Gender Diversity: An Opportunity for Socially Inclusive Human Resource Management Policies for Organizational Sustainability

Abstract

The context in which work is distributed, organized, and performed has certainly changed in recent decades. In recent years, shock events such as COVID-19 have contributed to the revision of human resource management (HRM) dynamics, which was previously for “standard work”. Overall, hybrid work is not a novelty but has significantly expanded, particularly in the post-COVID-19 period, creating new opportunities in human resource management, especially for female employees, who often manifest the need to reconcile family and work. The new post-pandemic situation has paved the way for gender sustainability processes in organizations by pushing towards a more general organizational sustainability. In fact, in recent decades, sustainability in companies has ceased to be merely environmental and has expanded its boundaries to a “sustainable” business model, whereby human resource management must also meet organizational sustainability criteria. The literature shows that women add value to organizations. Therefore, companies that take on the implementation of management policies with the aim of gender inclusion are committed to social and organizational sustainability, which leads to strategic ideas of competitive advantages. Starting from these considerations, the main purpose of this paper is to compare several strands of research on organizational sustainability and diversity management using an integrative literature review method that offers the opportunity to discover areas where further research is needed. This allows fields of study to be mapped. This paper, derived from a review, provides insights for line managers and upper management regarding pursuing sustainability goals within organizations’ boundaries. Limitations and potential future research directions are also discussed, contributing to the ongoing development of research on these subjects.

1. Introduction

The context in which work is distributed, organized, and performed has changed significantly in recent decades, driven by the need for long-term competitiveness, globalization, digitization, and demographic development (Altman et al. 2021). Together, these changes have provided the basic prerequisites for the creation of new job opportunities (Caligiuri et al. 2020). They can also enable improvements in the quality of existing jobs and promote the employability of individuals with specific personal needs through inclusion and diversity management (Ozkazanc-Pan 2021; Holck 2018). More recently, the pandemic of COVID-19 has accelerated this labor market evolution. Human resource management has been one of the areas undergoing diagnosis and reevaluation, as has the concept of the “standard employment relationship” (Capgemini Research Institute 2020; ILO 2016, 2021). Overall, fluid–hybrid labor is not new, but it has expanded significantly. In particular, the COVID-19 crisis has accelerated its arrival along with the advent of a new and broader “future of work” (World Economic Forum 2020; Assemblea Generale 2015). Thus, periods of closure of most enterprises have triggered the proliferation of remote or hybrid work and automation. Forms of dependency and market reorganization have led to a reconsideration of work toward modes other than the full-time worker, even as organizations themselves have become more fluid and jobs have been deconstructed, reinvented, and increasingly automated (Boudreau and Donner 2021; Tursunbayeva and Pagliari 2023). Previous studies have found that nonstandard work patterns can have negative effects on workers (ILO 2016; Tursunbayeva et al. 2022; Tursunbayeva and Pagliari 2023). The overuse and/or misuse of nonstandard contracts can have a significant impact on labor productivity, equality, economic growth, fair competition among firms, and the sustainability of social protection systems (Dooley et al. 1994; Catalano 1991; Catalano et al. 2002; Jansen et al. 2006). This also happens when a one-size-fits-all work model and structure is used and the organization loses sight of how inclusive human resource management techniques can meet individual needs and improve the social, economic, and organizational sustainability of the company. The sustainability of organizations is now at the center of a public debate (de Bakker et al. 2019). It is worth asking whether and how much the organizational structure and human resource management of individual companies have been considered within this debate. This article starts from the consideration of the usefulness of revisiting labor management dynamics in the post-COVID-19 period (Tursunbayeva and Pagliari 2023). Organizations that implement inclusive management policies, particularly for managing gender diversity, are believed to demonstrate a commitment to social and organizational sustainability as a way to gain competitive advantage (Rodriguez et al. 2016). Recent changes have even made nonstandard work attractive to workers who prefer paid work to domestic work or education (Giurge and Woolley 2022). It has also provided an opportunity to test and modify some typical elements of nonstandard work and transfer them to standard work while retaining some advantages, particularly flexibility in both time and place of work. The new challenge for workers is to perform tasks that best suit their skills, preferences and personal needs, while reconciling work and private life. This can provide, especially for women, better opportunities to balance family and work through human resource management policies that support better gender inclusion and organizational sustainability. Organizations therefore seek economic, organizational, social and cultural balance to achieve this goal. Perhaps there is more sensitivity to the environmental costs and harms caused by companies than to the costs and harms imposed on people through management practices that affect the social and physical well-being of employees. However, there is a large body of literature highlighting several workplace practices that have been shown to harm well-being and others that generate social well-being (Hegewisch and Gornick 2011). For example, workplace instability and failure to offer health insurance generate psychological distress among employees (Hegewisch and Gornick 2011). Conflict between work and family increases the rate of absence from work and affects the psychological and physical well-being of employees and their families (Pfeffer 2010). There is also abundant evidence of the link between comfortable work environments and business performance. A meta-analysis of 92 studies (Combs et al. 2006) found a statistically significant correlation between comfortable work practices, comfortable work environments, and high individual and organizational performance. A study of data from a panel of 109 Italian manufacturing companies (Colombo et al. 2007) found that adopting work practices that create comfortable work environments leads to better performance. Whitener (2001) explored why these effects occur, studying nearly 1700 employees of 180 credit unions, and found that human resource management practices with high organizational and managerial commitment increase employee trust and commitment. These studies thus confirm that creating higher levels of employee engagement in a work environment with a good organizational climate generates higher individual and organizational commitment and productivity. Organizations that implement inclusive gender diversity management policies are more committed to social and organizational sustainability to achieve greater competitive advantage (Assemblea Generale 2015). Therefore, a review of the literature seeks to find a possible relationship between new nonstandard forms of work and diversity management policies toward a goal of gender and organizational sustainability. The goal of this paper is to systematize existing theory through a cluster analysis of the literature. In this way, the study aims to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of the topic. To achieve this goal, we conducted a thorough review of the relevant literature on the subject, using cluster analysis as a methodological approach. This allowed us to categorize and organize existing theoretical frameworks, enabling a clearer understanding of the current state of knowledge. By identifying key themes, patterns, and gaps, this study offers valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners, encouraging further exploration and investigation in the field.

