Male Employees’ Perception on the Relationship of Femininity and Aversion to Women in the Workplace

Abstract

The existence of gender gaps and the absence of safe spaces in the workplace have been linked to stem from traditional gender roles, such as the expectation for e domestic tasks, which limit their workplace opportunities for women. The research question is: How do male employees' perceptions of traditional femininity traits influence aversion towards their female colleagues in male-dominated organizations? The study aims to identify what are the traditional femininity traits that male employees think women should have and they observe in their female colleagues, and the relationship between male employees’ perception to traditional femininity traits and aversion to women who work. To gather data, the Femininity Ideology Scale (Levant et al., 2007) and the Aversion to Women Who Work Scale (Valentine, 2001) were employed, with survey forms distributed to 100 male employees across various industries, job tenures, and age groups, in male-dominated workplaces. The results reveal a significant moderate correlation between the endorsement of traditional femininity traits and aversion to women in the workplace. Additionally, the findings suggest that majority suggest disagreement to traditional traits but conventional roles, such as men being breadwinners and women responsible for childcare and household tasks, still resonate with some of the participants. These findings lead to the conclusion that male employees' beliefs in traditional femininity significantly shape their interactions with female colleagues in male-dominated workplaces.