Executive Summary
Since its inception, Coca Cola has been a catalyst of social interactions, refreshing the world and improving lives. It has a passion for people and their lives, a characteristic it exhibits through its advertisements, reducing the carbon footprint with its production, continuously improving sustainability, and its internationally renowned commitment to human rights. The Coca-Cola Company has grown by providing its customers with a variety of choices, including those containing no sugar, and acting as a network connecting people globally. Nonetheless, while the company is internationally famous for refreshments and a broad brand base, less is renowned about the internal functioning of the organisation, such as gender equality in employment. The company strives to create a gender-equal workplace and world, with the common belief that empowering women benefits them directly and improves businesses and the community. The company aspires to incorporate diversity in its market, ensuring that women lead 50% of the industry by 2030.
Introduction
The workplace is sometimes referred to as an unhospitable place for women due to the multiple cases of gender inequality they experience. A typical example of how discrimination in the workplace affects women is through their opportunities and earnings, mainly through the gender wage gap, the number of women in leadership, and the time women take to advance in their careers compared to men. Workplace discrimination creates gender inequality in the workplace, contributing to a lower socio-economic status among them (Batool, 2020, p. 624). Gender inequality in the workplace is primarily attributed to decisions that human resources make and the policies organisations set which do not favour women. Moreover, female employee interactions with leaders in charge of HR-related decisions may lead to them becoming victims of sexist comments and harassment, which are uncommon among male employees. Gender inequality in organisations has contributed to the lack of job satisfaction and organisational commitment and also affects the victims’ physical and psychological health.
Gender in Organisations theory and practice
Persistence of Gender Inequality
Patriarchy
Regardless of organisations taking steps to minimise gender inequality, it persists due to the patriarchy, capitalism, male self-interest and misogyny. According to Galizzi et al., the accounting profession comprises gender discrimination, which has persisted for over three decades due to patriarchy (2023, p. 3). Patriarchy is a social, economic, and political relationship in institutions structured around gender inequality. Patriarchal institutions favour men and male opinions and exclude women’s participation. The result is an organisational and social system where dominant positions and privileges are awarded to men. Men in a patriarchal position exploit, dominate and oppress women in positions of authority, leadership and controlling the system, and take all privileges in the social structure. The persistence of gender inequality due to the patriarchy is because the duality reinforces current and future structures, which, with time, become internally reinforced, and those within the structure enact them. The repeated patterns of men having higher positions than women, discriminating and oppressing them, make up the structural reality. Although the victims of gender inequality have available choices, they decide based on past knowledge. Hence, women grow up in patriarchal societies and work in them, and it becomes their norm, making it hard to charge. Gender inequality is perpetuated by a culture that men and women continue in their daily actions.
Capitalism
Capitalism significantly perpetuates gender inequality due to the system’s propensity to reorganise the global economy to its profit. According to an analysis by Binner et al., a capitalist system is nourished by an already existing oppression system called the patriarchy, and in another light, it compounds most of its defining properties (2020, p. 380). Oppressing women in the workplace allows capitalists to manage entire workforces for their profit and enables them to justify their policies when they find it more advantageous to shift the social welfare responsibility from collective institutions, including the state, to the privacy of their homes. Alternatively, when capitalists require additional labour, they call women and pay them less than men, and the side effect is wage inequality (RAE, 2022, p.1). Furthermore, when capitalist organisations no longer require women’s services, they terminate their employment quicker than they would have done men. Due to capitalism, there is yet to be a country in the world with gender equality in pay. Governments used various strategies to undermine women’s rights at the workplace, such as unpaid maternity leaves, working shorter hours and no night shifts due to domestic duties. Therefore, capitalism, as a dynamic and aggressive barrier to gender equality, permeates all areas of women’s lives, affecting their rights.
