MECHANISMS OF EXCLUSION: POWER, STRUCTURE, AND THE PERSISTENCE OF GENDER INEQUALITY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63878/qrjs921Keywords:
Organizational Power Structures, Gender Inequality, Formal Hierarchy, Informal Networks, Decision-Making Control, Organizational Culture.Abstract
The present research explores how organisational power systems increase gender inequality. Based on the feminist organisational theory and institutional viewpoints, it examines the role of formal hierarchies, informal networks, decision-making control, and organisational culture in generating gendered results in institutions. A structured survey was conducted on 417 employees at different levels of the hierarchy to obtain the data. Structural equation modelling revealed that the dimensions of organisational power are all significant and positive determinants of gender inequality, although decision-making control produces the strongest effect. Multi-group analyses showed that these effects were more prominent in female respondents. The results shed more light on structural and cultural processes that perpetuate gender inequalities and highlight the need to intervene both organizationally and policy-wise to address both formal and informal power relations. This work will contribute to theory and provide practical recommendations on how to promote gender equity in organisations by combining structural, relational, and cultural approaches.
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