Corporate Social Responsibility and Discrimination (eBook)

Gender Bias in Personnel Selection

Christina Keinert-Kisin (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2016 | 1st ed. 2016
XI, 242 Seiten
Springer International Publishing (Verlag)
9783319291581 (ISBN)

Infos

This book presents and deconstructs the existing explanations for the differential career development of qualified men and women. It reframes the problem of discrimination in the workplace as a matter of organizational ethics, social responsibility and compliance with existing equal opportunity laws. Sensitive points are identified where social biases, decision-makers' individual economic interests and shortcomings of organizational incentive policies may lead to discrimination against qualified women. The ideas put forward are empirically tested in an original laboratory experiment that examines personnel selection in the male-dominated field of science and technology. It contrasts the selection of applicants with gendered and gender-blind applications available to subjects under controlled conditions. 30% of participants were high-level decision-makers, which is unprecedented in this field of research. The results, highly relevant for organizational practice, are explained and discussed in detail.

Christina Keinert-Kisin holds a doctorate in business and economic sciences and a law degree. She studied at University of Vienna and ESCP-EAP, Paris. Her research and teaching is focused on Corporate Social Responsibility, business ethics, gender studies and corporate compliance. She is a legal practitioner specializing in issues of compliance, white-collar crime, and litigation.

