How inclusive is workplace gender equality research in the Chinese context? Taking stock and looking ahead

Abstract

This study examines the status quo of workplace gender (in)equality research in the Chinese context. By reviewing 173 articles from 96 English journals throughout 1988–2020, it reveals that various forms of discrimination still exist against women in the labour market and workplaces. In particular, the persisting, and arguably widening, gender pay gap reflects not only the sticky floor, but also the glass ceiling, effects. The review also shows that researchers have tended to favour quantitative more than qualitative methods. While a range of theoretical perspectives has been mobilized to explain manifestations of gender inequality, a critical feminist approach has been rare for political, institutional, cultural, and research capability reasons. Moreover, there is limited interest in the notion of (gender) diversity management, suggesting that diversity management has not yet become part of the strategic HRM research in the Chinese context. Similarly, extant HRM and organizational behaviour research rarely treats gender (in)equality as a key construct to illuminate the potential effect of such a (perceived) form of organizational injustice on the well-being of female and minority male employees. Based on our review analysis, we identify several opportunities for future research to advance workplace gender scholarship and practice.

Keywords:

• China
• diversity management
• human resource management
• labour market
• workplace gender equality

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article (see Tables and Reference list).

Notes

1 The One-Child policy was enforced in the early 1980s to control rapid population growth in China. The partial Two-Child policy was adopted in 2013 for married couples who are the only child of their family as an incremental policy to increase the population to address socio-economic problems associated with an aging population. From 2016 onward, the Two-Child policy has been implemented for all married couples, and in 2021, a Three-Child policy was introduced.

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge funding support from the National Natural Science foundation of China (grant numbers: 71902202 and 71832003); and Program for Innovation Research in Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China.