Gendered Norms at Work: New Perspectives on Work Environment and Health (Aligning Perspectives on Health, Safety and Well-Being)

This edited volume discusses how deeply entrenched gender norms in work environments, even in welfare economies, can affect women’s health in an adverse way. The volume provides a broad overview of contributing factors. It derives specific answers from case studies in Sweden, a welfare state where women’s labour market participation is very high, but where horizontal and vertical gender segregation in work is also one of the highest in the world. Women tend to work in occupations that are heavily dominated by women. An issue in women-dominated occupations is a considerably higher sickness absence than men, with the highest rates being in human service and care occupations. This volume adds to the literature on health and wellbeing in women-dominated professions and workplaces through studying the work environment, organizational changes, digitalization, threats, violence and conflict, and work conditions that could contribute to healthier workplaces for women. In addition, it points to the need for deeper gender analysis in work norms, and using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. It is of interest to social and behavioural scientists studying work, gender and health, as well as HR professionals and policy makers. Contents Chapter 1: On Equal Terms? Gendering Labour Markets, the Organisation of Work, and the Well-Being of Employees 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Empirical Approaches to Gender, Work Environment, and Health 1.3 Theoretical Perspectives 1.4 Chapters in This Volume References Part I: Working Conditions Chapter 2: Classification of Work: An Approach to the Exploration, Understanding, and Prevention of Gender Differences in Work... 2.1 Introduction 2.1.1 Labour Statistics 2.1.2 Occupational Health Research 2.1.3 Gender Studies of Working Conditions 2.2 A Contextual and Multilevel Approach to Explore How Inequalities in Working Life Are Created 2.2.1 Structuration and Inequality Regime Theories 2.3 An Alternative Classification of Work 2.3.1 Analysing Strategy in Search for How Inequalities Are Created 2.4 How Industry-Specific Knowledge on Gender and Work Environment Can Be Applied 2.5 Conclusions References Chapter 3: Psychosocial Working Conditions for Women and Men in Industries with Different Types of Production and Gender Compo... 3.1 Introduction 3.1.1 Psychosocial Working Conditions in a Gendered Context 3.1.2 Work Factors Expected to Vary by Industry 3.1.3 Work Factors Expected to Vary by Gender and Gender Composition 3.2 Aim 3.3 Data Material and Analytical Strategy 3.4 Results 3.4.1 Work Factors Expected to Vary by Industry 3.4.1.1 High Job Demands 3.4.1.2 Poor Decision Authority 3.4.1.3 Exposure to Threats and Violence 3.4.1.4 Sexual Harassment from Clients and Others 3.4.2 Work Factors Expected to Vary by Gender and Gender Composition 3.4.2.1 Poor Social Support by Managers 3.4.2.2 Poor Social Support by Colleagues 3.4.2.3 Sexual Harassment by Managers and Colleagues 3.4.2.4 Gender-Based Harassment 3.4.2.5 Bullying 3.5 Discussion 3.5.1 Work Factors Expected to Vary by Industry 3.5.1.1 High Job Demands in the Female-Dominated Education, Health, and Social Care 3.5.1.2 Poor Decision Authority in Female-Dominated Education, and Health and Social Care 3.5.1.3 Exposure to Violence and Sexual Harassment by Service Users 3.5.2 Work Factors Expected to Vary by Gender and Gender Composition 3.6 Implications for Research and Practice 3.7 Conclusion Appendix A.1 Variables A.2 Tables References Chapter 4: A Multilevel Approach to Understanding Job Demands and Resources in Healthcare 4.1 Mental Health Issues and Their Relation to Work and Gender 4.2 The Job Demands-Resources Model 4.2.1 Healthcare Working Conditions 4.3 The Necessity for a Multilevel Approach in Research on Demands and Resources 4.4 Interventions to Target Demands and Resources 4.4.1 Individual Interventions 4.4.2 Organizational Interventions 4.4.3 Multilevel Interventions 4.5 Interventions at Multiple Levels: Methodological and Practical Issues 4.6 Conclusion References Chapter 5: Managing Care Work in