Second-generation gender bias in corporate Ghana: A case study of two banks
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2020-05
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Abstract
The aim of this study was to understand women’s experiences with secondgeneration gender bias in the Ghanaian banking sector. Women’s rate of advancement
in leadership roles is currently higher than their rate of advancement into executive
management roles in the workplace. Second-generation gender biases or implicit
biases are one of the poorly addressed factors explaining the low percentages of
women’s advancement into executive level management roles. First-generation
gender biases are the intentional and visible acts of discrimination against women, but
implicit gender bias is more obscure and almost invisible. It occurs when a person
consciously rejects gender stereotypes but still unconsciously makes evaluations
based on those stereotypes. The aim of this study was achieved using a qualitative
approach to compare and contrast women’s experiences in two banks in Accra,
Ghana. A thematic analysis using Evetts’ (2000) three-dimensional framework
consisting of cultural, structural and action dimensions, was used to analyze in-depth
interviews with 12 female employees from the two banks. The results reveal the
existence of implicit gender biases in the banks. However, the women did not
perceive it as injurious to their career progression as they would have viewed explicit
gender biases. This study concludes that if the effects of implicit gender biases on
career women are undermined, it is likely to create an environment that tolerates the
bias. A tolerant environment for implicit biases will eventually have a detrimental
impact on their career progression.
Description
Undergraduate thesis submitted to the Department of Business Administration, Ashesi University, in partial fulfillment of Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, May 2020
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Keywords
gender bias, women, banking, career progression, organizational culture