Male Self-Interest
Undoubtedly, male self-interest is at the forefront of gender inequality in organisations because they put their needs above women’s. Hing et al. explain that women face challenges in men’s hands without a resolution, including sexual harassment, work-family conflict, performance appraisal and compensation (2023, p. 4). Substantial gender inequalities exist due to compensation, which mainly results from the type of industry, job type, interpersonal bias and failure to promote women. Regardless of being educated, women receive fewer promotions than their male counterparts and smaller pay increases. Further, organisation segregation occurs when women are shuffled into different jobs than men, accounting for 55% of the gender wage gap (Hing et al., 2023, p. 13). Concerning performance evaluations, the gender gap is visible, especially in male-dominated occupations. The gender gap arises when male raters discriminate against women, and due to situational factors, In a scenario where a man receives negative feedback from a woman in authority, they evaluate her more negatively than they would have if it were a man. Moreover, men are rewarded for engaging in diversity-valuing behaviour, while women are rated negatively. Nonetheless, women experience more sexual harassment than men because they comprise 94% of the victims. Sexual harassment is unavoidable in male-dominated organisations and where men are leaders, which is a standard norm globally. Due to the male interest, harassment is rarely mitigated, leading to vast climates of harassment, affecting equality.
Misogyny
Misogyny is a leading cause of gender inequality occurring when men attempt to fix women due to their stereotypes describing how they should be and act. Ryan (2022, p. 4) explains that all the approaches systems take to minimise gender inequality in organisations give the impression that women are broken and must be fixed. For example, they attempt to balance organisations by providing women with more training and skills, including creating STEM initiatives to exclusively boost their engagement and ambitions. Leadership training courses designed for women also teach them about taking more risks, becoming authentic at work, avoiding impostor bias and making more sacrifices. Such strategies emphasise the misogynistic notion that men are better than women, perpetuating inequality. Women are discouraged from seeking positions in male-dominated industries due to external barriers such as a lack of role models and a consistently discriminative environment. Due to misogyny and its associated factors, women become victims of impostor syndrome, making it more challenging for them to overcome gender inequality. The syndrome is where they doubt their self-worth, cannot take credit for their success, and continually claim that their success is due to mere luck. Therefore, the attitudes that men have towards women’s capabilities in organisations significantly influence the persistence of gender inequality.
Equal Opportunity Policies Addressing Gender Inequality
Public policies focusing on equality in organisations may significantly impact access to equal opportunities, resources and gender identity. Hervías Parejo and Radulovic (2023, p.406) describe public policy as government action courses responding to specific problems in society, and it takes the form of a regulation, strategy, law, programme or a government decision, all aiming to achieve a particular objective. Gender inequality is an ongoing problem in organisations with a specific effect on women. Particularly, developing and less developed countries facing gender inequality suffer the long-term effects of development and growth in their economies because a high percentage of women cannot access the formal labour market, lack the same opportunities as men to acquire formal education, and have the least likelihood of occupying administrative and managerial positions. By constraining their empowerment and involvement, organisations cement gender inequality, making it a culture extending to new generations. For example, regardless of massive socio-economic development, women in the European Union remain victims of inequality in salaries and gender discrimination. In 2019, the employment gap on the tenets of gender was 11.5%, and the pay gap was 14.1% (Hervías Parejo and Radulovic, 2023, p. 407). The gap results from various factors, including the placement of women in low-paying sectors, a difference in work-life balance, and the glass ceiling effect, an unacknowledged advancement barrier directed at women and minorities.
Based on the challenges mentioned above, policies on equality would be crucial to resolving gender-related experiences, concerns and perceptions. The main policy initiatives useful in eliminating gender inequality include gender mainstreaming and tools such as measurements of gender inequality, gender impact assessment, gender budgeting, equity plans and evaluation. Mainstreaming is an approach guaranteeing the assessment and integration of policy development on gender-related issues, including involving gender expertise in the policy process. In contrast, impact assessment entails applying methodologies such as gender analysis, indicators, and budgeting. The assessment allows for the systematic examination of the policy repercussions involving women and men, with the results influencing public authorities’ decisions. Also, measuring gender equality occurs in employment, entrepreneurship, governance, education and development, and the results aid in the construction of solid mitigation strategies. Furthermore, budgeting integrates a gender perspective into the process, informing allocation decisions and ensuring that men and women access resources equally and attain the full benefits of their use (Hervías Parejo and Radulovic, 2023, p.394). Equity plans articulate gender equality policies and are carried out at different levels of government for a specific time, with the results ensuring gender neutrality in all aspects of society. Lastly, policy evaluations aim to improve the implemented programs, provide accountability and illustrate their future actions and effectiveness. The results are gender-sensitive policies related to work-life balance, equality in labour, promoting diversity, antiviolence anti-discrimination and education. Hence, policies are long-term strategies and laws organisations must follow to eliminate gender inequality-related challenges.
