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How organizational characteristics shape gender difference and inequality at work
Author(s) -
Gorman Elizabeth H.,
Mosseri Sarah
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
sociology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1751-9020
DOI - 10.1111/soc4.12660
Subject(s) - inequality , sociology , gender inequality , work (physics) , value (mathematics) , organizational structure , trace (psycholinguistics) , organizational culture , structural inequality , public relations , gender studies , political science , management , economics , mechanical engineering , mathematical analysis , mathematics , machine learning , computer science , engineering , linguistics , philosophy
Abstract Why should students and scholars who are interested in gender difference and inequality study organizations? In recent years, as research on organizations has migrated to business schools and become less connected to other subfields of the discipline, the value of organizational sociology has become less evident to many. Yet characteristics of organizations contribute in important ways to producing different experiences and outcomes for women and men, by constraining certain individual actions and enabling or bringing about others. In this essay, we trace the consequences of four categories of organizational characteristics—the formal structure of work, employment practices, informal structure and culture, and organizational networks and fields—for gender inequality in three areas: workplace experiences, work–family conflict, and career outcomes. We close with some brief reflections on future directions for research linking organizations and gender.