashtag Me Too) movement influenced gender specific perceptions about the factors affecting women’s workplace opportunities. Finally, it recommends measures to alter the divergent gender perceptions that remain an obstacle to gender equality in the workplace. This study was conducted because gender inequalities continue in the U.S. workplace in 2018. Currently women fail to advance in careers at the same rate as men, and they are paid 21% less for similar work with equal skills and experience. Women comprise approximately 51% of the U.S. population and 47% of the workforce, so equality would dictate a one-toone male to female ratio throughout all levels of government and private industry. The current male to female ratio in the U.S. Congress is four-to-one. The male to female executive ratio in Fortune 500 companies is three-to-one, and in the U.S. Government it is two-to-one. To better understand the factors influencings gender inequalities in the workplace, the researcher conducted a mixed method experimental study. The research began with a literature review that produced enlightening results regarding the sociological, psychological, and physiological factors affecting women’s career advancement opportunities. To further examine those factors, the researcher conducted Qualitative Study 1 to determine if any significant differences existed in gender specific perceptions of male and female workplace performance, drive, confidence, competitive nature, relationships, and family responsibilities. Study 1 results aligned with the literature review findings and confirmed both genders recognize significant gender differences exist regarding each of those factors. The unexpected discoveries were the significantly different perceptions men and women hold about the origins, causes, and effects of the factors known to impact women’s career advancement opportunities. To more deeply investigate the gender perception gap discovered in Study 1, the researcher conducted a mixed method experimental study using interviews in Qualitative Study 2 to assess the significance of the differing male and female perceptions. Men and women have significantly different perceptions of the origins, causes, and effects of the career obstacles women currently face, but the events surrounding the #MeToo movement may be reducing the gender perception gap.