Leadership and Organizational Behavior in Action

Leadership and Organizational Behavior in Action

Introduction

Bloomberg L.P. is a private data, software, media, and financial company. The company has branches in 176 locations, and its headquarters are in Midtown Manhattan in New York. It was founded in 1981 by Charles Zegar, Michael Bloomberg, Duncan MacMillan, and Thomas Secunda. It offers enterprise applications such as an equity trading platform and analytics, financial software tools, financial news, and data services. The current workforce is more than 20,000 employees distributed in different branches. My primary role in the company is I.T. management. The role enables me to interact with employees from other departments, particularly when resolving I.T. issues and conducting diagnostics on the company’s computers. The main issue I have identified through observation and interaction with my colleagues is gender discrimination. Most female employees experience gender discrimination from their colleagues and superiors, leading to high employee turnover and affecting the company’s reputation and overall performance. This report will analyze the issue of gender discrimination at Bloomberg L.P. and solutions to address the issue.

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Problem Statement

How can gender discrimination at Bloomberg L.P. be eliminated?

Literature Review

Gender discrimination is the disadvantageous or unequal treatment of a person because of their gender. According to Kocabacak & Kalkan (2015), the issue of gender discrimination is generally based on cultural, sociological, economic, educational, political, structural-constitutional, ideological, psychological, biological, and personal grounds. Different researchers have explored the interpretation of gender discrimination on social grounds. Chen (2015) argues that social rules dictate the acceptable behavior of men and women in various societies, countries, or groups. According to Chen (2015), various social ideologies provide women and men with different roles and responsibilities, hence creating grounds for stereotypes linked to gender discrimination. The gender roles defined by society are affected by factors such as class, age, religion, nationality, and belief. Tao et al. (2017) argue that geographical, political, economic, and environmental factors also create issues that lead to unfair treatment of women in the working environment. In defining the relationship between social gender and gender discrimination, Shen et al. (2016) argue that men mainly express gender discrimination toward women. The social gender theory creates gender roles that are more suitable for men, thus creating women’s inferiority, which is a leading cause of gender discrimination in organizations (Chen, 2015). The theory assumes that men should take more powerful and capable roles while the less technical and inferior ones are suitable for women.

According to MacKinnon (2018), gender discrimination in the workplace is best interpreted using feminist theory. The theory reviews the factors that cause gender inequality and the existence of issues such as gender politics, sexuality, and power relations. Chen (2015) argues that based on feminist theory, the underlying factor leading to gender inequality is the values embraced by the public. These values create gender politics directly involved in power distribution and responsibilities between women and men. According to He & Wu (2017), power imbalance created by gender politics creates gender inequality and limits women’s ability to speak up whenever they are subjected to gender inequality. He & Wu (2017) also argue that gender politics are the leading cause of institutional gender bias in establishing organizations’ collective assumptions, beliefs, and values. An organization’s culture can create gender discrimination if it constrains people’s ideas and lowers a specific gender’s expectations. Additionally, according to Stamarski & Son Hing (2015), organizational cultures characterized by gender inequality enable decision-makers to hold strong proscriptive and descriptive gender stereotypes that include believing that women have less ability to complete specific tasks such as leadership. The stereotypes create an environment where negative shared perceptions are embraced in organizational routines, procedures, and practices.

Gender discrimination in organizations is also directly connected to an organization’s climate. Stamarski & Son Hing (2015) point out that an organization’s climate is the perceptions of an organization’s formal and informal practices, policies, and procedures. Also, according to Triana et al. (2010), gender inequalities are reflected in climates for sexual harassment and diversity. A favorable climate encourages diversity when an organization treats employees fairly and includes people from diverse backgrounds. Triana et al. (2010) point out that when employees develop the impression that the organization does not support diversity, they are reluctant to report discrimination cases, thus creating a culture where discrimination is tolerated. According to Barth & Dale-Olsen (2009), organizations that do not embrace diversity experience high turnover among female employees mainly due to underrepresentation and the fear that their discrimination claims will not be heard or taken seriously. An organizational climate that is ignorant about sexual harassment is characterized by the perception that sexual harassment is tolerated. In such organizations, victims are reluctant to report sexual harassment incidents due to the fear of negative consequences such as dismissal (Barth & Dale-Olsen, 2009). The climate also increases the occurrence of harassment behaviors because individuals know that they may not be apprehended.

