Though women make up 46.5% of Australia’s workforce, some industry’s participation rates are considerably skewed. For example, health care and social services have a high percentage of females, with around 77% of workers identifying as women. In stark contrast, women in construction represent only 11.8% of the total industry workforce.
With such a small proportion of women in these ‘boys’ club’ industries (mining and utilities also fall into this category), it makes sense that women who perform managerial roles in male-dominated workplaces may face unique challenges.
Challenges women face in male-dominated industries
An investigative study spoke to a number of women in male-dominated industries to identify common issues presented in their daily experiences. These issues included both formal and covert organisational practices that maintained discrimination and bias, such as:
Structural issues including resources and policies
Often, women will accept a position only to discover there are no resources suited to their needs. They may find policies that either don’t support women in the workplace or actively exclude them. For example, some women reported not having changing rooms available to them (where men in the same team or location had ample space assigned). Others reported discriminatory policies surrounding pregnancy and maternity leave.
Perception of – and actual – gender-specific bias
When women work in non-traditional roles, it’s still seen as something of a novelty. Because of this, many women felt there was a lack of social, emotional and work support available to them. The underlying assumptions surrounding gender roles has had a negative effect on organisational culture, putting females at a disadvantage.
Workplace culture
Many women shared the experience of males in their workplace displaying vindictive and/or unsupportive behaviour. This impacted their ability to both do their job and feel comfortable in the workplace. A researcher from Northwestern University stated in a study that female leaders face a double-bind: “[women] are expected to be communal because of the expectations inherent in the female gender role, and they are also expected to be agentic because of the expectations inherent in most leader roles”.
Coping with and overcoming these challenges
So what options do women have in these situations? Do they ‘man up’ and become ‘one of the boys’? Do they take advantage of their ‘feminine’ qualities, like empathy and nurturing, in order to stand out from the blokes and offer some new perspectives to the organisation?
Research shows there isn’t one single strategy for success that will work across different situations. A study published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology in 2011 found that women can face backlash for “violating the feminine gender role stereotype” if they display typically male qualities. However, a different study and meta-analysis published in the Psychology of Women Quarterly found the opposite – women who portray themselves as having traits typically associated with masculinity tend to achieve greater heights in the workplace and experience less hardship.
Toolkit for women facing challenges in management roles
Having practical strategies can be helpful when faced with discrimination or resistance in the workplace.
- Vary between ‘feminine’ or ‘masculine’ skill sets or attributes as needed
- Work with a mentor in the industry
- Focus on the positive elements of the job instead of dwelling on the negative
- Speak up about discriminatory hiring or promotion practices
- Call for recruiting practices that actively encourage women to apply
- Support fellow women in the workplace.
These approaches were echoed in the study that investigated the challenges women face in male-dominated industries. They can be split into two main elements, which we’ve explored in more detail.
1. Coping strategies and resources:
Appreciation of feminine advantage
Whether this is an ingrained identity issue or a reliance on appearance to gain acceptance, there were some women who used their gender to their advantage in male-dominated workplaces. Of course, this approach involves the risk of being deemed unsuitable for tasks or roles that require abilities typically ascribed to men.
Adopting male characteristics
Adjusting behaviours to align more with masculine traits is a common coping tactic. Because males typically determine the selection criteria for roles, and also end up determining the successful candidate, there’s a strong case for doing this. When women display a combination of male attributes and self-monitoring, they are presented with increased opportunities for promotions and recognition.
Mentorship
Having a mentor, especially a female mentor from the same industry, is a wonderful way to build skills and knowledge. If they’re currently holding a position of power and respect, even better – their reputation can help bolster the reputation of others, lending authority to the mentee as they build their own profile within the business.
2. Acknowledging motivational aspects of the work:
Despite the challenges, women who accept roles in these industries often develop tough skin and choose to persevere. They are reported to have an optimistic expectation of future career possibilities – for example, the skills they develop in these challenging positions will be valuable when it comes to securing roles of higher levels. After all, to succeed in spite of adversity says a lot about a person’s character and tenacity.
They also tend to focus on the challenging and engaging nature of the work. By dedicating themselves to the job at hand, they were able to let the politics go as they became accustomed to their role.
Recognition and success was also critical to women’s perseverance. While this doesn’t always have to be official, small things like having male colleagues nominate them as safety representatives or coming to them for advice can make a huge difference to women’s work satisfaction and effectiveness in male-dominated industries.
Changing organisational culture
Of course, none of the strategies above touch on shifting workplace culture in a way that creates long-term change. At the root of attitude adjustments in the past was a woman brave enough to fight the status quo. Not that long ago, women weren’t even found on-site at mines – they were behind the desks, working in administration jobs. Trailblazing isn’t the only way to have a real impact on the way businesses in these industries see women, though.
Depending on your exact role and authority, you may be able to influence hiring policies and procedures. Hiring is often affected by levels of subconscious bias, which has been shown to be an issue for hiring managers of both genders. Removing names and using numbered systems can help reduce subconscious gender bias, allowing applicants a fairer selection process.
Alternatively, you may be able to implement recruitment campaigns that target women. Many women still believe that these industries ‘aren’t for them’, and never even consider the idea of working in mining, utilities, construction or trades. You don’t need a line of pink pickup trucks to make it appealing – just stating that it’s possible to succeed in industries not typically associated with women could be enough.
