Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2020

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences – Department of Conflict Resolution Studies

First Advisor

Dustin Berna

Second Advisor

Neil Katz

Third Advisor

Judith McKay

Keywords

gender differences, management

Abstract

Conflict in the workplace is not a new phenomenon and much research has been dedicated to understanding the causes and consequences of it. Gender plays a significant role in workplace conflict and as it relates to gender equality in the workplace, there have been significant advances in training and education; however, gender discrimination persists. This dissertation deals with differences of gender in management and shows that gender bias continues to exist not only in the workplace but specifically, at the managerial level. This study focuses on employee perceptions of management to observe if employee perceptions of manger gender and if this could influence upper management’s decisions of manager gender, thereby perpetuating manager gender bias. Results of this study found statistically significant differences amongst female and male employees in relation to gender and management. These statistical differences observed variances between responses illustrating that there are employee perceptions based on gender and management that relate to the efficacy of management and conflict management in the workplace. These employee perceptions may perpetuate employee bias and influencing upper management when selecting individuals for management positions, thus driving the gender gap in management and conflict in the workplace. Further study and analysis are necessary to continue building connections between gender perceptions and management roles. Industries, organizations, and employers should continue to realize the role of effective conflict management as it relates to workplace conflict resolution and effective management practices. Additionally, an evaluation of advertising, recruitment and applicant review practices may reduce bias towards potential applicants.

Share

COinS