A cross-cultural study in the UK and Australia of pay expectations and entitlements : A case of vanishing differences?
- Authors: Davidson, Marilyn , Wood, Glenice , Harvey, Jack
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Gender in Management Vol. 27, no. 3 (2012), p. 165-185
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Purpose: Previous US research has consistently revealed females reporting lower pay expectations and entitlements compared to their male counterparts. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether these gender differences still exist, specifically in British and Australian business students, or whether there has been a generation shift in attitudes. Design/methodology/approach: Quantitative data were analysed from 481 (252 females and 229 males) university students, on their responses to what they "expected" to earn five years after graduation and what they thought they "deserved" to earn. Students from two British universities (n=285) and two Australian universities (n=196) participated. Findings: Results revealed that the presence of very high values (outliers) reported by a small proportion of male respondents led to apparent gender differences in perceived entitlement (deserved salary). However, appropriately modified analyses showed no significant gender differences in expected salary, deserved salary or salary difference. Differences were observed between countries; in the UK expectations and views on deserved salary were higher than those expressed in Australia. In addition, in both countries' students from higher ranking universities expected higher salaries and believed they deserved a higher salary. Research limitations/implications: The sample is restricted to University business students and may not generalise to other groups. Practical implications: Implications of these findings reflect on gender pay inequities, along with methodological issues for future research. Originality/value: This paper challenges the long-held view that, in general, males have more positive expectations of their future salaries than females. While this has been reported in the past, the paper illustrates that in a contemporary sample across two countries, the great majority of male and female students had very similar expectations for their future salary. The paper proposes some explanations that may account for this phenomenon. The only clear gender difference observed was the presence of a small proportion of males with extremely high salary expectations; the paper highlights the necessity for appropriate statistical analysis of such highly skewed data. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
A cross-cultural study into peer evaluation of women's leadership effectiveness
- Authors: Jogulu, Uma , Wood, Glenice
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Leadership and Organisational Development Vol. 29, no. 7 (2008), p. 600-616
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The present paper is based on a cross-cultural exploration of middle managers in two diverse cultures and aims to focus on how the leadership styles of managerial women are perceived and evaluated. In particular, female and male peer evaluations of leadership effectiveness in Malaysia and Australia are to be explored.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003006154
Gender stereotypical attitudes : Past, present and future influences on women's career advancement
- Authors: Wood, Glenice
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Equal Opportunities International Vol. 27, no. 7 (2008), p. 613-628
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The purpose of this paper is to describe a longitudinal study which followed up middle managers who had participated in a survey on attitudes to promotion eight years earlier. The aim was to contact a sample of these individuals to ascertain their current views on women's career advancement in management.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003006152
Perceptions of effective leaders : Cross cultural influences
- Authors: Jogulu, Uma , Wood, Glenice
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Change Management Vol. 8, no. 1 (2008), p. 113-120
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- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper suggests that values, attitudes and behaviours are strongly culture specific. Therefore, it is contended that if culture exerts an influence in behaviours and attitudes of people it will be evident in the way leadership is perceived or traits of effective leadership is distinguished in organisations around the world. In the Western leadership literature, effective leadership appears to be correlated with organisational performance and profitability, subordinate extra effort and subordinate satisfaction with the leader. The Western literature also suggests that the measure of effective leadership at an individual level involve rating “by subordinates, superiors and peers and leaders themselves” (Eagly, Karau, & Makhijani, 1995, p. 128). However, there is limited knowledge and specific details of leadership characteristics that may constitute effective leadership practices outside the West, nor how universal the Western theories and models may be beyond the Western settings. There is a need to expand the existing knowledge and findings to understand whether Western leadership behaviours and practices are acceptable, appropriate or relevant in other cultures. In order to address this broad topic, the present paper will explore the perceptions of effective leadership in two diverse cultures of Malaysia and Australia. The middle managers in four industry types participated in the present research and the study found differences within and between female and male middle managers in both countries in terms of how leadership effectiveness is perceived and evaluated.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003006153
Career advancement in Australian middle managers : A follow-up study
- Authors: Wood, Glenice
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Women in Management Review Vol. 21, no. 4 (2006), p. 277-293
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Purpose - The current study followed up middle managers who had participated in a survey on attitudes to promotion in 1996. The vast majority of the original sample had responded favourably to the question: "Do you want to obtain a senior management position during your managerial career?" In addition, respondents were asked "How confident are you that this will happen?" and "How soon do you feel this will happen?" The aim of this follow up qualitative study is to contact as many of these individuals as possible, to explore the outcome to these questions, and to track what has happened to them in their management careers over the past eight years. Design/methodology/approach - Interviews were conducted with 19 male and 11 female managers. Outcomes of promotion aspirations were sought, and factors that contributed to success and personal strategies that may have been set in place were explored, as were factors that had hindered their progress. In addition, views were sought on future aspirations for promotion. Findings - Results indicated gender differences in outcome of promotion, in both proportions of women achieving senior roles, and the time it took for males and females to obtain these promotions with more male middle managers achieving their promotion to senior roles, in less time, than their female colleagues. Practical implications - The findings were considered in relation to the ongoing career advancement of men and women in management, and in particular, the continuing disproportionate numbers of men and women in senior management roles. Originality/value - As a follow-up study, confirms that fewer female managers are being promoted to senior roles despite an obvious desire on their part such promotion and their confidence in obtaining it fairly quickly. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003001778
Childlessness and women managers : 'Choice', context and discourses
- Authors: Wood, Glenice , Newton, Janice
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Gender, Work and Organization Vol. 13, no. 4 (2006), p. 338-358
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- Description: Childlessness is increasing and might reflect acceptance of diversity, scope for individual choice and a creative 'social imaginary' about being feminine without being a mother. Childlessness also appears to have a contextual manifestation arising from the recognition that the long-hours work culture in many organizations does not support appropriate parenting. A qualitative study of Australian managers reveals the contradictory discourses of childlessness around enlightened equality, maternalism, an elusive, ideal 'work-life balance' and individualism. The article explores a contextually nuanced, dynamic, generative theory of agency which does not hinge on the mother-child dyad, in explaining women managers' choices to remain childless. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2006.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003002074
What does it take to get to the top : Do middle and senior managers agree?
- Authors: Wood, Glenice
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Women in Management Review Vol. 18, no. 3/4 (2003), p. 122-131
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Women constitute only approximately 3-5 per cent of Australian senior managers. One possible explanation of their failure to enter senior management in greater numbers is that women in management may have differing perceptions of the necessary prerequisites for promotion to senior roles. This study explored this possibility with 351 male and 156 female Australian middle managers, whose views were contrasted with senior managers’ perceptions. Gender differences in perception were found between middle managers and middle and senior managers in terms of the importance placed on personal qualities such as attractiveness, deference to superiors, likeability, personality, popularity and powerful allies (perceived charisma) as attributes considered necessary for achieving senior management promotion. In particular, female middle managers believed more strongly than their male counterparts, that senior managers would value the personal qualities encompassed in perceived charisma when considering middle managers for further promotion. However, senior managers did not consider this group of attributes to be important in promotion-seeking behaviour.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003000613