INCLUSIVE HRM PRACTICES THE ROLE OF THE HR FUNCTION IN ENHANCING GENDER BALANCE

INCLUSIVE HRM PRACTICES: THE ROLE OF THE HR FUNCTION IN ENHANCING GENDER BALANCE

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1. Introduction

Even with the recognition and knowledge that effectiveness can be achieved through diversity management and appropriate human resource management (HRM) strategies, there are limited studies focusing on how effective HRM can use strategies to increase diversity and specifically attain gender equality and appropriate levels of balance. A survey study by Bourke et al. (2014) found that even with the advancement and expansion of the HRM function in China, there is very low representation of women in the workplace. Further, a study by Spector et al. (2019) posit that despite the increasing number of literature focusing on gender representation and equality in the workforce, the Chinese workplace has yet to implement suitable practices that will enable HRM transformation for improved employee outcomes. Based on previous literature, there is evidence of discrimination along gender lines of Chinese employees based on recruitment practices and HRM conduct (Fine & Sojo, 2019). To understand why the HRM function in China is yet to fully embrace strategies that lead to gender equality and balance, the paper will review themes relating to the development of the workforce, the prejudice in employment practices, the notable lack of political goodwill guided by a sluggish legislation on the same, and the misconceptions regarding the role of women in a workforce. Markedly, HRM managers in China seem to be rigid to changes proposed on a global front relating to more inclusion and the improvement of the workforce in a way that gender balance and equality are attained (Festing, Kornau, & Schäfer, 2015). Therefore, HRM practices are largely traditional despite the positive movement of the Chinese public and private sectors and the employment scene. The report will offer recommendations for future HRM managers to create an inclusive environment for better employee outcomes.

2. Review of Literature

2.1 Historical Development of the HRM Function in China

In the mid-20th century, China used a completely centralized and planned economy, meaning that every sector or industry was run and owned by the government (Tatli, Ozturk, & Woo, 2017). Personnel management featured a strict and rigid system and a welfare policy following the same model. In a guaranteed lifetime employment structure, and the selection of employment on the basis of political affiliation, iron wages, and other rigid systems, the movement from a centralized and planned economy took time before it could wear off. The system was efficient in the short term, creating employee participation and involvement by guaranteeing employment to the majority of the Chinese people. At the time, employees were assigned lifetime roles and a state-run/owned enterprise. Even though the system attained full employment, Chen, Zhang, Sanders, & Xu (2018) note that it brought about serious challenges in the long run, including overstaffing, inefficient labor use, and a lack of motivation. Yet, the greatest of shortcomings was a notable lack of a HRM function that would help in creating an effective workplace culture. The absence of a HRM function in China created a culture that did not actively look for ways to improve the workplace. A century later, the HRM function is still largely a purely administrative role, one that despite decentralization of ownership and planning, has continued to inform the direction of policy and practices. The main challenges for the HRM function have been recurrent shortcomings relating to lower productivity, lateness issues, unmotivated workers who are difficult to train, a lack of valuable skills, and poor performance all round (Peixoto et al., 2018). However, all of these issues do not compare to the problem that has plagued the Chinese workforce, poor HRM inclusion in the employment practices, leading to poor gender representation, balance, and equality.

2.2 Gender Discrimination in the Chinese Workforce

In China, there is a unique phenomenon where men outnumber the women in terms of population. In the country’s workforce, women make up roughly 43% of the labor force, in a phenomenon characterized by a diminishing employment opportunities, a widening gender gap, and a resurgence of stereotypes relating to women and work (Chyu et al., 2021). The societal view of women as primary caregivers has led to a wave of discrimination at the workplace, featuring favoritism for men in employment opportunities and other related functions and roles in the workforce. In job advertisements, the HRM function for many employers as continued to apply gender stereotypes as well as discriminatory language in recruitment practices (Offermann & Basford, 2014). Firms commonly include a requirement and preference for male candidates or plainly include physical requirements for women in terms of appearance and marital status relating to job duties. As such, employment practices have largely created a culture of discrimination. While China recently enacted laws to expand protection of women in the workplace through banning requirements that include demanding for marital and family status, the culture in the workplace is deeply rooted, and one that the HRM function largely ignores. For example, pregnancy discrimination is still a prevalent practice in the Chinese workforce where employers defy legislation and labor laws.

2.3 Misconceptions Regarding the Role of Women in the Workforce

There is a notable widening gap in the Chinese labor force that has hindered the participation and earnings of women in a structure that can be termed as equal or balanced. Despite a competitive landscape that has been brought about by the loosening of government control over the labor market, Donnelly (2015) assert that even the private sector firms are yet to fully embrace diversity and inclusion. The HRM function in China is still in its infant stages, and Bilimoria, Joy, & Liang (2008) are of the opinion that there are many misconceptions relating to the role of women in the labor market. In the rest of the world, in the US and Australia for example, the gender gap is closing while the opposite in happening in the Chinese labor force. For the rest of the world, the HRM function in every employment scene has endeavored to paint a picture of women as equal to men, both in pay and in other employment practices. Sherbin & Rashid (2017) concluded that the growing gender gap in the Chinese labor market will be a burden to the budding economy if the conditions persist. There are persistent misconceptions that women are not actively looking for better opportunities in the workforce, that they only want a place to belong, that they are not ambitious enough, that their lifestyle choices hinder them, that they are too emotional, are meant to be caregivers, and that they are not qualified to lead, and that gender equality is a myth. These misconceptions are only beginning to rise now. Traditionally, China had a very impressive representation of women in the workplace, albeit in a system that lacked a proper HRM structure. Currently, the workplace does not include provisions for women to be the best they can be in their roles and duties in the workforce. There are no accommodations made to ensure that women are able to give their best. The misconceptions and discriminatory nature of the rules and regulations of the workplace are a cause for concern in regards to the Chinese workforce. Flexible working time and more time to complete tasks are some of the provisions made in nations such as Japan to ensure that women are able to catch up to their male colleagues because of their added roles in the society (Özbilgin, 2009). The HRM function will need to make provisions that will improve inclusion and diversity, in a way that will significantly reduce discrimination of women in the workplace.

