From Discrimination to Demotivation: Analyzing the Linkages between Gender Disparity, Harassment, and Employee Motivation
Keywords:
Gender disparity, harassing behaviour, employee motivation, workplace environmentAbstract
Gender discrimination and harassing behavior have evolved as the complex phenomena in today’s multicultural diverse organizations. This gender based inequality affects employees’ motivation and is a heavy cost to the organization in the form of higher turnover ratio, less productivity and profitability. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship and effect among gender disparity, harassing behavior and employee motivation & enthusiasm. This study checks the applicability of the organizational justice theory and Adam’s equity theory. Using quantitative research approach, cross-sectional method and convenience sampling, data was collected from 385 workers comprising white collar and blue-collar ones working in various sectors in all provinces of Pakistan. The data were analyzed using PLS SEM technique in SMART PLS. The findings of this study indicate that both the factors i.e., gender disparity and harassing behavior decrease employee motivation and enthusiasm in the workplace. Moreover, the findings depict a picture of the impact of discrimination and harassing behavior on employees’ motivation & enthusiasm in the form of cost and loss to the organization’s productivity. The study’s findings would support the government, policymakers, and business owners in devising the policies to make a conducive workplace environment free from discrimination and any kind of harassment so that the employees may work diligently for the benefit of their organization.
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