Page 184 - Discrimination at Work The Psychological and Organizational Bases

7. GENDER DISCRIMINATION
important to keep in mind that women often perceive and report prejudice
in evaluations, something that can coexist with a lack of bias in ratings.
Differences in Advancement and Pay 153
Women hold less prestigious and influential jobs, advance more slowly
in organizations, receive lower starting pay, and are less likely to benefit
from transfers and job changes than men (Brett & Stroh, 1997; Reskin &
Ross, 1995; Valian, 1998). Differences in the jobs, occupations, and careers
held by men and women, in turn, contribute to (but do not fully explain)
differences in their pay and rewards.
The most consistent findings of differences in opportunities and out­
comes for men and women are found in the area of compensation. The gap
in wages earned by men and women is substantial, and it shows little sign
of closing in the near future. In 2001, women employed full-time earned
a median weekly salary of $511 compared to the median weekly salary
of $672 per week that men earned (U.S. Department of Labor, 2002). Im­
portantly, a substantial wage gap remains when men and women within
the same occupation are compared (Budig, 2002) and when controlling for
qualifications, training, and experience (Ostroff & Atwater, 2002).

Differences in Perceived Treatment

Studies that have examined perceptions of gender-based discrimination
at work indicate that a disturbing proportion (approximately 10%) of em­
ployed women report having experienced some form of sex discrimination
at work (e.g., hiring, pay, promotions; Neumark & McLennan, 1995). Fur­
thermore, in a study of business school alumni, both men and women per­
ceived discrimination against women, with bias against women believed
to be stronger at the top of organizations (Trentham & Larwood, 1998).
It also appears that different political and cultural environments may af­
fect the incidence and perception of gender discrimination. Shaffer, Joplin,
Bell, Lau, & Oguz (1999) reported that national differences in education
level, equal employment legislation, and equal employment enforcement
that are likely to affect the sensitivity of workers to incidents of gender
discrimination were reflected in differential perceptions of the extent to
which gender affected various decisions at work.

Differences in the Experience of Work

There is little doubt that men and women have different experiences in the
workplace. One of the most widely discussed differences in the experiences