Table of ContentsGender Diversity in the WorkplaceBenefits of Gender Diversity in the WorkplaceNegative Impacts of Gender DiversityChallenges Related to Gender improving gender diversityConclusionThe debate about the importance of diversity in the workplace is not new. This has been a topic of discussion for 6 decades. Many researchers, academicians, human resource professionals and entrepreneurs have debated its advantages, disadvantages, challenges and the way forward. The intensity of the debate was also linked to the different waves of feminism. For example, the second wave of feminism in the 1970s has, to a large extent, given rise to enormous research on gender. There was a lull in research on gender diversity, but this gained momentum after 2010 due to companies wanting to retain top talent, regardless of gender. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Over the years, researchers have attempted to focus on identifying psychological and structural barriers. Consistent with employment projections, the current workforce includes employees with diverse abilities, cultural backgrounds and work styles, with projections for even greater diversity. “Workforce diversity and organizational culture have often been said to be responsible for all manner of positive and negative ills” (Shani and Lau, 2005). A better understanding of the concept is directly linked to problem-solving abilities and improved employee performance. Organizations can now only dodge this bullet at their own risk, as the world moves towards a knowledge economy driven by intellectual property rights. In order to advance in this race, organizations and nations must harness the full skills of all available talents, regardless of gender. Due to this constraint, various measures are now being taken to bridge the gap between the male and female workforce. Organizations must break away from the illusion that inclusion is just a social act and understand its impact on business results. A focus on good management of gender diversity is also essential, as poor management can actually lead to negative outcomes, as we will see in the next section. Female candidates have been at a disadvantage for many decades and so this concept of equal opportunity aims to ensure that organizations realize that female candidates are just as worthy of trust, responsibility and respect as male candidates. With the advent of technology and the emergence of various social movements around equal rights, there has also been a focus on inclusive corporate culture. It is therefore imperative that businesses start thinking long-term about making their workplace inclusive. Gender diversity in the workplace Gender diversity in the workplace is considered a complex phenomenon (Janssens & Steyaert, 2003). For some time now, the topic of gender diversity has been the focus of attention on various information platforms. Among other considerations, recent studies have investigated the so-called "glass ceiling effect" (Farrell & Hersch, 2001), which refers to "the somewhat implicit obstacle women face when are trying to climb the corporate ladder” (Li and Wearing). , 2004). “To increase the efficiency ofboard, it may not be enough to simply increase the number of female directors on the board; diverse boards may require additional mechanisms to ensure cooperation among directors.” Kanter (1977) was one of the first to put forward the idea that "changing the gender composition of management teams can have implications for organizational design." In chapter 3 of her book “The Men and Women of Business”, she states that “homogeneous management teams cooperate more, because social similarity breeds trust”. It takes investment and effort to create a sense of belonging among diverse board members. It is the faith between team members that helps in better governance and results. As a result, she argues that “when uncertainty is high, firms rely more on management team homogeneity than on formal governance mechanisms to provide incentives.” “The Tyson Report” (Tyson, 2003, p. 7) on the recruitment and development of non-executive directors, commissioned by the UK Department of Trade and Industry, suggests that diversity initiatives cost 'money. Members accustomed to homogeneity are resistant both financially and mentally, making their training difficult but crucial. Another problem may be reduced decision-making times because, as Blau (1977) argues, “heterogeneity within groups can increase conflict.” Benefits of Gender Diversity in the Workplace According to Sherbin (2017), leaders have long recognized that gender diversity in the workplace helps give the organization a better standing because it knows what different people want market segments by collecting information from their own employees. According to Mkamwa, T. (2010), diversity makes a strong business case. It helps the organization address the talent shortage by fully leveraging the capabilities of all our employees. This also helps in better communication with the customer segment. Diversity within teams and work groups has been shown to bring its own rewards, including a good return on human capital investment. According to information and decision-making theory, diversity has a positive effect on performance because different segments of your workforce bring unique perspectives to a particular issue or product. Knouse and Dansby (1999) hypothesize that “organizations that embrace diversity will experience increased synergy among staff, varied network contacts, and staff taking on varied roles and tasks.” The differences help the company get more views, more input, which helps the organization better understand consumer needs and find better solutions to each problem. Beneficial diversity policies help reduce attrition, but only when they become part of the organization's habits and are not simply propaganda attracting investors (Stranberg, 2009). Negative Impacts of Gender Diversity According to social identity theory and self-categorization theory, “people who are different are less likely to collaborate with each other than similar people because they do not do not consider themselves to belong to the same social category and therefore do not share the same identity. In my opinion, due to the widespread prevalence of patriarchy in Indian society, men from patriarchal backgrounds have tostruggle to follow instructions from their female leader and are at the same time biased when sponsoring female talent. It's not just the workplace that is the cause of low gender diversity, as much research tends to demonstrate. External factors are also responsible. With the changing nature of work, which includes late evening working hours, working from home, on-site client meetings, women are facing not only work-related challenges but also various attitudes, biases and artificial barriers of society. According to Mkamwa, T. (2010), gender diversity and performance do not always share a beneficial relationship. It can also be negative if not managed properly. This can lead to dysfunctional conflict and a lack of consensus. The Challenges of Improving Gender Diversity According to (Ibarra, 2013), “there is a subtle gender bias that persists in organizations and in society”. These gender biases lead to neglecting the efforts of other members of organizations. This often hinders a woman's chances of becoming an acceptable leader. Another challenge explained by (Ibarra, 2013) is that culture also plays an important role in establishing women's credibility in the workplace. Many cultures impose a particular image on women that they cannot exercise authority and those who attempt to do so are labeled as vicious or unfaithful. According to the author, psychology also plays an important role in viewing women as credible employees. We've seen many cases where powerful men have supported other men for leadership positions, even when a woman's candidacy was clearly the logical choice. This not only impacts the culture and the company, but also the morale of women working at lower levels. Ibarra (2013) also states that the biggest challenge in reducing workplace discrimination and, therefore, increasing gender diversity in the workplace is that, more often than not, women do not even know or recognize that gender discrimination exists. The author introduced a term called “second generation bias.” Milliken (1996) argued that “diversity seems to be a double-edged sword.” This can help organizations become innovative, but can also increase the number of people who lack organizational engagement behavior. Furthermore, Kanze (2017) posited that men are asked about the potential benefits of a new project, while women are asked about potential losses. This inherent bias leads to women being overlooked in the workplace. Their skills are not fully utilized and they are still considered secondary to men. In my opinion, gender diversity will not improve just because there will be more women in high positions after a while. To improve gender diversity in the workplace, measures such as automated checks using artificial intelligence could help. The use of technology can, to some extent, reduce gender bias in selection. According to Sherbin (2017), the biggest challenge women face in moving up the ladder is lack of sponsorship. As Ibarra (2013) stated, “the human tendency is to gravitate toward people like oneself.” These two authors agree on this argument. Solutions to the above challengesAccording to (Ibarra, 2013), conventional methods of awareness raising and education are necessary.