Saturday 25 July 11:25
- 12:55
Hall: 01 - Basilica
Chair and Presenter:
Potočnik Kristina
Discussant:
Cheung Fanny
Division: Division 1: Work and Organizational Psychology
This symposium critically examines contemporary challenges and progress in workplace gender equality through four interconnected perspectives. The selected presentations collectively explore how gendered power dynamics manifest across diverse organizational contexts and life stages, revealing persistent barriers for some gender groups despite formal equality policies in place.
González-Morales critiques recent calls for "more masculine" workplace cultures and proposes transforming toxic power cultures into "brave relational cultures" that redefine masculinity as one that is brave and advocates for marginalized groups. Her proposed framework advances our understanding of workplace power dynamics by showing how psychological safety and belonging can be fostered by promoting noble aspects of masculinity while at the same time addressing systemic inequalities.
Kowalski and Suter explore 12-hour shifts in the UK national healthcare sector and show how flexible work policies, when implemented without genuine employee input, can disproportionately impact women. Their findings suggest that persistent "double shifts" amplify workplace inequalities, threatening both employee wellbeing and the sustainability of workforce in female-dominated sectors.Unger et al.'s presentation discusses the results of a systematic review of 45 years of multidisciplinary research of unemployment effects on children's education and career outcomes. Their research demonstrates how parental unemployment affects children's educational and career trajectories differently based on gender, with maternal unemployment showing stronger detrimental effects than paternal unemployment on children's future employment prospects.Potočnik examines menopause transition at work and discusses how this complex, individualized transition may affect job performance, retention, and occupational wellbeing.Among other findings, this presentation explores how the use of flexible work arrangements can help manage menopause symptoms but potentially compromise retirement affordability.She advocates for context-sensitive approaches to support employees transitioning menopause rather than standardized policies that may inadvertently create new inequities.Together, these presentations illuminate the multifaceted nature of gender equality challenges across different life domains and career stages.They emphasizethatmeaningfulprogressrequiresaddressingbothsystemicpowerstructuresandindividual lived experiences through evidencebasedcontextsensitiveapproachesthatrecognizetheintersectionalityofgenderwithothera spectsofidentityandexperience.
