‘It Does Not Matter Whether You Are a Woman or a Man’: An Analysis of the Gendering of Human Resource Management Policies and Practices in Organisations

Larissa Nardes do Nascimento; Shalimar Gallon; Aline Mendonça Fraga

doi:10.5020/2318-0722.2025.31.e17308

Authors

Larissa Nardes do Nascimento State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1109-7728
Shalimar Gallon Federal Technological University of Paraná, Pato Branco, Paraná, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8830-4433
Aline Mendonça Fraga Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4240-464X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5020/2318-0722.2025.31.e17308

Keywords:

gendering, policies and practices, human resources management, gender, women

Abstract

Some companies claim to have human resource management (HRM) policies and practices aimed at promoting gender equality. However, policy neutrality and superficial measures do not contribute to creating equitable workplaces for women and men. This study aimed to analyse the gendering of HRM policies and practices in organisational settings. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted with 14 women of different ages working in various fields and organisations. It was concluded that, although formulated according to a logic of neutrality, HRM policies and practices are gendered, as they are structured around standards that privilege male career trajectories. The findings demonstrate that these practices implicitly reproduce gender inequalities, particularly in recruitment and selection, professional development, career progression, and parenthood policies. Furthermore, by disregarding historical and social inequalities, meritocratic discourse contributes to the normalisation of these asymmetries. The results highlight the need to critically examine not only explicit factors but also the subtle and silenced mechanisms that sustain organisational sexism, thereby fostering the development of more inclusive HRM policies and practices that are responsive to gender inequalities.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Translation

This article is a translation in English of the article: ‘Não Importa se é Mulher ou Homem’: Uma Análise da Generificação das Políticas e práticas de Gestão de Pessoas nas Organizações

Author Biographies

Larissa Nardes do Nascimento, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil

PhD candidate in Business Administration at State University of Maringá, in the Organisational Studies and Society research track, and a CAPES scholarship recipient. She holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Atitus Educação, where she was a CAPES scholarship recipient in the Contemporary Organisational Studies research track, and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Atitus Educação.

Shalimar Gallon, Federal Technological University of Paraná, Pato Branco, Paraná, Brazil

Holds a PhD in Business Administration from Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). She is a professor and researcher in the Department of Business Administration at Federal University of Technology – Paraná (UTFPR), Pato Branco Campus.

Aline Mendonça Fraga, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

Holds a PhD in Business Administration from Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). She is a professor and researcher in the Professional Education Sector at Federal University of Paraná (SEPT/UFPR).

References

Acker, J. (1990). Hierarchies, jobs, bodies: A theory of gendered organizations. Gender & Society, 4(2), 139-158. https://doi.org/10.1177/089124390004002002

Acker, J. (2006). Inequality regimes: Gender, class, and race in organizations. Gender & Society, 20(4), 441-464. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243206289499

Ali, M. (2015). Impact of gender-focused human resource management on performance: The mediating effects of gender diversity. Australian Journal of Management, 41(2), 376–397. https://doi.org/10.1177/0312896214565119

Azungah, T. (2018). Qualitative research: Deductive and inductive approaches to data analysis. Qualitative Research Journal, 18(4), 383–400. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRJ-D-18-00035

Bardin L. (2011). Análise de conteúdo. Edições 70.

Carrieri, A. de P., Diniz, A. P. R., Souza, E. M., & Menezes, R. S. S. (2013). Gender and work: Representations of femininities and masculinities in the view of women brazilian executives. BAR - Brazilian Administration Review, 10(3), 281-303. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1807-76922013005000002

Clark, S., McGrane, A., Boyle, N., Joksimovic, N., Burke, L., Rock, N., & O'Sullivan, K. (2020). "You're a teacher, you're a mother, you're a worker": Gender inequality during COVID‐19 in Ireland. Gender, Work & Organization, 28(4), 135–143. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12611

Collins, C., Landivar, L. C., Ruppanner, L., & Scarborough, W. J. (2020). COVID‐19 and the gender gap in work hours. Gender, Work & Organization, 28(S1), 101–112. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12506
Daniel, C. (2011). O trabalho e a questão de gênero: A participação de mulheres na dinâmica do trabalho. O Social em Questão, 14(25/26), 323–344. https://osocialemquestao.ser.puc-rio.br/media/17_osq_25_26_daniel.pdf

Duarte, E. R., & Gallon, S. (2022). “Não, eu não sofro com isso”: a análise da manipulação da subjetividade da mulher executiva na ascensão da carreira. Brazilian Business Review, 19(1), 78-95. https://doi.org/10.15728/bbr.2022.19.1.5

Eagly, A. H., & Carli, L. L (2007). Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership. Harvard business review, 85(9), 62-71.