Further, according to Stamarski & Son Hing (2015), gender discrimination in organizations is directly linked to H.R. policies. These policies are vital in creating a specific perception of gender discrimination and acceptable conduct. Stamarski & Son Hing (2015) argue that H.R. policies influence the money and time spent addressing gender discrimination claims because the claims need to be investigated and addressed through proper channels, which could include costly lawsuits. H.R. policies also influence the perception of how strict an organization is in regulating employee behavior based on its gender decimation policy and how offenders are punished. The policies are applied in making decisions on hiring employees and employee relations, thus regulating employee behavior towards each other. H.R. policies that do not promote a family-friendly environment may also encourage sexism by implying that women are less committed because of family responsibilities. Such policies may also encourage gender stereotypes, mainly when female employees’ absenteeism rate is high. According to Agustín (2013), H.R. policies also define the process of reporting gender discrimination, influencing the willingness to write. For example, employees may be reluctant to report gender discrimination if the process of addressing the issues is long. In some organizations, employees cannot report gender discrimination to a third party outside the organization because a non-disclosure agreement restricts them.

Analysis

Bloomberg L.P. has been at the center of various controversies relating to gender discrimination. For example, a woman who was a former employee at the company presented her case at Manhattan Federal Court, stating that the company discriminated against her on her maternity leave and pregnancy. Another lawsuit was filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, saying that the company discriminated against women by demoting them, excluding them from job opportunities, and diminishing their duties after they disclosed that they were pregnant. An article written by Silver-Greenberg & Kitroeff (2020) indicated that every year, many employees who express their interest in leaving Bloomberg L.P’s workforce are required to either leave the company without any compensation or accept a large amount of money and agree not to disclose any negative information about the company because the officials are aware of the sexual harassment and sexism concerns raised by employees.

The article also stated that female employees at Bloomberg L.P. are objectified, and some managers view the use of maternity and medical leave as stealing from the company. The culture of gender discrimination is engraved in the organization’s image because one of the company owners, Michael Bloomberg, has a history of making discriminatory comments toward women. In one instance, he stated that if women who had children were allowed to have flexible work plans, he would give men time off to play golf (Silver-Greenberg & Kitroeff, 2020). In 2020, the company was charged with discrimination against non-white and black employees. One of the employees from the Middle East stated that she was discriminated against based on her gender and her Asian-American ethnic background.

Solutions

One of the solutions I would recommend to address gender discrimination at Bloomberg L.P. is creating organizational policies that prohibit discrimination. The policies should provide gender-equal opportunities as the main principle guiding corporate practices and employee behavior. Bloomberg L.P. should include complaint procedures for employees subjected to gender discrimination. The procedures should accommodate the organization’s culture, minimal legal liability, the goals of legal compliance, and the grounds for good employee relations. One of the advantages of using organizational policies to prevent gender discrimination is they offer a long-term solution engraved in the organization’s culture. According to Stamarski & Son Hing (2015), corporate policies effectively prevent gender discrimination because they regulate the legal liability of an organization by providing partial defenses against sexual harassment and gender discrimination. The second advantage is that organizational policies promote acceptable employee behavior, thus preventing sexual harassment and gender discrimination. However, the solution may create conflict between employees and top management when top management fails to adhere to the policies. For example, top management may silence employees by paying them off to avoid following the outlined complaint procedures due to the fear of consequences such as lawsuits and fines. Another con is the complexity of formulating complaint procedures and policies that balance the organization’s needs and acceptable legal requirements without giving more managerial authority than necessary. This may create complications in implementing the policies, especially when employees have more executive power than management.

The second solution is raising awareness of the negative impact of gender biases on the organization through feedback and training programs. Bloomberg L.P. should include the gender discrimination and bias awareness training program as part of their onboarding to ensure that employees adapt to non-discriminatory conduct as they join the workforce. One of the main advantages of this solution is that it helps people reflect on their behavior to eliminate bias that could lead to gender discrimination effectively. The second advantage is that it is easy to align employee behavior with the organization’s culture by including organizational values in the training program and raising awareness of the relationship between employee behavior, corporate goals, and values. However, the effectiveness of this solution may be limited because the training program only focuses on employees and does not cover the company owners. Therefore, discriminatory remarks made by the company owners may reduce the training program’s value and make employees reluctant to implement what they learn from the program.

The third solution is preventing sexual harassment. According to Stamarski & Son Hing (2015), sexual harassment creates a foundation for gender discrimination by placing the gender exposed to the harassment in an inferior position, especially if their claims are not taken seriously. Therefore, Bloomberg L.P. can reduce gender discrimination by eliminating sexual harassment. This can be achieved through various steps. The first step is getting the support of top management in implementing a comprehensive strategy for addressing sexual harassment, which includes harsh punishment for those found guilty of the act. The second step is developing written policies and procedures prohibiting sexual harassment. The company should consist of relevant unions and staff when developing the policies and procedures and make them part of its equality policy. The third step is offering regular training on sexual harassment for all management and staff. The training should focus on creating awareness of different types of sexual harassment and their causes. The fourth step is outlining a dress code to prevent suggestive body exposure that could prompt sexual harassment. The main advantage of this solution is that it promotes values prohibiting gender discrimination. However, the solution’s effectiveness is dictated by top management’s support.

