GENDER BIAS IN A MILITARY ORGANIZATION

ADDRESSING GENDER BIAS IN A MILITARY ORGANIZATION

Gender bias is a common problem in the workplace venues in the United States. The phenomenon affects both women and men; however, effects tend to (a) vary by gender and (b) be more problematic for women. In organizational environments, many inequitable outcomes are associated with gender bias, including discriminatory actions in relation to selection, promotion, compensation, recognition, discipline, and so forth. Further, gender bias can foster workplace environments and organizational cultures wherein sexual harassment and abuse may occur.

The setting of the investigation of the issue of gender bias in this action research project is the Command Center of III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF). The Command Center is a critical function that is directly related to force readiness. Command Center staff performs critical functions, including the following:

Monitoring communications and conducting communications tasks

Monitoring every room in Headquarters to assure that all classified materials are secure and that no unauthorized people are in the building

Command Center, III MEF has in place The Standing Operating Procedures that are consistent with Department of Defense policies and regulations, which both promote gender equality and prohibit gender bias and discrimination. A Standing Operating Procedures (SOP), however, reflects the official rules of the organization, as opposed to the

ganizations, comparatively little headway was made with respect to the promotion of women to top-management positions in American organizations. The literature reviewed in the article also explored the concept of the "glass ceiling," together with the support for using this phenomenon as an explanation for low numbers of women found at the level of top-management in American organizations. The authors indicated that one important area that was under represented in the literature was the decision-making processes in American organizations that have been applied in making selections for promotion to top-management positions (Powell & Butterfield, 1994). The data analyzed by the authors were collected for the period extending from January 1987 through February 1992. A large department of the federal government was the participating organization. Data were collected in relation both to 32 positions that were filled in the department during the relevant period and to the actions of the review panels that assessed the qualifications. The actions of the selection officials who made promotion recommendations in relation to the 438 applicants for the 32 vacancies also were examined (Powell & Butterfield, 1994). The researchers hypot

Category: Psychology - G