Gender Biased Perceptions At Work
Places
Mrs S. Rizwan
Higher Education Commission, Pakistan
in Change in climate? Prospects for
gender equity in universities –Aus.
Technical Network Women Exec Dev
Program & UNISA
Adelaide 11-13 April 2006
Introduction



Importance of the study
Literature Review
Need For the study
Importance

This research is unique because it
incorporates men’s perspectives, insights,
and understandings alongside those of
women talking about the different or shared
realities of their work-life relationships. The
assumption is that gaining insight into how
professionals perceive gender relations in
the workplace can help us to more fully
understand what is involved currently in
organizations and can improve efforts to
end systemic gender-based discrimination.
Not only such improvements will help
women achieve equality, but also they will
help men feel more comfortable working
with women.
Literature Review




The main theme of this research was
taken from the American Public
Administration Review, which was
published in 1999
Some of the questions are based
upon the “Women Workplace Culture
Questionnaire”
Policy Regarding Women By Ministry
of Women , Government of Pakistan
The statistics are quoted from data
available by the statistics
department, Higher Education
Commission, Government of Pakistan,
and statistical Bureau, GOP.
Articles & Journals reviewed……



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

American Public Administration Review, (1999)
The Impact of Male Work Environment &
Organizational policies on Women’s Experiences of
Sexual Harassment by James E. Gruber, Gender &
Society, Vol.12,No.3 (June 1998),301-320
Communication & Education by M.M. Lewis, British
Journal of Educational Studies,
Vol.1.No.1(Nov.1952), 28-32
Work Satisfaction & Age: Some Evidence for the
“Job Change” Hypothesis by James D.Wright,
Richard F.Hamilton
Social Forces, Vol.56, No.4 (June,1978), 1140-1158
Women At Work, Aroura By DAWN publications,
Paksitan.
Need of the study/ Usage
The knowledge generated by this research will
be useful to
1.
2.
3.
Administrators and Managers who want to
understand the factors that impede
women’s advancement;
Researchers working to identify the factors
that perpetuate gender inequality in
organizations;
Policy/Decision makers who want to initiate
a process for constructive change.
Method



Research Tool
Sample
Extension of the Sample Size
Research Tool




Face to face interviews
Tape Recorded
Video Recorded
Written Comments
Sample

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Introduction
Why Only Public Sector Organizations?
Sample Size
Sample Characteristics


This study explored how professional
men and women in “public-sector”
workplaces perceive the relationship
between gender and their ‘lived’
work experiences. The data are
based on interviews with
University Teachers
Public Administrators,
conducted initially from April-Sep
2005 after wards extended the
sample size from Oct-Mar 2006
Why Only Public Sector Organizations?
The gender mix in public sector
universities
and
government
organizations differ from private
workplace arenas; both are heavily
male-dominated and are assumed to
be typical of workplaces in terms of
gender relations, narrow-mindedness,
and stereotype.
Sample size
The participants included 60 men and women
 Women (32)


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2 Vice Chancellors
20 Faculty
10 Public Administrator
Men (28)



8 Vice Chancellors
10 Faculty
10 Public Administrator
Sample Characteristics


Age Group 30- 60
Profession



20 faculty members
10 Vice Chancellors from public sector universities
from Major universities situated in four provinces
of Pakistan
20 of the participants were public service
administrators and bureaucrats from government
agencies (Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Finance
etc.) selected on Quota system coming from all
over Pakistan.
Phases

1st Phase
Brain Storming
 Out comes


2nd Phase


Interview guidelines
3rd Phase
Conducting Face to face Interviews
 Conducting Second interviews