Times of Austerity: Gendered Working Conditions for Managers 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Gendered Work Organizations 5.3 New Public Management 5.4 Data and Methodology 5.5 Large Working Groups: Mainly in Women-Dominated Industries 5.6 Large Working Groups and Minimal Administrative Support 5.7 Autonomous Working Groups 5.8 Frequent Restructuring Under Public Scrutiny 5.9 Top-Down Communication 5.10 A Balanced Budget: The Top Priority 5.11 Room for Manoeuvre: High Level of Personal Responsibility, Stress, and a Culture of Positivity 5.12 Concluding Remarks References Part II: Organisation of Work Chapter 6: Invisible Workers: On Digitalisation in Home Care Work from a Gender and Technology Perspective 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Methodology 6.3 Care Work and Gender 6.4 Home Care Work in Sweden 6.5 Digitalisation in Home Care 6.6 Digitalisation and Home Care Workers ́ Control over Work 6.7 Home Care Workers ́ Lack of Influence in Digitalisation 6.8 Invisible Home Care Workers in a Digitalised Workplace References Chapter 7: Organising Auditing, Person-Centred Care and Competence in Swedish Residential Care Homes 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Swedish Elder Care: The Case of Residential Care Homes 7.2.1 Characteristics of Swedish Residential Care Homes 7.2.2 Care Work and Work Environment 7.3 Feminist Ethics of Care versus New Public Management 7.4 Material and Method 7.5 Findings 7.5.1 Auditing: Quality or Control? 7.5.2 Person-Centred Care: For Both Workers and Residents? 7.5.3 Formal Training and Caring Skills in the Era of Marketisation: Re-professionalism or De-caring? 7.6 Discussion 7.7 Conclusion References Chapter 8: Gender Differences in the Impact of Work Hours on Health and Well-Being 8.1 Shift Work 8.1.1 Shift Work and Well-Being 8.1.1.1 Sleep, Fatigue and Accident Risk 8.1.1.2 Health 8.1.2 Potential Mechanisms 8.1.2.1 Gender Roles 8.1.2.2 Biological Factors 8.1.2.3 Working Conditions 8.1.2.4 Shift Schedules 8.1.3 Conclusions on Shift Working 8.2 Flexible Work Hours 8.2.1 Variability 8.2.2 Flexibility 8.2.3 Potential Mechanisms 8.2.3.1 Work-Life Interference and Recovery 8.2.3.2 Gender Roles 8.2.4 Conclusions on Flexible Work Hours 8.3 Long Weekly Work Hours 8.4 General Conclusions References Chapter 9: The Interplay Between Gendered Norms and New Public Management Strategies in the Shaping of Homecare Services ́ Work... 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Theoretical Framework 9.2.1 New Public Management from Different Angles 9.2.2 Gender and Gender Equality in the Work Environment 9.2.3 Changes in Homecare Service Work Organisations 9.2.4 To Manage Organisational Shortcomings 9.3 Data and Methods 9.4 Examples from Practice 9.4.1 A Balancing Act 9.4.2 Doing Gender and the Organisational Work Environment 9.4.3 Emotional Labour and Inadequate Work Descriptions 9.4.4 A Work Environment Sensitive to the Employees ́ Needs 9.4.5 Lack of Organisational Values 9.5 Three Different Organisational Dilemmas 9.6 Conclusions References Part III: Violence and Conflicts Chapter 10: `Don ́t Let It Get to You. ́ Gendering Workplace Violence in Disability Services in Sweden 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Swedish Disability Services 10.3 Analytical Framework 10.4 Data and Methods 10.5 Gendering Workplace Violence in Swedish Disability Services 10.5.1 The Violent Client 10.5.2 The Worker ́s Fault 10.5.3 Organisational Problems 10.6 Challenging or Maintaining Normalisation of Workplace Violence? References Chapter 11: The Concept of Intragroup Conflict in Relation to Gender and Well-Being in Women-Dominated Work 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Intragroup Conflicts and Employee Well-Being in Welfare Occupations 11.3 Intragroup Conflict and Gender 11.4 Data and Methods 11.5 The Concept of Intragroup Conflict: An Empirical Analysis 11.5.1 Who: A Positional War Between Groups of Allies 11.5.2 What: Different Opinions Leading to High-Quality Work 11.5.3 How: The Process of Building Routines 11.5.4 Conflicts as Destructive Phenomena in Women-Dominated Workplaces 11.5.5 Limitations and Future Directions 11.6 Conclusion References Index