A more proactive approach to addressing gender‐related employment disparities in the United States

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a proactive public policy approach to complement relatively reactive existing policies addressing gender‐related employment disparities in the USA, and to provide an initial empirical illustration of the proposal.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides a conceptual application of theories of total quality management (TQM) to the topic of gender‐related employment disparities, followed by an empirical illustration using US Current Population Survey data and a gender equal employment opportunity (EEO) scorecard.

Findings

Using the TQM framework, company outliers were conceptualized on the EEO scorecard as “special” causes of economy‐wide equal employment variation and the industries in which companies are situated as “common” causes. The paper identifies two underperforming industries on gender‐related employment outcomes: Mining and Construction, and Transportation, Communication and Utilities.

Research limitations/implications

Further conceptual work on the application of TQM to gender disparities in employment is recommended. Also, the study considered broad industry categories; future research should refine these categories further.

Practical implications

It is recommended that US enforcement agencies incorporate industry considerations more explicitly into their activities. Employer insights may be beneficial to improving equal employment opportunity performance at the industry level.

Originality/value

The application of TQM theory to the topic of gender‐related employment disparities is a novel approach that may motivate new public policies.

Citation

Graham, M.E. and Hotchkiss, J.L. (2009), "A more proactive approach to addressing gender‐related employment disparities in the United States", Gender in Management, Vol. 24 No. 8, pp. 577-595. https://doi.org/10.1108/17542410911004858