4th Phase

Compiling Results
Phase 1


Brain Storming
Outcomes
Themes
 Extract guidelines for
interviews

Phase 2


Interview Guide lines
Developed Questions
Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Men and women experience different gender issues in their workplace
interactions?
How women’s place in the workforce, their economic status, and the increased
competition affects men and women as a whole?
Men’s and women’s interactions in organizations affect systemic
discrimination? Do you agree?
How cultural values and overt practices can lead to inequality, harassment, and
discrimination (whether it is based on sex, age, race, or physical ability).
Do you think that women have fewer opportunities than men for professional
development at a workplace?
Do you think that woman receive more unfair judgment of their work
performance than men.
Do you think that man receive more organizational support and trust than
women.
In your situation: Do you think that the way you have been addressed at work
by management and superiors has been influenced by a negative attitude
towards you because you are women.
Do you think that it is more difficult for women than men to be them selves at
work?
Do you think that men have greater employment security than women?
Do you think that women contributions are perceived differently, that is do men
fail to pay attention to what women say at meetings?
Continued …. (Questions)
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
Do you think that women had to be more accomplished in their work
than men in order to be promoted?
Do you think that women receive enough organizational support in
order to mange their professional work and their domestic
responsibilities?
How do you perceive your self and how others perceive you in your
workplace?
Which gender is more emotional and aggressive in your work place.
which gender is more powerful in being heard, doing work and
getting things done?
Have you ever faced Harassment or any tension working with cross
gender?
Generally speaking if you experience a particular difficulty, have you
some where or somebody to speak openly about it will?
ask if you have ever thought about leaving your job because of gender
related problems.
Do you think that your organization or people at the top hierarchy
have different standards to judge the qualification of men and
women?
Do you prefer to work in team with cross gender? Or the same
gender?
Which gender seems to be more comfortable to deal with?
Phase 3
Conducting face to face Interviews
 Conducting second interviews

Phase 4


Compiling Results
Findings
Findings
The findings revealed the following major issues:
 Identity & self-efficacy
 Emotion and Anger
 Power and powerlessness
 Harassment &Tension
 Discrimination
 Trust
 Communication
 Shared Experience
1. Identity & Self Efficacy

(means self judgment based on
socialization process by which
individuals incorporate assumptions,
perceptions, stereotypes and
misperceptions and make judgments
about them selves based on the way
they perceive other judge them.)
Quoted Statement…..
“When ever assigning any major task, my senior males)
always ask each other, ‘Is this going to be important to
her? Do we need to include her... because she’ll make
things miserable for us If she is excluded?”
-University professor
 When ever there is an issue of decision making they( male peers)
use to exclude me or ignore my comments..... and whenever there is
an issue of taking responsibility they unilaterally make me
responsible..., what a justice they do!.......
-Public Administrators
Quoted Statements…..

“[I’m
seen as] responsive, I always get things
done... and solve any sort of work related
issues. I’m perceived as very strong,
independent and competent. .. easy to work
with… But men in our society….you
know...are perhaps threatened by it.”
-Public Administrator
2. Emotion and Anger

(Emotionality involves both the
expression of feelings and intensity of
feelings provoked).
Quoted Statement……

“I suspect male colleagues . . . perceive me as . . .
overly emotional... To be emotional is considered
unacceptable by [them]. ... I’ve been told. .. by one
male colleague that I risk losing my credibility on
the faculty. He...said...one of my female colleagues
already has lost her credibility because she has
dared to be emotional . . . about professional
matters. . . . You start feeling you can’t win.” University Professor
Quoted Statements…..
 “I
think all the females in my department
see me as distant and manipulative. . .
[and] as somebody who has to be
handled. . . who needs to be approached
gently....[They] don’t trust me very
much.”
-
University Professor
3. Power and Powerlessness

(Which gender is more powerful? Male
or female)
Quoted Statements…..

“I have (female] colleagues who won’t stand up for
their rights [or] speak up in meetings when it’s
necessary... You’ve got to establish that ‘I deserve
to be there.
-University professor
“I feel today women are much more powerful than
men at work places as they are much louder and
bold than ever before. One of the dilemmas and
conflicts, seems to be that smart women…tend to
threaten their male peers.”
-University Professor
4. Harassment &Tension

(With reference to communicationcross gender
Quoted Statements….
“That conversation [provoked me to think]. . .Am I more
comfortable doing business with a woman because I have a
sense of power or superiority, whether it’s there or a
perception of that, or is there. . . a general attraction to the
opposite sex that makes me comfortable in that kind of social
relations,.”
-Administrator

“I am afraid of working in close doors with my peers!.......
because you never know who turns out to be of which nature?
Even a wrong eye-gesture can effect your work….. that is why
I try to finish my work in time and avoid staying back for long
hours after the office timings are over.”
-Public Administrator

5. Discrimination

(Different standards to judge the
qualification of men and women)
Quoted Statements….

