Statement of the Problem
Due to the recent marriage of Margaret, an employee from the sales department who plans her future pregnancy, David, the regional manager, decides not to renew the contract with her. He considers this a pragmatic choice after David learns about it from another employee Mary, who prefers not to take anyone’s side in the conflict. After Margaret heard about it, she turned to the HR department represented by Pete because she viewed the situation as gender discrimination. Since this is a serious matter that can cause negative consequences and doubt the corporate value, Pete contacts the CEO, Mark, to consult him on the solution to the problem.
The Root of the Conflict
The root of the conflict comes from the feminist perspective, which demonstrates the lack of understanding and tolerance towards woman’s nature and the cynical perception of female employees. At some point, the management starts prioritizing not the people who work where, their feelings and contribution, but the productivity and effectiveness. Such an approach shifts the focus from the care for the employees, especially women, who often have to deal with discrimination and misunderstanding at their jobs from their male coworkers.
Potential Challenges
The potential challenges are a bad reputation, issues with the law, and increased public awareness. The exposed threats are likely to appear online and ruin the company’s image. However, the company could use this situation as an opportunity to create equal working conditions. Thus, the consequences of the solid patriarchal systems still affect female employees and create unpleasant and sometimes even unsafe working conditions. In case the issue remains ignored, the pattern is likely to appear in the future and cause more complications in the organization.
Application of Sociological Theory and Concepts
The Feminist Perspective
From the feminist perspective, at the macro level, the organization had some moments in the culture that were not properly considered (Lindsey, 2020). For instance, they did not hire an equal number of male and female employees; there were twice more men as women. This aspect deprived the company’s regional managers and even the corporate of gaining experience working with female employees and learning about the specifics of women’s lives. Men tend to think more of the result and concentrate on the work to achieve the required productivity level. Therefore, they may lack empathy towards some human factors or parts of womanhood specifically, and they can interrupt the work process and cause additional inconveniences (Lindsey, 2020). On the micro-level, there is an apparent communication deficit because the regional manager did not try to converse about the situation with Margaret and made a decision without her awareness.
Symbolic Interactionism Theory
Symbolic interactionism theory also allows us to analyze the conflict in the workplace from a different angle and identify additional aspects that could cause it. This theory explains the interaction between people through certain symbols and signs common to a particular culture. The term “Self” is also related to the theory and determines to realize the connection between actions and consequences (Nickerson, 2021). However, the main disadvantage is that the “Self” excludes the empathetic and emotional reaction of the person, which complicates the communication process (Nickerson, 2021).
When people interact in a certain way at the micro-level, it eventually transfers at the macro-level and forms the whole social tendency. For instance, in interpersonal interactions, David does not consider women’s specific biological characteristics, such as menstruation or pregnancy, and he will demonstrate the same attitude in the workplace.
Concept of the Conflict
The concept of conflict highlights the main points of social structures, construction, and cultural influences. There is a confrontation between the two central spheres of human life: work and family. These institutions are fundamental from the macro-level perspective and influence the population’s tendencies and development (Neelima, 2019). Nowadays, culture prioritizes career success and financial freedom over the early start of building a family. The traditional family culture now contradicts professional aspirations and creates a conflict on the micro-level. Margaret, trying to maintain her job while investing time into the family’s building, meets the opposite perception. Due to the cultural influences, David prioritizes his job and believes others should do well despite personal reasons and possible obstacles.
Application of Research Methodology
Several potential research methods will help get a deeper understanding of the issue and gather reliable information on the topic. Secondary data implies the findings of the already existing works and studies created by other researchers and professionals (Sociological research, n.d.). Some examples of the sources include articles in magazines, scholarly journals, newspapers, or books that contain information about the required theme. Such a research method can save a significant amount of time and financial resources. It is a valuable opportunity to learn from the experience and analysis of the other specialists and learn from their findings. Still, it can be hard to get the information from online or physical origins due to the restrictions or limitations associated with the access. Moreover, the credibility of the sources can be tough to measure, creating the risk of applying unreliable data to the research (Sociological research, n.d.).
Case study method
In addition, it is helpful to use the case study method to support the findings made during the research of secondary data. The choice and analysis of a single case of some event and situation may clarify certain aspects of the current issue and highlight details that could go unnoticed. Implementing solutions of the case study to the existing problem and comparing both situations with each other may open new outlooks on the conflict and contribute to deeper comprehension. However, there are also several disadvantages to both research methods. Despite all the possibilities that the case study approach might bring, it also can be limiting for the research. Since only one context is discussed, it is unlikely to get the general picture of the main topic and insights into most of the factors within the theme (Sociological research, n.d.).
Elimination of the personal biases
To review the issue objectively and rationally possible, it is crucial to detect and eliminate all personal biases. The human factor will always play a particular role in any case, and the main goal is not to make any judgments or conclusions affected by preconceived notions. Since the primary objective is to provide a value-neutral assessment, the best option will be to review the situations of both parties in the conflict and identify their strengths and weaknesses in the situation. Using secondary sources and case studies, it is crucial to get a broader perception of the issue and consider all the moments and perspectives that contribute to creating a neutral outlook on the whole picture.
Evidence-Based Recommendations
Having a conversation with pregnant women about acceptable accommodations would help resolve any issues. The certification of the process of interaction is scrutinized by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the courts, so adopting and recording it can simply guarantee that a decent attempt towards conformity has been conducted (Catalano et al., 2021). Maintain an up-to-date job specification representing each role’s responsibilities, duties, and skills. Members of staff should be reminded of their rights and obligations frequently.
Organization lawyers should educate management on the organization’s strategy. Guarantee that hiring choices are not made only based on management’s opinion of what is best for the pregnant employee. Account for how the organization approaches non-pregnant employees with comparable professional abilities or limitations. The management can gradually eradicate discrimination by evaluating and ensuring the current company policies do not disproportionately impact pregnant employees. If the policies impact pregnant employees, consider how they will be required for the company’s activities. Incorporate rules on alternative arrangements, incentives, salaried and unfunded leave, rest breaks, prejudice, abuse, and retribution. Create a strategy for reviewing and responding to incidents of pregnancy discrimination.
Results
The success achieved after undertaking these recommendations would place the company free of any lawsuits from women who might feel targeted by the majorly overrated misogyny. Women in the company, too, would feel better placed, and these efforts would impulse them to dedicate all their strength and focus toward achieving better results in their work. Eventually, the company achieves its financial goals, and everyone gets to be happy at the end of the day. Lastly, less stereotyping helps expound the mind to infinite possibilities achievable only through teamwork and smart, hard work.
References
Catalano, G., Giffoni, F., & Morretta, V. (2021). Human and social capital accumulation within research infrastructures: The case of cern. Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, 92(3), 473–496.
Nickerson, C. (2021). Symbolic interactionism theory & examples. Simply Psychology. Web.
Lindsey, L. L. (2020). Gender: Sociological Perspectives. Routledge. Sociological research. (n.d.). BCcampus Open Publishing.