Performance at Work of Men and Women: Employers' Perceptions

Employers' perceptions of men & women at work have a significant effect on their access to higher job levels & better work conditions. This article analyzes data from a survey of 203 companies in Chile & 17 in-depth interviews. A major conclusion is that what can best explain employers' negative or positive opinions about women employees is an a priori definition of the characteristics of different occupations. Such "predefinition" has little to do with the technical or organizational elements of the occupations, but rather, to the masculine or feminine character socially attributed to them. We are therefore dealing with mechanisms constituting a gender order, which characterizes & classifies certain kinds of companies & occupations as more or less suitable for men or women, defining male & female territories in the world of work. 3 Tables, 1 Graph. Adapted from the source document.