Company Case Study: Analysis of Gender Policy and Practice
Background
In 2017, the U.K. government developed a rule that all government departments, companies and voluntary centre organisations with more than 250 employees must publish their pay and bonus gaps between the female and male staff (Lahuerta et al., 2023, p. 2). The gender pay gap shows the difference in the mean male and female pay in an organisation and does not entail a comparison of the pay the genders receive as compensation for doing the same work, also called equal pay. As required by the regulations, Coca-Cola compared its gender pay gap data with the previous years to determine its progress in achieving overall parity in payment. The 2022 data showed an increase in the median gender pay gap among its workforce, from 4.5% in 2021 to 5.9% in 2022 (Coca-Cola Euro-Pacific Partners, 2022, p. 4). However, the mean indicated that men were paid 1.1% more than their female counterparts. Regardless of the current pay gap increment, Coca Cola’s overall gender pay gap has reduced from 10.7% in 2017, its first reporting year. When considering the gender bonus pay gap, Coca-Cola paid women more than men, a case different from the previous financial year. In 2022, the median gender bonus pay gap showed that women earned 43.7% higher than men, while the mean shows a 2.7% gender bonus pay gap favouring women. In 2020 and 2021, the mean was 10% and 4.8%, respectively, in favour of men. Overall, the gender pay gap at Coca-Cola has reduced, indicating its determination to make better, sustained progress in its commitment to 50% gender parity by 2030.
What is Coca-Cola doing concerning gender equality?
Coca-Cola has been working diligently to ensure more women are represented in the workplace. In 2021, the company reported that 43% of its workforce comprised women and had employed 38% of them at senior leadership levels. In 2010, Coca-Cola committed to enabling the economic empowerment of five million women over the next decade. Since then, it has worked intensely with countless partners to mentor women and provide business skills training, financial services and assets to make them suitable employees, allowing them to improve their livelihoods and better their communities. At the Coca-Cola Euro-Pacific partners, the company supports women at the senior level and improves the gender balance by developing training programs and initiatives. An example is Women in Leadership, a series of mentoring and training programs supporting the professional development of female employees at different stages of their careers. The series contains a Connect to Grow segment, which supports talented female leaders in achieving their potential by partnering them with experienced mentors in leadership. Another part of the series is Leading with Purpose, which trains women in their mid-careers.
How well is the company performing about gender equality?
As Coca-Cola makes the best efforts to promote gender equality, the case remains that fewer women hold significant positions in the company. It also employs more men than women in its manufacturing operations, roles which attract a pay premium. Coca-Cola acknowledges its challenges in attracting women into the manufacturing sector because they are based on shifts and are viewed as traditionally male roles (Coca-Cola Euro-pacific Partners, 2022, p. 11). Furthermore, while the company continues to build more female representation of women in management and leadership positions, most senior roles are still occupied by men, indicating it has more strategies to implement to ensure gender equality. Thus, the patriarchy has made it challenging for the company to achieve gender equality presently due to the conviction that women cannot excel at manufacturing jobs and that they cannot work in shifts. Women receive more bonuses because the manufacturing positions, most of which contain a shift premium, attract fewer bonus opportunities than other roles that women dominate, making them appear paid more than men. The company’s placement of men and women in distinct employment positions has contributed to a rise in the gender pay gap. Hence, Coca-Cola must develop more solid and sustainable plans to achieve the set gender pay parity in Great Britain, making it more internally diverse. Diversity promotes the sharing of ideas, increasing the possibility of more profit and development.
