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Tokenism Revisited: When Organizational Culture Challenges Masculine Norms, the Experience of Token Is Transformed
Author(s) -
Holgersson Charlotte,
Romani Laurence
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
european management review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.784
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1740-4762
pISSN - 1740-4754
DOI - 10.1111/emre.12385
Subject(s) - tokenism , normative , norm (philosophy) , action (physics) , social psychology , extant taxon , organizational culture , normative social influence , sociology , blame , psychology , gender studies , public relations , political science , anthropology , physics , quantum mechanics , evolutionary biology , law , biology
Extant research on tokenism has documented the adverse consequences for employees in minority positions and how women's possibility of action is constrained in male‐dominated contexts . We present an in‐depth qualitative case study of a male‐dominated organization in a masculine industry in which , despite all expectations , the experience of tokenism for minority women is ambiguous . Furthermore , these women also display a strong agentic role in an organization in which culture favours gender equality . This case reveals an aspect previously overlooked in studies of tokenism: the importance of organizational culture . By exposing and challenging the implicit masculine norm through its organizational culture , this organization actively engages in the change of gendering processes and contributes to establishing an alternative norm . Theoretical contributions show the impact of normative control on the experience of tokens , and how it provides a frame for action toward gender equality .