Eccel, C. S., & Grisci, C. L. I. (2011). Trabalho e gênero: A produção de masculinidades na perspectiva de homens e mulheres. Cadernos EBAPE.BR, 9(1), 57–78. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1679-39512011000100005

Feng, Z., & Savani, K. (2020). Covid-19 created a gender gap in perceived work productivity and job satisfaction: Implications for dual-career parents working from home. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 35(7/8), 719–736. https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-07-2020-0202

Fraga, A. M., Gallon, S., & Vaz, E. R. D. (2021). Estereótipo, preconceito e assédio nas trajetórias de expatriadas brasileiras. Revista Pensamento Contemporâneo em Administração 15(1), 165-179. https://doi.org/10.12712/rpca.v15i1.46524

Fraga, A. M., & Rocha-de-Oliveira, S. (2020). Mobilidades no labirinto: Tensionando as fronteiras nas carreiras de mulheres. Cadernos EBAPE.BR, 18(spe), 757-769. https://doi.org/10.1590/1679-395120190141

Fraga, A. M., Antunes, E. D. D., & Rocha-de-Oliveira, S. (2020). O/A profissional: As interfaces de gênero, carreira e expatriação na construção de trajetórias de mulheres expatriadas. Brazilian Business Review, 17(2), 192–210. https://doi.org/10.15728/bbr.2020.17.2.4

Glick, P., & Fiske, S. T. (1996). The ambivalent sexism inventory: Differentiating hostile and benevolent sexism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70(3), 491-512. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.70.3.491

Glick, P., & Fiske, S. T. (2001). An ambivalent alliance: Hostile and benevolent sexism as complementary justifications for gender inequality. American Psychologist, 56(2), 109-118. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.2.109

Heikkinen, S., & Lämsä, A. M. 2017. Narratives of spousal support for the careers of men in managerial posts. Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, 24(2), 171-193. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12157

Hirata, H., & Kergoat, D. (2007). Novas configurações da divisão sexual do trabalho. Cadernos de Pesquisa, 37(132), 595–609. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-15742007000300005

Hryniewicz, L. G. C., & Vianna, M. A. (2018). Mulheres em posição de liderança: Obstáculos e expectativas de gênero em cargos gerenciais. Cadernos EBAPE.BR, 16(3), 331-344. https://doi.org/10.1590/1679-395174876

Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. (2024). Estatísticas de gênero: Indicadores sociais das mulheres no Brasil. https://www.ibge.gov.br/estatisticas/multidominio/genero/20163-estatisticas-de-genero-indicadores-sociais-das-mulheres-no-brasil.html?=&t=resultados

Knights, D. (2019). Gender still at work: Interrogating identity in discourses and practices of masculinity. Gender, Work, and Organization, 26(1), 18-30. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12338

Lee, J., & Parpart, J. L. (2018). Constructing gender identity through masculinity in CSR reports: The South Korean case. Business Ethics: A European Review, 27(4), 309–323. https://doi.org/10.1111/beer.12191

Lei nº 15.371, de 31 de março de 2026. (2026). Altera a legislação para dispor sobre as novas diretrizes do Poder Executivo. Presidência da República. https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2023-2026/2026/lei/l15371.htm

Sahgal, P. (2007). Gender discrimination: Beliefs and experiences: A comparative perspective of women and men in the Delhi Police. Journal of International Women's Studies, 9(1), 135–152. https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol9/iss1/9/

Schnurr, S., Zayts, O., Schroeder, A., & Coyte-Hopkins, K. L. (2019). “It's not acceptable for the husband to stay at home”: Taking a discourse analytical approach to capture the gendering of work. Gender, Work, and Organization, 27(3), 414-434. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12408

Sheerin, C., & Linehan, M. (2018). Gender performativity and hegemonic masculinity in investment management. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 33(7), 561–576. https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-10-2017-0122

Shortland, S., & Perkins, S. J. (2020). Women’s expatriate careers: Losing trust in organisational equality and diversity policy implementation? Journal of Global Mobility, 8(2), 183-208. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGM-01-2020-0007

Solnit, R. (2017). Os homens explicam tudo para mim. Cultrix.

Staniscuaski, F., Kmetzsch, L., Soletti, R. C., Reichert, F., Zandonà, E., Ludwig, Z. M. C., Lima, E. F., Neumann, A., Schwartz, F. P., Mello-Carpes, P. B., Tamajusuku, A. S. K., Werneck, F. P., Ricachenevsky, F. K., Infanger, C. B., Seixas, A., Staats, C. C., & Oliveira, L. (2021). Gender, race and parenthood impact academic productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic: From survey to action. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, artigo 663252. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.663252

Sullivan, S. E, & Mainiero, L. (2008). Using the kaleidoscope career model to understand the changing patterns of women’s careers: Designing HRD programs that attract and retain women. Developing Human Resources, 10(1), 32-49. https://doi.org/10.1177/1523422307310110

United Nations. (n.d.). Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Sustainable Development Goals. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/

Webber, G. R., & Giuffre, P. (2019). Women's relationships with women at work: Barriers to solidarity. Sociology Compass, 13(6), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12698

Woodhams, C., & Lupton, B. (2006). Does size matter? Gender-based equal opportunity in UK small and medium enterprises. Women in Management Review, 21(2), 143-169. https://doi.org/10.1108/09649420610650710