“When I was hired...I was assured, ‘We want you to know that
we didn’t select you because you were a woman but because
you were qualified. We didn’t have to hire a woman this time,
and we hired you anyhow.’ Still, everyday.., there was always
that question...Did she get hired because she was a woman
or... the best qualified for the job?”
-University Professor

‘My wife’ is a faculty member...who1 can’t get promoted. The
question of why I could get promoted with no questions, with
probably less credentials. . . and she [with] more credentials. .
. can’t get promoted, bothers me. . . . In that sense, I think the
academic world is much harder. The glass ceiling is much
more difficult to break.”
-University Professor
Quoted Statements…..
 “I
want to be accepted... in terms of my
ability to perform, but I am [not
accepted] into the social climate of the
organization. I’m not one of the men.”
-Public Administrator
6. Trust


(Lack of trust between men and women)
The issue of trust involves a lack of trust
between men and women and risk aversion
in talking about gender in organizations. As
noted earlier, besides change in attitude
towards females ‘ still women feel that they
are just treated as symbol of attraction for
marketing purposes they are good but for
decision making they are not trust worthy at
all. Women tended to link trust and sexuality;
that is, they believe that sexuality, as well as
potential threats of sexual harassment,
affects trust and bonding within an
organization.
Quoted Statements….

“Bonding is slower between men and women, Men
feel that women are not trust worthy so they
shouldn’t held responsible for any thing important
as they back off at the eleventh hour always. ....
Because [of this], it can take a long time to get
trust.”
-Public Administrator

“Trust is a double edge sword.”
-University Professor
7. Communication

(Importance of listening and need to
understand and to be sensitive to
others different perspectives)
Quoted Statements…..
“The biggest… issue is.... communication. What I
might be saying to my male counterpart must not be what
he understands at all and vice versa.”

-University Professor

“I’m constantly interrupted at faculty meetings. I can say
something and it’s totally ignored, and the next minute
somebody else will say it and it’s a great idea that never
gets attributed back to me... .1 often.. . have to say, “I’m
sorry, I’m not finished yet.” I perceive that as meaning
that I’m pretty much irrelevant. . a marginal part of the
department. “
-University Professor
Quoted Statements…..

“Its hard for women to work in closed doors with men at
workplaces, as they have to face lots of rumors from other
people around, specially when they are with their
seniors,….. You see in our society if a senior or even a
peer from the opposite sex supports some one every body
talks about them having a wrong relationship so how can
we communicate freely and fearlessly?.......”
-University Asst. Professor
8. Shared Experience


(Men & Women’s shared experience,
sense of invisibility and isolation).
Shared experiences means the
common experiences that men &
women expressed in their work lives. The
majority of women were particularly
aware of common, everyday patterns
of distancing and avoidance in their
organizations. Some described their
shared sense of isolation and invisibility.
Quoted Statements…..

“I
identified with what the other women
were saying. . . . that we’ll say something
and it’ll be invisible. People will just go
right past what we said, unless we say it
again.”
-University professor
Conclusion

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The analysis shows that the following five
statements are likely true.
Men and women experience issues and
interactions differently in the workplace.
Men and women experience different
gender issues in their workplace interactions.
Men and women experience the same
interactions differently in their workplace.
These emerging issues suggest different
meanings for male and female public
administration professionals.
Men’s and women’s interactions in
organizations affect systemic discrimination.
By listening to the men & women,
the following points have emerged;



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Both men & women have expressed frustration with visible &
invisible signs of bias, discrimination & inequality.
Both genders have emphasized on the factor of listening
which ultimately will help for more communication and
healthier work life relations.
The study also provides detailed explanation of why men
are uncomfortable choosing women as a superior and why
women fear about talking their experiences in public.
Women feels that most of men (especially their peers) use to
ignore their capabilities and are afraid that women will over
shadow them in the workplaces and get promoted.
The degree to which child hood and early adulthood
socialization related to gender remains conscious and plays
out in later work place experiences.
Women regardless of being much confident than ever still
they don’t trust men at workplaces and avoid to work in
close doors and stay for longer time periods.
Recommendations