Creating organizational policies that prohibit discrimination is my preferred solution because it creates a corporate culture of diversity and inclusion, thus effectively preventing any form of discrimination. Bloomberg L.P. should include employees in formulating the policies by asking for their feedback and suggestions. Employees may offer recommendations anonymously based on their gender discrimination in the organization or their colleagues’ encounters. Employee unions and their legal representatives should also regulate the policies to ensure they align with acceptable laws regulating the relationship between employers and employees. A pilot program of one month should be used to test the effectiveness of the policies in preventing gender discrimination and determine employees’ understanding of the policies.

Reflection

This assignment has influenced my personal, academic, and professional leadership and managerial development differently. To begin with, it has enlightened me on my role as an individual in creating a conducive environment free of discrimination. This has made me reflect on my values and biases and determine how they may contribute to discriminatory behaviors and attitudes against others. Currently, I am working on eliminating various stereotypes I have outlined as the leading causes of my discriminatory attitudes. I am also developing my respect for others and appreciation to comfortably accept other people’s differences without discriminating against them. The assignment has also enlightened me on the causes of discrimination in the workplace, thus contributing to my professional leadership and managerial development. I can implement the knowledge gained from my assignment in managing and leading people from diverse backgrounds and implementing the solutions recommended for Bloomberg L.P. to prevent gender discrimination when placed in a managerial or professional leadership position. The assignment has also improved my academic development by improving my research and data analysis skills. I had to apply research skills when writing the literature review section to focus on relevant data and draw the connection between different findings so that the section could flow based on the assignment requirements.

References

Agustín, L. R. (2013). Gender and other inequalities in the institutionalization of multiple discrimination policies. Gender Equality, Intersectionality, and Diversity in Europe, 49-66. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137028105_3

Barth, E., & Dale-Olsen, H. (2009). Monopsonistic discrimination, worker turnover, and the gender wage gap. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1329568

Chen. (2015). Impact of gender discrimination on workplace gender inequalities in China in the last decade [Doctoral dissertation]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

He, G., & Wu, X. (2017). Marketization, occupational segregation, and gender earnings inequality in urban China. Social Science Research, 65, 96-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2016.12.001

Kocabacak, A., & Kalkan, C. (2015). An analysis and solution proposal toward social gender equality problems in business life in Turkey. European Researcher, 99(10), 667-683. https://doi.org/10.13187/er.2015.99.667

MacKinnon, C. A. (2018). Difference and dominance: On sex discrimination [1984]. Feminist Legal Theory, 81-94. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429500480-6

Shen, K., Wang, F., & Cai, Y. (2016). Patterns of inequalities in public transfers by gender in China. The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, 8, 76-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeoa.2016.04.005

Silver-Greenberg, J., & Kitroeff, N. (2020). How Bloomberg Buys the Silence of Unhappy Employees. The New York Times – Breaking News, U.S. News, World News and Videos. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/02/business/michael-bloomberg-nda.html

Stamarski, C. S., & Son Hing, L. S. (2015). Gender inequalities in the workplace: The effects of organizational structures, processes, practices, and decision makers’ sexism. Frontiers in Psychology, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01400

Tao, Y., Hong, W., & Ma, Y. (2017). Gender differences in publication productivity among academic scientists and engineers in the U.S. and China: Similarities and differences. Minerva, 55(4), 459-484. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11024-017-9320-6

Triana, M. C., Garcia, M. F., & Colella, A. (2010). Managing diversity: How organizational efforts to support diversity moderate the effects of perceived racial discrimination on affective commitment. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2627392

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You will be required to prepare an 8- to 12-page applied research paper on a specific issue related to leadership or organizational behavior, excluding a cover page, table of contents, and appendices. This research paper is to be individually completed.

Leadership and Organizational Behavior in Action

Guidelines
Topic Selection
Select a specific organization of interest to you and identify a problem at the firm related to organizational behavior (O.B.). This may be an organization where you currently serve or one where you have served.
Think of yourself as an organizational consultant. Assume that a key manager has requested a thorough analysis and recommended a course of action to resolve an organizational problem. You aim to develop recommendations that will positively impact the organization’s performance.
Your research paper should address the following three-course objectives, at a minimum:
Course Objective A – Evaluate how organizational theories and practices can improve operations.
Course Objective B – Analyze how values, attitudes, beliefs, feelings, and personality influence workplace decision-making.
Course Objective D – Analyze the impact of different structures and lines of authority on organizational strategy and culture.
Requirements

An overview of your selected organization and your role in it.
An explanation of why your selected organization is essential to you.
A preliminary problem statement in the form of a research question. Consult with your instructor concerning your research question, if needed.
A narrative description of the organizational problem you want to research and resolve. How would resolving this organizational problem benefit your organization? What would be the impact on you? This section is the most important and will be the most carefully scrutinized.