Assessing Coca Cola Gender Equality Policy
Coca-Cola’s gender equality policy encompasses diversity, equity and inclusion strategies that include long-term ambitions. The company aspires to have a workforce that mirrors its market, which does not include gender inequality. The company aspires that, by 2030, women should hold 50% of roles in senior leadership and have a race and ethnicity representation associated with the national consensus data (Coca-Cola Euro-pacific Partners, 2022, p. 1). Coca Cola also reviews its business annually, its human rights practices, employment, practices and policies to eliminate inequity and bias. The company also introduced employee inclusion networks, providing resources crucial to their growth. The networks focus on creating a gender-equal workplace culture, aiming to make significant progress in diversity. Hence, throughout its history, Coca-Cola has celebrated equity, and annually, it has made progress in creating a gender-equal workplace and has made improvements towards incorporating women into the workforce, gradually reducing the gender pay gap.
What is good and bad? Why?
Coca-Cola is highly committed to reducing gender equality at some organisational levels, making this an advantage, primarily for women. The company intends to hire more women at leadership and other levels, train them to improve performance, and share its progress with the public (Langton et al., 2021, p. 1). Another advantage is increasing its diverse workforce to promote more inclusion and development. However, while this may help reduce the pay gap, it has several disadvantages because it only focuses on female employees. The company aims to train them and hire more in all positions, including leadership. While efficient for gender equality, it may lead to resistance to change and legal battles. The disadvantages arise from the reasons gender inequality persists, which have been deeply cemented in culture, such as patriarchy and misogyny. Some male employees may resist the changes, affecting performance. The legal battles are due to some employees challenging the system, considering the new laws favourable to women.
Recommendations for gender policy and practice
For a solid gender policy, Coca-Cola should create a gender equality charter, measure its gender equality metrics and promote equal opportunities for all employees’ continuous learning. The charter will authorise changing the gender pay gap and help the company acquire a tangible future reference. Further, it will give the company a sense of purpose and direction, making the changes quicker. An example of a gender equality metric is the gender equity index, which helps measure circumstances unfavorable to women. By having the metrics, the organisation can track the changes it needs to make, the progress and the impact. Addressing the circumstances will be crucial to promoting gender equality at Coca-Cola. Markedly, the company should ensure that all the employees have equal learning opportunities, minimising the probability of some employees considering themselves superior to others (Syaebani et al., 2020, p. 46). When the male and female employees are equally trained, hired, promoted, and compensated, the company will achieve an equilibrium of equality, devoid of challenges such as verbal and sexual harassment, improving performance at all organisational levels. Incorporating the recommendations informs the company’s future gender equity policies based on their problem-solving capabilities.
Conclusion
Gender inequality is deeply rooted in organisational culture, making it challenging to eradicate, including in organisations advocating for women’s rights. A common example is Coca-Cola, renowned for emphasising gender neutrality in the market, employment and opportunities. Nonetheless, its values demonstrate a significant pay gap across genders and races, favoring men and white people, respectively. The challenges in promoting gender equality arise from century-long beliefs that have become a part of organisations, including the patriarchy, misogyny and male interests. However, gender equality policies exist to create a consensus in organisations based on recruitment, promotions, training and compensation. The primary initiatives that may help eradicate gender inequality include gender mainstreaming and tools such as measurements of gender inequality, gender impact assessment, gender budgeting, equity plans and evaluation. Coca-Cola is determined to perpetuate gender equality by employing more women, having them in leadership positions, and training them. It also believes that transparency in its processes and community awareness may aid in lowering the wage gap. However, such strategies may be met with criticism, leading to resistance to change, especially by male employees, and legal battles due to the superiority complex existing among men and white ethnicities, prompting the rejection of diversity. To overcome such challenges and implement gender equality policies, Coca-Cola should incorporate strategies ensuring all employees are hired, trained, promoted and compensated equally. It should also develop a gender equality charter for direction and measure its gender equality metrics to determine the conditions women find unfavourable and work towards solving them.
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