3. Discussion

This report has reviewed themes relating to the development of the workforce, the prejudice in employment practices, the notable lack of political goodwill guided by a sluggish legislation on the same, and the misconceptions regarding the role of women in a workforce. Legislative measures are noted to have been implemented in some of the positive strides that China is taking to ensure more active participation and involvement of women in the workforce. However, a culture of discrimination and exclusion has largely been formed due to a poor development of the HRM function. Even with the advancement and expansion of the HRM function in China, there is very low representation of women in the workplace. Further, the report has found that despite the increasing number of literature focusing on gender representation and equality in the workforce, the Chinese workplace has yet to implement suitable practices that will enable HRM transformation for improved employee outcomes. Notably, there is evidence of discrimination along gender lines of Chinese employees based on recruitment practices and HRM conduct. The historical development of China’s HRM function in the labor force indicates that in the previously used rigid and centrally planned economy, personnel management featured a strict and rigid system and a welfare policy following the same model. The selection of employment on the basis of political affiliation, iron wages, and other rigid systems, and the movement from a centralized and planned economy have taken time before they could be replaced. Serious challenges have emerged including overstaffing, inefficient labor use, and a lack of motivation for employees. A notable lack of a HRM function that would help in creating an effective workplace culture has also emerged as a negative consequence. Markedly, the absence of a HRM function in China created a culture that did not actively look for ways to improve the workplace. The main challenges for the HRM function have been recurrent shortcomings relating to lower productivity, lateness issues, unmotivated workers who are difficult to train, a lack of valuable skills, and poor performance. Additionally, poor HRM inclusion in the employment practices is a major problem that has led to poor gender representation, imbalance, and inequality.

In the past, the gender gap in the Chinese labor force was narrow compared to major economies such as Japan and the US. The earlier successes was largely a result of the then centrally planned structure of work and a strong state-led commitment to promote gender equality and balance. The commitment was easy to translate into practical policies as well as actions at the time due to the centralized state control over the economy. Today, a more free market policy has created a scenario where discrimination is high amongst women in the workforce, created by a HRM function that is only trying to find its footing. The societal view of women as primary caregivers has led to a wave of discrimination at the workplace, featuring favoritism for men in employment opportunities and other related functions and roles in the workforce. The report notes that firms commonly include a requirement and preference for male candidates or plainly include physical requirements for women in terms of appearance and marital status relating to job duties. As such, employment practices have largely created a culture of discrimination, coupled with a lack of a strong HRM role and function.

Increasingly, a notable widening gap is coming up in the Chinese labor force that has hindered the participation and earnings of women in a structure that can be termed as equal or balanced. Even with its competitive landscape that has been brought about by the loosening of government control over the labor market, the private sector firms are yet to fully embrace diversity and inclusion. Managers in HR are focused on other issues that have largely occupied managerial and employment responsibilities. The discussion notes that the HRM function in China is still in its infant stages, and there are many misconceptions relating to the role of women in the labor market. In the rest of the world, in the US and Australia for example, the gender gap is closing while the opposite in happening in the Chinese labor force. For the rest of the world, the HRM function in every employment scene has endeavored to paint a picture of women as equal to men, both in pay and in other employment practices. These misconceptions are only beginning to rise now. Traditionally, China had a very impressive representation of women in the workplace, albeit in a system that lacked a proper HRM structure. Currently, the Chinese workplace does not include provisions for women to be the best they can be in their roles and duties in the workforce. They are constrained by an ineffective HRM function that has yet to redefine its role in the labor force.

4. Recommendations

There is a dire need for the HRM function in China to redefine its role in a way that is aligned to its current needs. To include women and create a diverse and inclusive culture, it is recommended that HRM managers give training to raise awareness and promote fair behaviors, provide childcare facilities, family-friendly policies and childcare vouchers, mentorship attained through shining a spotlight on successful women in your company, both internally and through media channels — and ask senior women to act as mentors, and establishing policies for fair pay and work/life balance, and ensure managers fully support them. It is also recommended that managers realize that a truly inclusive work culture ensures that every employee, regardless of their gender identity, feels supported and respected. In addition to this sense of belonging, a work culture focused on gender inclusion has the power to elevate previously unheard voices and value diverse experiences, fostering an environment of authentic respect and trust.

References

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Bourke, J., Smith, C., Stockton, H., & Wakefield, N. (2014). From diversity to inclusion. Global Human Capital Trends, 87-93.Chen, W., Zhang, Y., Sanders, K., & Xu, S. (2018). Family-friendly work practices and their outcomes in China: The mediating role of work-to-family enrichment and the moderating role of gender. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 29(7), 1307-1329.

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Fine, C., & Sojo, V. (2019). Women’s value: beyond the business case for diversity and inclusion. The Lancet, 393(10171), 515-516.

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Özbilgin, M. (2009). Equality, diversity and inclusion at work: yesterday, today and tomorrow (pp. 1-16). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

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