RESPECT

This post is not so much informative as it is a discussion, for which I would love some feedback on.  While writing the conclusion for the research paper written earlier in the year (on a separate page on this blog), I ended with an open ended question of: why must there be a barrier of gender when each company has a common goal, common objectives and common reciprocating duties for all employees?

This is the question that keeps in the back of my mind constantly in so many situations. The structure of this question can go many ways: why do women seem to put each other down more and more when we are all fighting the same battle of equality? Why are people so hard on others when we all have made mistakes and know what that feels like? The questions could go on and on and the only thing that seems to be in common is that it all comes down to competition.

As a human race we are hard wired to be competitive, and why wouldn’t we? We are all competing for the next step up, the better job, bigger house, striking looks, acquisition of different skills and knowledge etc.  But my goal as a human being who has made mistakes, made gains and has huge aspirations is to treat every person I come across as an individual.  This means having an open heart and open mind.  The coolest thing about the world we all live in is that no one is the same, we are all different and we all have our own unique skill set that no one else possesses.  Therefore every person can add a little something to another life even if it is just a conversation.  If there’s one thing people take away from meeting and or learning from me I wish it would be compassion.   If we all opened our hearts and minds to compassion there would be more green grass on the other side of the fence with plenty of smiles to go along with it.  That being said I am very much a competitive person but I compete with myself more than anyone else and it has proved to make me better myself accordingly in every way.

So all you hard working, competitive employees and employers out there, if any at all are reading my blog, take what I say with a grain of salt and let it resonate with you for a while, for I promise if you let it sink in and really reflect on yourself and your actions you too could make a difference in the situations others are in for showing compassion and respect are equivalent to a thousand words. Respect is the name of the game and if we all had more of it for others, it is my strong belief that we, as a country, would not be in this predicament of inequality relating to half of our population in the workplace.  Start making a difference in any way. Just do it.

In Reality…

Negotiations

Given the fact that there are differing salaries, some argue that it is not because of gender it is because of the attitude of the employee and their inclination to negotiate their salaries.  Now even though we know that there IS indeed a gender pay gap this claim is logical in the sense that most women wouldn’t think to negotiate their salaries where as men grow up demanding the best and most, and women have the inclination to make sacrifices.

During my research I came across a study done and published in “The Psychology of Women Quarterly” written by Hannah Bowles from Harvard University and Linda Babcock from Carnegie Mellon University. The article was a study on the effectiveness of negotiations in the workplace and separate methods in this negotiation process.  Part of the study was the social consequences on women for negotiating pay with employers and the best way or method to get around these consequences.  Results showed that the best way to negotiate pay was by relational accounts.  The common belief though various cultures around the globe and centuries old is that the man is dominant and governing in the relationship between a man and a woman.  This belief was imbedded into careers when women entered the work force and is now a constant battle to get men to look at women equally instead of demeaning and less valuable.  The thought process behind these relational accounts when negotiating pay is actually completely ironic.  It means when women adhere to their typical stereotypes, nurturing, compassionate, a team player, etc. and shows this through conversation of higher pay making it more about others than just themselves–they have better results socially and fiscally in the workplace. Directly from the article, “results showed that, although adherence to the feminine stereotype is insufficient, using these ‘‘relational accounts’’ can improve women’s social and negotiation outcomes at the same time”.  (For more information on the article look under the Literature Review Page).

So for a temporary and possible solution to you women out there looking for a way to improve your salaries, this could be it! Although personally I don’t agree with adhering to stereotypes especially in this sense, if I were a victim of the gender pay gap I would definitely test these methods out, I mean hey if you never try you will never know, and if you can use yourself to your advantage, why not? Right ladies?

Lets Hear It!

Get Informed!

So many things go unnoticed in the workplace.  Fade into the walls as busy work.  If a person does not care enough to know, they will not know what goes on behind the scenes.  As a woman in the workplace this is especially important. So many women get paid less than men in various industries, yet these women are unaware of what is happening.  Korva Coleman wrote in an article that “the American Association of University Women is releasing a new study that shows when men and women attend the same kind of college, pick the same major and accept the same kind of job, on average, the woman will still earn 82 cents to every dollar that a man earns”. The infographic under the “links” sidebar breaks this down a little further highlighting a prominent and staggering fact that over a 40-year career women miss out on $431,000.00 because of the gender wage gap.  This comparison is using equivalent jobs with the same education for both men and women.

With that being said, people will still reject the facts and figures presented before them out of pure denial, naivetés or ignorance.  Now granted women are not getting paid less at every single career they choose, but across the board women make 17.8% less in all industries. My mission for this blog is to inform all my readers out there that this is truly happening and taking a toll on not only our nation’s women but our nation’s families as well.  Consulting AAUW on their twice a year updated guide on the facts and figures behind the gender wage gap, research has shown that, “the gender pay gap can contribute to poor living conditions, poor nutrition, and fewer opportunities for their children. For these women, closing the gender pay gap is much more than a point of pride—it’s a matter of necessity”.  People seem to forget that everything is paid forward and everything has an effect on something else so by the women of The United States of America getting paid less, this has a direct impact on the future generations to come because of the decreased living standards and less opportunities available developed by the smaller salary a family has to live off of.

To all the women out there, start getting informed and start informing others.  The only way to start to making a difference is to get the ball rolling and the more information each person has on this subject will make each person that much more aware of their surroundings in the work place and what is happening behind the scenes to the women we love, cherish and hold dear to our hearts. This is real, this is happening, this is the moment change needs to start.