Internal mobility and Gender stereotypes : workers' acceptance and rationalisation of unequal internal mobility in low-skilled male-dominated occupations

Abstract: The construction and usage of gender stereotypes are a continuous social process that occurs daily in the labour market. It is a common conception that negative stereotypes are harmful; however, they are still regularly used for decision-making. Gender stereotypes affect which occupations are interpreted as suitable for women and men. Therefore, women in the labour market face several obstacles to being viewed as legitimate workers and have a more challenging time advancing. This problem is especially evident in low-skilled male-dominated occupations. This paper aims to study how workers in low-skilled male-dominated occupations accept and rationalise differences in internal mobility opportunities. Material from vignettes will be analysed through a mixed method approach, including both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The results will be analysed through the concepts of the Worker and the Woman, which have been constructed with inspiration from social role theory, gender systems theory, and the ideal worker. The result shows that it is more accepted among workers in low-skilled male-dominated occupations that male workers with less experience get more internal mobility opportunities than female workers with more experience. This phenomenon is rationalised through gender stereotypes, such as that men have more significant interest and experience in these types of occupations, and are more likely to be favoured by their managers. Women’s opportunities for internal mobility are less accepted, and they are more expected to need help developing their skills. This study concludes that gender stereotypes affect the acceptance and rationalisation of gender differences in internal mobility. Thus, women in low-skilled male-dominated occupations face several challenges, and the results should be used as motivation that efforts to improve the gendered organisational culture is needed.