Handbook of Gender, Work and Organization (PDF)

This work of reference represents a remarkably complete, detailed
and extensive review of the field of gender, work and organization
in the second decade of the 21st century. Its authors
represent eight countries and many disciplines including
management, sociology, political science, and gender studies. The
chapters, by top scholars in their areas of expertise, offer both
reviews and empirical findings, and insights and challenges for
further work. The chapters are organized in five sections:
Histories and Philosophies; Organizing Work and the Gendered
Organization; Embodiment; Globalization; and Diversity.

* Theoretical and conceptual developments at the cutting edge of
the field are explicated and illustrated by the handbook's
authors.

* Methods for conducting research into gender, work and
organization are reviewed and assessed as well as illustrated in
the work of several chapters.

* Efforts to produce greater gender equality in the workplace
are covered in nearly every chapter, in terms of past successes and
failures. Military organizations are presented as one of the
difficult to change in regards to gender (with the result that
women are marginalized in practice even when official policies and
goals require their full inclusion).

* The role of the body/embodiment is emphasized in several
chapters, with attention both to how organizations discipline
bodies and how organizational members use their bodies to gain
advantage. Particular attention is paid to sexuality in/and
organizations, including sexual harassment, policies to alleviate
bias, and the likelihood that future work will pay more attention
to the body's presence and role in work and
organizations.

* Many chapters also address "change efforts" that
have been employed by individuals, groups, and organizations,
including transnational ones such as the European Union, the United
Nations, and so on.

In addition to its value for teachers and students within this
field, it also offers insights that would be of value to policy
makers and practitioners who need to reflect on the latest thinking
relating to gender at work and in organizations.