Inhalt

Preface 6
Acknowledgments 8
Contents 10
List of Illustrations 12
Chapter 1: Introduction 13
Chapter 2: Persistence of Gender Discrimination in the Workplace 18
2.1 Terms and Definitions 18
2.2 Numbers and Developments 21
2.2.1 Women in Education and Academia 21
2.2.2 Women as Top Executives 23
2.2.3 Women on Corporate Boards 26
2.3 Gender Discrimination: Explanations in Economics 28
2.3.1 Rationalization of Differential Treatment: Taste for Discrimination 28
2.3.1.1 Becker: Economics of Discrimination 28
2.3.1.2 Critique 30
2.3.2 Rationalization of Differential Treatment: Gendered Reproductive Roles 31
2.3.2.1 Human Capital Theory 31
2.3.2.2 Statistical Discrimination 33
2.3.2.3 Critique 33
2.3.3 Rationalization of Differential Treatment: Rational Bias 35
2.3.4 Rationalization of the Status Quo: Pipeline Theory 36
2.4 Lessons from Economic Theory 37
Chapter 3: Corporate Social Responsibility: A Theoretical Overview 38
3.1 Social Claims Towards Private Business: A Debate of Historical Dimension 38
3.2 The Scope of Corporate Social Responsibility: Definitions and Perspectives 41
3.3 Carroll: Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibilities 46
Chapter 4: Topical Approach: Gender Discrimination as CSR Problem 49
4.1 Corporate Economic Responsibility for Equal Opportunity 50
4.1.1 The Relatively Best Candidate for the Job 50
4.1.1.1 Talent Pool Considerations 50
4.1.1.2 ``High Flyers´´ and Leadership Effectiveness 52
4.1.1.3 (Mis-)Match of Person and Job 57
4.1.2 Diversity: A Potential Source of Competitive Advantage 60
4.1.2.1 Enrichment on the Individual Level 61
Individual Background and Perspective 61
Women as Organizational Agents for Change 62
4.1.2.2 Enrichment on the Group Level 64
Group Performance 64
Group Diversity and Firm Performance 66
Group Conflict and Performance 73
4.1.3 Stakeholder Management 75
4.1.3.1 Employee Relations 76
4.1.3.2 Customer Relations 81
4.1.3.3 Investor Relations 82
4.1.4 The Business Case for Equal Opportunity 83
4.2 Corporate Legal Responsibility for Non-discrimination 84
4.2.1 European Union Law: An Anti-discrimination Framework 85
4.2.1.1 Fundamental Characteristics of European Union Anti-discrimination Law 85
4.2.1.2 EU Anti-discrimination Law in Substance 90
4.2.1.3 Equal Pay 96
Definition 96
Justification for Indirect Pay Discrimination 99
4.2.1.4 Equal Treatment 104
Access to Employment 105
Pregnancy and Parenthood 111
(Gendered) Harassment and Sexual Harassment 115
4.2.2 Non-discrimination from a Human Rights Perspective 119
4.2.3 The Legal Case for Non-discrimination 122
4.3 Corporate Ethical Responsibility for Equal Treatment 123
4.3.1 Aristotle: Ethics of Justice 124
4.3.2 Enlightenment: Ethics of Rights 125
4.3.3 Corporate Ethics 127
4.3.3.1 Ethics of Business Organizations 127
4.3.3.2 Equal Opportunity as a Corporate Value 130
4.3.4 The Moral Case for Equality 130
4.4 Conclusion: Gender Discrimination as CSR Failure 131
Chapter 5: Persistence of Discrimination as CSR Failure 132
5.1 Non-actualization of Economic Responsibility 132
5.1.1 Gender Bias 133
5.1.1.1 Gendered Stereotypes and Implicit Associations 133
5.1.1.2 Gender Bias: Assessment of Qualities, Competence and Suitability 136
5.1.1.3 Gender Bias: Assessment of Merit and Performance 138
5.1.2 Decision-Maker Self-Interest 142
5.1.2.1 Homophily, Team Fit and Trust 143
5.1.2.2 Self-Interest: Superior Impression Management 145
5.1.2.3 Self-Interest: Undue Privilege in Recruitment and Promotion 148
5.2 Non-actualization of Legal Responsibility 151
5.3 Non-actualization of Ethical Responsibility 153
5.4 ``Trouble Spots´´ for Organizational Gender Discrimination 153
Chapter 6: Empirical Study: Discrimination in Personnel Selection? 155
6.1 Pre-study: Organizational Job Advertising Practice 157
6.1.1 Purpose and Design 157
6.1.2 Content Analysis of ``Real´´ Job Advertisements 158
6.1.3 Pre-study Results 160
6.1.3.1 Job Characteristics 160
6.1.3.2 Potential Candidates´ Characteristics 161
6.1.3.3 Discussion and Implications 161
6.2 Personnel Selection Experiment 163
6.2.1 Experimental Design 164
6.2.1.1 Task: An In-Basket Exercise 164
6.2.1.2 Applicant Manipulation 168
6.2.1.3 The Different ``Treatments´´: Context Cues for Participants to the Experiment 170
6.2.2 The Sample 172
6.2.3 Analysis of Employer Preferences: Ranked Selection Decisions 173
6.2.3.1 Personnel Selection Choices: Which Applicants Made the Cut? 174
6.2.3.2 Selection Decisions: Discrimination Against Women and Implications for HR Practice 177
6.2.4 Selection Arguments: Qualitative Study 179
6.2.4.1 Content Analysis: Perceptions of Applicant Suitability 179
6.2.4.2 Content Analysis: Positive Competence Ascriptions to Applicants 183
6.2.4.3 Selection Arguments: Main Findings and Implications for the Personnel Selection Process 187
Chapter 7: Lessons to Learn for Organizational Practice 191
Acronyms 201
Appendix A 203
A.1. Paired Comparison Pattern Model: Formulation of Bradley Terry´s Loglinear Model (for Partially Ranked Data) 203
Appendix B 206
B.1. Paired Comparison Pattern Analysis for Partial Rankings: Null Model and Final Model (in Detail) 206
Appendix C 209
C.1. Competence Ascription: Content Analysis Results (in Detail) 209
References 215
Monographs 215
Journal Articles 217
Internet Sources 242

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 27.4.2016
• Reihe/Serie: CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance
• Reihe/Serie: CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance
• Zusatzinfo: XI, 242 p. 5 illus. in color.
• Verlagsort: Cham
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Philosophie ► Allgemeines / Lexika
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Politik / Verwaltung
• Themenwelt: Wirtschaft ► Betriebswirtschaft / Management ► Personalwesen
• Themenwelt: Wirtschaft ► Betriebswirtschaft / Management ► Unternehmensführung / Management
• Schlagworte: Competition over jobs • Discrimination in the workplace • Gender Diversity • Gender Gap • Gender quota • Organizational incentive policies • Persistence of discrimination • Sustainable HR
• ISBN-13: 9783319291581 / 9783319291581