Gender bias in the workplace: overcoming stereotypes and cultural expectations

Modern-day women often wonder why men still expect them to be the primary caregiver at home, despite them having received the same education and pursued similar career and life ambitions as their male counterparts. When society was transitioning and economically evolving, there were indeed times when men tended to work outside their homes and women inside, with women often expected to be mild mannered and trained accordingly, either at home or at a finishing school, as per the family’s financial status.

Those days, however, are gone. Globally, the female workforce represents 50 per cent of the total and they are expected to perform in whatever role they have taken up. This often entails working long hours and being tough with their teams, if need be, to get their work done. The women of today are also ambitious, affirming their right to progress to the highest levels of management, receive equal pay and so on.

However, is society ready for this and, in particular, are men ready? While some men are cognisant of the capable women around them, welcoming them as they are, a large number remain limited in their thinking. For example, they might think that women can have their say but not necessarily the last word. So, do men still think that women should be subservient to them, or do they think they have come of age. We asked some men; it seems they are not sure. Sometimes they think we are all equals, sometimes not. What causes this dilemma then?

Masculinity: an overlooked area of gender studies?

To understand the male dilemma in a post-feminist world, we need to understand the way masculinity manifests in its various forms at the work and social spaces. The field of gender studies tends to focus primarily on female issues and challenges. However, contemporary workspaces are evolving, with women starting to take up roles that were predominantly male in the past (for example, flying commercial planes or fighter jets or going for combat roles and so on) and, conversely, men increasingly engaging in work traditionally associated with women (for example, nursing, teaching, cooking etc). In this, one often overlooked area of study is how men might resolve the dilemma they face, in terms of gender-identity construction and understanding their gender role at work.

Research around feminist organisation theory has highlighted how male values pervade in the workplace to the detriment of female roles. It has also revealed how traditionally patriarchal societies perceive the role of women in a workplace. However, the evolution of new forms of workspaces again puts men at the centre of resolving gender dilemmas and there needs to be a greater understanding of how masculinity is evolving in the move towards gender-equal workplaces.  

Masculinity is explained as a set of attributes, behaviours and roles that are commonly associated with boys and men. Previous psychological studies on men have proposed the existence of masculinity in organisations in various forms – from toxic or hegemonic to inclusive. Psychiatrist Terry Kupers has described toxic masculinity as, “the constellation of socially regressive male traits that serve to foster domination, devaluation of women, homophobia and wanton violence.” It manifests in the form of aggression, dominance, homophobia, misogyny and so on, polluting an organisation’s attempts towards establishing a gender-inclusive culture.

Hegemonic masculinity, meanwhile, has been said to demonstrate that “power need not have to be enforced with direct violence but can be exercised through a complex interplay of consent, acquiescence and institutional power.” The prevailing scepticism about the idea of masculinity in much post-feminist organisational thought sometimes confuses men. The question is whether it would be better to completely discard the idea of masculinity in organisational contexts? Is masculinity always bad? How might men give up the idea of masculinity – something that is so often equated to being the core of their gender identity construction?

Shifting the conversation

However, a person of any gender is likely to feel suffocated in an organisation that doesn’t acknowledge the idea of their gender identity construct – as a woman might experience in a company that does not acknowledge femininity, for example. Modern organisations that uphold the values of diversity, equality and inclusion must, therefore, create cultures which do not ‘kill’ anyone’s gender identity and their right to expression but respect the unique identity that each gender brings to the workplace.

For this, the fundamental ideas around establishing gender inclusive cultures need to evolve and that includes those in relation to leadership. Traditional perceptions of leadership traits have often encompassed manifestations of toxic masculinity, such as aggression, dominance and narcissism. If we want to create gender-inclusive cultures and leadership in organisations, the idea of leadership should focus more on caring, serving and accepting attributes that have been more commonly associated with women. In other words, a responsible, inclusive organisation should talk about its values having a strong basis on individual virtues. Leaders, meanwhile, need to ensure that their organisations implement diversity and inclusion policies and mitigate biases in hiring, promotion and decision-making processes.

Role models and the need to instigate change

Additionally, men in influential positions have a strong opportunity to become role models by advocating for gender equality and challenging discriminatory attitudes and behaviours in their workplaces. By demonstrating inclusive leadership, these men can inspire others to prioritise gender sensitivity. Powerful women must also give their voice to such issues and make a difference. It's important for everyone to be aware of these biases and actively work to eliminate them to create a more equitable and inclusive workplace. When Aristotle defined virtues and vices, the good or bad characteristics exhibited by humans were irrespective of gender. Instead, the complex interplay of societal and institutional cultures over generations has created the various gender depictions of these virtues, facilitating gender stereotyping.

But why do men themselves promote these gender roles? If you look closely, men seem to be in a bind. The male dilemma regarding gendered roles often revolves around societal expectations and traditional norms that prescribe certain behaviours, responsibilities and characteristics to men based on their gender. From their childhood, they are likely to have seen that it is their mother who manages the household. Even if she works outside, in many cultures she still cooks, looks after children, family and does all the religious and social festivals. The men, meanwhile, tend to play second fiddle but still have the last word and make all the major decisions. As men grow up, this becomes their social learning and gradually takes up space in their unconscious minds and lays a strong expectation base. There are men who may question these norms and maybe even feel apologetic about the imbalance between male and female duties and responsibilities. But they will also feel a certain pressure to conform or face the chance of ridicule. At the same time, men face pressure to be emotionally stoic, physically strong and display a certain success-oriented behaviour. Traditional gender roles often discourage men from expressing vulnerability or emotions beyond anger or aggression. This pressure to conform can be restrictive and may lead to feelings of inadequacy or insecurity if men do not naturally align with these expectations.

Organisations need to create interventions for promoting an inclusive culture where employees – be they male, female or other gender identity – will not feel a sense of the organisation being gendered. Inequality, discrimination and gender-based violence can take subtle forms such as microaggressions and hence, HR policies should aim to counter this. One of first steps is to encourage courageous conversations. In addition to creating gender-specific leadership programmes, there should be leadership development programmes that encourage an open dialogue around fostering the kind of management that promotes diversity. This should include policies that can be brought in to ensure equity in organisations’ performance appraisal and incentive/reward systems, as well as ideas around how a narrative that promotes a gender-neutral and inclusive culture in all organisational communications (internal/external) can be achieved. Above all, we need to encourage positive activism towards educating and sensitising people about gender issues at workplace. We must also search continuously for innovative ways to teach students at educational institutions about diversity, equity and inclusion.

Kakoli Sen is professor and dean of the School of Business at Woxsen University in Hyderabad, India. She teaches and trains in the areas of organisational behaviour and leadership.

Anindo Bhattacharjee is an associate professor at the School of Business, Woxsen University. He holds a PhD in management studies from the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) Mumbai, in collaboration with the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.