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Month: October 2023

How Social Movements Fail to Change the Workplace Culture for Women of Colour

When considering the amount of media chatter we have witnessed in the past decade about social justice, women’s rights, Black Lives Matter, innumerable humanitarian crises, and whatnot, how much of it actually translates to a constructive structural change?

I remember going to school and hearing male teachers mutter about the #MeToo movement and the word feminist being thrown around as a derogatory slang– which, now years later, seems to have completely lost its true meaning– but never did I witness an honest, thoughtful discussion. Following the major spotlight that Black Lives Matter received in 2020 and onwards, I, for one, had hoped to see a more socially conscious workplace environment. Although a social movement not directly tied to the workplace, it aimed to bring light to the socioeconomic disparities faced by Black people and encouraged others to get educated. But often, it all unravels in the same way, where people self-assign a label that aligns with the political climate and throw away their tag when the world isn’t watching.

For instance, my friend, a Black woman, once told me that when she asked her boss if she could apply for a managerial position, she was advised to set her sights elsewhere because she ‘won’t fit the manager look’. It begs the question, if massive social movements can fail to find a stream of reason amidst this sea of chatter, then what can we depend on for long-lasting, structural and environmental change in the workplace?

Let’s look at the statistics. A racialized woman makes an average of 59.3% of the annual salary of a white man in Canada, where Black women make 58.5% of this salary, and South Asian women make 55.1% of it (Women’s earnings – The pay gap: Quick Take, 2023). This discrepancy exists because women are inherently valued less for their labour, and as a result, female-dominant professions and industries observe significantly lower wages than their counterparts. As highly debated as the gender wage gap is, I find it even more appalling that introspective, thorough research around a woman’s struggle with seeking respect and authority in leadership positions is so difficult to uncover and even harder to determine as credible.

A paper on the roads that led four Black women to their leadership positions in an educational workplace environment outlines the hurdles and means of resilience that led them to their positions today (Johnson & Fournillier, 2021). It becomes clear that without irrefutably strong pillars of support in their lives, they would have had little to no chance of dreaming this big (Johnson & Fournillier, 2021). Unfortunately, not everyone has these community-based support systems that can help them rise despite macro, or systemic, aspects of prejudice, which include socioeconomic, financial, academic, and mental health issues, and the micro instances of prejudice, such as the daily encounters. Such factors are the birthing grounds for social movements that challenge these inequities and rally for a more fair sociopolitical structure to navigate.

This is not to say that social movements have had no impact on the structural integrity and policy decisions in our society, but it does aim to point out the urgency of longstanding issues that are primarily underlined in corporate culture yet never acted upon. The manner in which social movements are conducted is also important; does it focus on addressing a policy change, or is it inquisitive about the people who get a seat at the decision-making table? However, even with a clear goal, a widespread reach, and big names to support the cause, the most that the people get is that ‘their voices are being heard’. The governing body of a nation takes what seems like eons to reach a conclusion on minute policy changes, but since the people expect a substantial response, that now feels obsolete in comparison to the grand escalation of the issue in the meantime.

Racialized women deserve to equitably grasp their desired leadership positions, but considering the structures of government and policy present today, this vision appears far-fetched. Social outreach is necessary for policymakers to recognize that the issue can no longer be ignored, and thus, activism is always encouraged. However, as long as the system itself is held together by voices that don’t take BIPOC issues seriously, unfortunately, these women will continue to have to work ten times harder to achieve upward mobility in the workplace, unless their employers operate with a prejudice-free, educated philosophy.

References

Johnson, N. N., & Fournillier, B. J. (2021). Intersectionality and leadership in context: Examining the intricate paths of four black women in educational leadership in the United States. International Journal of Leadership in Education. DOI: 10.1080/13603124.2020.1818132
Women’s earnings – The pay gap: Quick Take. (July 5, 2023). Catalyst. https://www.catalyst.org/research/womens-earnings-the-pay-gap/

This article was written by summer student Ilesha Prabhudesai. This article was funded by the Government of Canada.

Notice of a Special General Meeting

Notice is hear-by given to members of a Special General Meeting to be held between 3 December 2023 – 17 December 2023 to confirm a revision to the Corporation’s bylaws. This meeting will be held exclusively on Election Runner.

A session to review the bylaw revisions will be held at 7 PM ET on Tuesday 5 December 2023 on Google Meet. Register to attend.

Draft J2DW Bylaws by Journey to Diversity Workpl…

The Differences in Workplace Hierarchies Between Different Cultures

Walking through life, we encounter people with different cultural backgrounds, and thus, many unique and influential experiences have shaped their beliefs and behaviour today. The workplace often approaches diversity in a boxed perspective, where race and gender are significant players in the institution’s EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion) quota. These intersectionalities are definitely of value, however, the idea of cultural diversity is one left unexplored. Much like other intersectionalities, one’s cultural upbringing and experiences in different workplace cultures affect the way employees approach innovation, problem-solving, the social aspect of the work environment, collaboration, and success. By identifying the components of unfair workplace arrangements in different work cultures, companies can enhance their own working environments and reevaluate the holes in their management designs.

A hierarchical system addresses the question of ‘what authority can I report to when the authority in direct line of my position is inadequate?’. In Westernized countries such as Canada and the United States, the corporate ladder is built with an architecture of privilege, often leading to a white, cis man at the top with an unjust amount of wealth. This system works because immigrants and people of colour are foundational in the economy of North American countries, which correspondingly produces a sliding scale of privilege with these communities at the bottom. This is not to say that merit is not of considerable importance or that egalitarianism is not enforced in North America, however, it would be incorrect not to address the line of privilege that structures the Western employment system.

In countries where multiculturalism is not of factor, such as those in the South Asian diaspora, this hierarchy is catapulted by the cultural significance of age and the amount of time an individual has worked in that institution (Hofstede Insights Oy, 2021). Communities in India, for instance, hold great respect for elderly people, so seniority greatly influences leadership choices in companies. A characteristic that many in Western countries find as a disadvantage, can often be of advantage in these countries due to the contrast in cultural values.

Despite merit, technologically up-to-date skill levels, work attitude, or workplace contributions, those with seniority are favoured for high-paying managerial positions and promotions, receive high praise, respect, and recognition from colleagues, and as a result, are granted a say in important corporate decisions (Hofstede Insights Oy, 2021). These individuals can also be quite attached to the ‘old’ way of doing things and thus, become resistant to change, causing an unfortunate domino effect on their company’s progress in a rapidly changing environment.

Regardless of cultural differences, one common thread of privilege rings true for all: nepotism. This is the act of intentionally favouring an individual due to your personal bias or affiliation with them, whether it be toward a family member, a friend, or a partner (Cambridge Dictionary). When meritocracy– a system also affected by the sociopolitical determinants of race– is given no value in the workplace, employees begin to question their worth, respect for the company, and their motivations for self-improvement and advancement in the workplace. As a consequence of not rewarding employees for their work, their feelings of underappreciation can lead to hopelessness, underperformance, and resignation.

As evolving social influences put pressure on traditional, outdated ideologies and management styles, cultural dynamics shift over time. It is important not to dismiss these dynamics because a lack of cultural expression restricts societies from approaching the work environment in contiguity with their social structures. Moving forward, individuals should look deeper into the webs that uphold their work environment, to better understand the elements that have subconsciously affected their motives while seeking upward mobility.

References

Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Nepotism. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/nepotism
Hofstede Insights Oy. (2021). Country comparison tool. Hofstede Insights. https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/india/

This article was written by summer student Ilesha Prabhudesai. This article was funded by the Government of Canada.