And perhaps the most undervalued way to shift workplace culture in male-dominated industries is one that any women can do – support your fellow women in the industry. Whether it’s a refusal to join in the blokey banter about a female colleague, or publicly congratulating a woman on her achievements, standing up for other women both sets the standards of behaviour for the entire organisation and helps co-workers feel valued and supported.
Creating change in industries that place a high value on gender roles and identities can be a battle, and it’s one women shouldn’t have to take on alone.
Jamie Devitt, GM Client Development, says “unpacking, redesigning, and refreshing a company’s value proposition is really a must in order to start changing organisational culture. Even recruitment processes aren’t immune – they must be reviewed in order to purge them of inherent biases”.
Below is a list of links to support programs specifically for women in non-traditional positions. Join, follow, or just find solidarity from the fact that other women are facing similar challenges.
Mining
Construction
Trades
Engaged vs. Disengaged. What’s the difference?
Engaged employees tend to feel inspired by their work, and care about the future of their organisation. They are willing to go the extra mile to help their leader and organisation grow. On the flip side, disengaged employees tend to feel emotionally and cognitively detached from their jobs, and only do the bare minimum required of them. They are also more likely to quit their jobs1 at the first sign of trouble, and at times, might even actively work against their organisation or leader.
Unsurprisingly, research has shown that employees who are engaged with their organisations tend to be more productive and more profitable than those who are not. In fact, a study found that 87% of engaged employees2 are less likely to leave their jobs than their disengaged colleagues.
There has been a growing acceptance of the evidence among researchers and organisations that an engaged workforce can be a major competitive advantage.
But what can leaders do to fast track employee engagement in their organisation?
Lessons from Scar – Four Strategies for Employee Engagement
Although Scar is a fictional character from 1994, his flaws as a leader are very real and applicable to our working world today. Leaders of modern-day organisations can learn from Scar’s mistakes by avoiding the threats to employee engagement in their workplace.
Lesson 1: Be fair and transparent in your decision-making as a leader.
Scar is the worst when it comes to being fair and transparent. He prefers to work in secrecy, often working against members of his organisation. This behaviour has garnered him a negative view on his capabilities as a leader from his employees. Studies have found that employees tend to be more engaged in the work when they perceive a sense of fairness and transparency in their organisation.
Lesson 2: Give your employees the freedom to make their own decisions – to an extent.
Studies have suggested that3 employees are more engaged with their work and organisation when they feel that they are trusted to be given autonomy, or the freedom to make their own decisions in their role.
Scar actually follows this lesson – albeit to the furthest extreme – when he gave the hyenas complete, unrestricted free reign over the Pride Lands that they ravaged it of its resources, leaving nothing to the other members of his organisation, most of whom were afraid of the hyenas’ destruction. This leads us to…
Lesson 3: Provide support and create an environment of psychological safety
Studies have shown that4 employees become disengaged in their work if they do not feel that they receive adequate support from their organisation or leader. Employees also feel more engaged if they feel a sense of psychological safety5, a feeling of being able to express themselves without negative consequences. Leaders should strive to foster a supportive and psychologically safe working environment for their employees.
On the contrary, Scar seems to think that it’s a good idea to run his kingdom with the exact opposite approach: FEAR. With all the other animals in his kingdom not feeling safe under his leadership, it should not have been a surprise to him when they decided to replace him with Simba, a more supportive leader, instead.
Lesson 4: Align the values and goals of your employees with those of your organisation
Perhaps Scar’s most fatal mistake was that he did not hire for values. Sure, the pack of hyenas helped him accomplish his goal of claiming the leadership role in the animal kingdom, but their only motivation was payment – in the form of food. The hyenas do not share the same values as Scar does for power, but he recruits them anyway. In fact, he even looks down on their species, singing:
“I never thought hyenas essential,
They’re crude and unspeakably plain
But maybe they’ve a glimmer of potential
If allied to my vision and brain.”
While Scar was smart to communicate his vision to his new recruits, the hyenas, who live by different goals and values, did not pay much attention to his overall vision, as long as they get what they were promised. Naturally, they turn on Scar the first chance they get.
Studies have shown that6 employees whose values and goals are aligned with their organisation are more likely to go “above and beyond” and contribute to their organisations.
On the flipside, Timon and Pumba were so aligned with Simba’s values and vision, that they were willing to risk their lives by distracting the hyena pack in order to help their leader achieve success.
There are many lessons we can learn about employee engagement from The Lion King, but the key takeaway is clear:
Employee engagement lives and dies by the quality of its leader
Research has shown7 that effective leaders are the engines that drive employee engagement. Leaders should learn from Scar’s mistakes, and cultivate an engaged workforce (that won’t turn around and eat you instead!).
References
- Corporate Leadership Council. (2004). Driving performance and retention through employee engagement. Washington, DC: Corporate Executive Board. Ibid.
- Markos, S & Sridevi, M. S. (2010). Employee Engagement: The Key to Improving Performance.5 (12).
- Xu, J., & Cooper Thomas, H. (2011). How can leaders achieve high employee engagement?.
- (4), 399-416.
- Saks, A. M. (2006). Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement. (7), 600-619.
- Cartwright, S., & Holmes, N. (2006). The meaning of work: The challenge of regaining employee engagement and reducing cynicism. (2), 199-208.
- Seijts, G. H., & Crim, D. (2006). What engages employees the most or, the ten C’s of employee engagement. (4), 1-5.
- Ngobeni, E. K., & Bezuidenhout, A. (2011). Engaging employees for improved retention at a higher education institution in South Africa. African Journal of Business Management, 5(23), 9961.
