Gender Cage - revisted: reconfiguration of gender differences

The basic transformation of modern industrial societies includes a change of gender relationships. Our project focuses on organizations which are in the center stage of these developments. They do not only play a major role in producing the "rational myths" of hierarchy, rather they also participate in the "de-thematization" of gender hierarchies. Therefore, the title of the project was chosen through an analogy of the classical publication "The Iron Cage revisited" by DiMaggio and Powell (1983). Building on this metaphor, the project aims to make a further contribution towards encoding the complex, interrelated and contradictory interrelationship among organizations, gender and society. Moreover, the project will enhance the function of organizations concerned with (re)production and change of gender differences. To further investigate inner organizational interpretations and transformations of societal expectations, a new observation and analysis tool will be developed. It is assumed that the dynamic of societal expectations - that are reflected in the reconstruction of gender regimes - as well as the dynamic of necessary organizational transformations (to fulfill their functions), proves to be a catalyst for the modification of gender relations in organizations. The restructuring of organizations is always linked to questioning "old" arrangements (structures, action patterns, guiding principles). So far, organizations have managed to legitimize hierarchies and produce "facades of egality" that conceal many discriminatory practices. Due to actual change processes the question of an invisible "gender cage" arises again. Thus, our research refers to the strategies and practices organizations apply in order to deal with societal pressure for equality. Based on a multi-level-analysis and a mixed method approach (including qualitative and quantitative methods) various types of organizations will be analyzed. The aim of this analysis is to identify changes in gender relationships along the lines of gender differences and (formal) hierarchy, and to compare the country specific results from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

The fundamental transformation of modern industrial societies includes a change of gender differences. Gender equality and anti-discrimination are moved from the margin to the center of modern societies. Organizations are key player in these developments. They play a major role in dealing with gender equality requirements. Do they also contribute to the dismantlement of the Gender Cage, standing for traditional gender norms and structures? The project Gender Cage revisited: reconfiguration gender differentiation in organizations in postmodern societies has been carried out by an international research consortium focusing on strategies and practices organizations apply in order to deal with societal standards as well as pressures for gender equality. It makes a contribution towards encoding the complex, interrelated and contradictory interrelationship among organizations, gender and society. Moreover, the project enhances the function of organizations concerned with (re)production and change of gender differences. Based on a multi-level-analysis and a mixed method approach including qualitative and quantitative methods, various types of organizations have been analysed by comparing country specific results from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The research findings reveal that equality demands - registered to some extent by all of the organizations under study - do not necessarily or exclusively come from outside, i.e., the external social environment. To a great extent, the expectations are expressed as originating also from inside the organization, both from individuals and from collective actors (for example, colleagues and managers, members of the works council). In this respect, the empirical results show a broad variety of drivers of equality. Especially public normative pressure (becoming manifest in voluntary self-obligations, CSR initiatives, employer branding, awards, certifications, etc.) and legislative pressure (such as the introduction of women's quotas, anti-discriminatory laws) should be mentioned in this context. A considerable pressure for equality results from corporation structures and their multi- or transnational interdependencies; for example, we have noticed tensions between equality targets set by head office and their implementation and acceptance in (national) branch offices. However, not only homogeneity is found, but also variances for dealing with equality demands. Our analyses have demonstrated that the pressure resulting from demands for equality is perceived and handled according to the respective organization's dominant logic of legitimacy. This logic of legitimacy is based on the recognized purpose of the organization and the definition of its core task, or core business. The comparison between profit and non-profit organization allows for a differentiated description of these organizational logics. Our results also showed that even within one organization several guiding orientations of dealing with equality demands take effect, which is empirically reflected in the occurrence of contradictions. Finally, change interventions have been developed tailored to the sixteen profit and non-profit organizations with sites in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.