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Make conscious efforts to improve communication &
social relationships within organizations.
Encourage group projects and assignments where male
and female representation is equal.
Women should be brave and speak up and confront
disrespectful and unprofessional attitude and behaviors.
High level managers especially males should make sure
that every body is heard and equally given importance
regardless of gender.
Ensure equity in assignments, mentoring and training
opportunities.
Support & reward a collegial environment.
Equal employment opportunities to females should be
supported especially at the decision making positions.
Last Word…..

While this research study’s goal was to elucidate
themes, not to test hypotheses, one guiding
hypothesis coming from this research is that
changing gender inequalities in the management
of public organizations will require examination
not only of those aspects of interpersonal
relations that can develop and maintain the glass
ceiling, but also those that can facilitate a more
cooperative
and
constructive
working
environment.
University Statistics
University Vice Chancellors
120
100
80
Male/
Female
Female
only
60
40
20
0
194766
19872006
Year
Public/ Private
Universitie
s
for Female
Universities
for
(Male/
Female)
Degree Awarding
Institutions for
Female
Degree
Awarding
Institutions for
(Male/Femal
e)
1947-66
0
7
0
2
1967-86
0
21
0
3
1987-2006
5
85
1
26
Percentage of Population between Age Group 18 to 26 years,
Enrolled at University Campus for Higher Education
Est. Pop Age Group 18
to 26 yrs.
(Million) *
Male
Female
2001-02
11.98
2002-03
2003-04
Year
Enrollment Including
Ph.D. (Million)
Total
Male
Female
11.74
23.72
0.175
0.102
12.23
11.96
24.19
0.204
12.26
12.63
24.9
0.245
Total
Enrollment at
University Campus
(%)
Male
Female
0.276
1.46
0.87
1.16
0.128
0.332
1.67
1.07
1.37
0.179
0.423
1.99
1.41
1.7
* Source: Economic Survey of Pakistan 2004-05 and Pakistan Statistical Year Book
2002-03
Total
Full Time Faculty Members classified by their Highest Qualification
during 2003-04
Sector
Distance
Learning
Bache Master Master M. Phil. Ph.D.
lors
s
(H)
Total
9
110
0
22
41
182
Public
1059
4525
1319
1019
2549
10471
Private
1151
1480
508
284
540
3963
Overall
2219
6115
1827
1325
3130
14616
Faculty
Number of Full and Part Time Faculty members by Public & Private
Sector during 2003-04.
Sector
Distance
Learning
Full Time
Part Time
Total
182
17620
17802
Public
10471
2975
13446
Private
3963
2217
6180
Overall
14616
22812
37428
Gender wise Enrollment at Public and Private Sector Universities/DAI
(including Constituent Colleges) during the Period 2001-04
Sector
2001-02
Male
Female
2002-03
2003-04
Male
Female
Male
Female
Public
141569
90832
162407
114077
199553
162575
Private
32935
10938
41272
13989
44960
16148
174504
101770
203679
128066
244513
178723
Total
Gender Wise Enrollment at Universities/DAI (including Constituent Colleges)
by Area during the Period 2001-04
Area
2001-02
Male
Federal
*
2002-03
Female
Male
2003-04
Female
Male
Female
62184
48160
75876
62795
97927
97893
AJK
1111
516
1527
671
1676
708
Balochis
tan
3425
959
3670
1085
4421
1360
NWFP
22811
7183
25310
7976
27546
9134
Punjab
40364
21218
48535
29088
62224
40557
Sindh
44609
23734
48561
26451
50719
29071
Total
174504
101770 203679
128066
244513
178723
* = Including Distance Learning
What we have accomplished:
Comparison of percentage of women at faculty ranks
1985-2005
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
1985
1989
1993
Professor
Assistant Professor
1997
2001
Associate Professor
Instructor/Lecturer
2005
Thank You!