- Title
- The role of organizational learning in soft regulation of workplace gender equality
- Creator
- Macneil, Johanna; Liu, Ziheng
- Relation
- Employee Relations Vol. 39, Issue 3, p. 317-334
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ER-01-2016-0022
- Publisher
- Emerald Publishing Limited
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2017
- Description
- Purpose: This research uses concepts from soft regulation and organisational learning to explain progress, or the lack of it, in achieving workplace gender equality goals prescribed by affirmative action regulation. Design/methodology/approach: The research design is a longitudinal study (2002-2012) of a critical case, that of a single large organisation in the male-dominated steel manufacturing, distribution and mining industries. The case focuses on the evidence about organisational learning to be found in that organisation's reports to government on its activities to promote workplace gender equality. Findings: While other factors play a role, the apparent failure of the soft regulation to generate a significant shift in gender equality outcomes may also be attributed to ineffective organisational learning, demonstrated by the absence of systematic reflection within the organisation on how to improve workplace gender equality, and the lack of firm targets and external benchmarking. Research limitations/implications: Self-reported data may be overstated or incomplete. More research is needed to confirm the nature of the specific learning processes occurring within organisations. Practical implications: Absent the advent of hard sanctions in workplace gender equality regulation, the responsible government agencies may find it valuable to focus on ways to encourage target organisations to develop competence in organisational learning. Originality/value: Rather than concluding that the only alternative, when soft regulation is unsuccessful, is hard regulation, this paper shifts the focus to ways that soft regulatory processes might be improved to strengthen their effect.
- Subject
- equal opportunities; benchmarking; longitudinal case study; government agency; male-dominated industry; regulatory effects; Sustainable Development Goals; SDG 5
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1349183
- Identifier
- uon:30360
- Identifier
- ISSN:0142-5455
- Language
- eng
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Goal 5: Gender Equality
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