Gender Diversity: A Matter of Equity and Equality

The United Nations 2030 Agenda has increased the focus on gender diversity. Sustainable Development Goal 5 aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Goal 10 aims to reduce inequality within and between nations. This study therefore aims to contribute to the achievement of these goals. The unconditional use of the same work model and structure for everyone has a negative impact on organizations and employees. The study of diversity helps us remember that individual capabilities, preferences, and needs are essential to organizational success. They are also the driving force behind social, economic, and organizational sustainability. Gender diversity influences the managerial aspirations and management policies of men and women. However, the approach may change depending on whether gender is considered an issue of equity or equality (Bendl et al. 2019). Gender equity is defined as “equal treatment of women and men, according to their respective needs. This may include equal treatment or treatment that is different but considered equivalent in terms of rights, benefits, obligations and opportunities” (ILO 2000). Gender equity, then, is defined as an equitable distribution of resources between genders, based on needs. For example, item 5b of the 2030 Agenda encourages the use of new technologies that can promote women’s empowerment. Gender equality is the effective equality between men and women. It means that everyone, regardless of gender, should be free to develop their personal capabilities and make choices without limitations imposed by stereotypical views, rigid gender roles, or prejudices. Gender equality means that the behaviors, aspirations, and needs of women and men are equally considered, valued, and favored. It does not mean that women and men should become equal, but that individual rights, responsibilities, and opportunities do not depend on being born male or female (ILO 2000). In international and national contexts, gender equality is a concept closely linked to the human rights agenda. Goal 10(4) of the 2030 Agenda encourages the use of wage and social policies to achieve equality. This study chose to adopt a criterion of equity and/or equality. In general, HR practices and interventions and organizational changes, with a focus on sustainability and from a social responsibility perspective, are designed to develop a culture that promotes both equality and gender equity. The use of inclusive HR policies designed to promote sustainability and environmental concern positively affects organizational well-being and employee performance (Cueto et al. 2023).

2. Research Design and Method

Our goal was to conduct a literature review to identify gaps in the literature and encourage further research. Reviews follow a specific, rigorous, and systematic methodology in the way they collect and synthesize previous research (Tranfield et al. 2003).

A systematic review process applied to the field of management can produce a reliable body of knowledge and context-sensitive research, representing a “fundamental scientific activity” for exploring new areas of research (Mulrow 1994).

This literature review aims to create a solid foundation to improve knowledge of the topic and facilitate theory development by relating two different theoretical strands (Webster and Watson 2002). This method is an excellent way to discover areas where further research is needed and to establish theoretical frameworks, build conceptual models, and formulate potential research questions. Among the different methods of literature review, narrative or integrative reviews (Baumeister and Leary 1997; Wong et al. 2013), systematic reviews and meta-analyses (Davis et al. 2014; Liberati et al. 2009), or integrative reviews (Torraco 2005), the authors assessed that the type of method that was best suited for exploratory activities in the relationships between different variables, which use more creative data collection, was the integrative review approach (Baumeister and Leary 1997; Wong et al. 2013). It is useful because the purpose of the review is not to cover all articles ever published on the topic, but rather to combine perspectives to create new theoretical models. The purpose of using an integrative review method is to examine the knowledge base and critically review, reconceptualize, and expand the theoretical basis of the specific topic as it develops.

The goal is to create initial or preliminary conceptualizations and theoretical models, rather than to revise old models, which the authors attempt to do by combining and merging different theoretical strands. The data analysis part of an integrative review is not particularly developed to a specific standard (Whittemore and Knafl 2005) but requires transparency in documenting the defined analysis process (MacInnis 2011; Torraco 2005).

The authors have chosen to use the integrative literature review methodology as the initial step in a search to summarize empirical and theoretical literature for a deeper understanding of a specific phenomenon.

Specifically, we adopted this methodology to explore the connections and relationships among existing studies, with the goal of thoroughly delineating the context of our research topic (Torraco 2005). The integrative analysis revealed that inclusive and sustainable human resource management policies are associated with four gender-related concepts (see

Table 1. Studies included in the integrative literature review.

	Thematic Area	No. of Papers
Thematic Macro-area Social Sustainability	Gender equity sustainability	24
	Gender equality sustainability	28
	Gender gap sustainability	25
	Gender diversity management sustainability	39

).

The authors conducted the integrative literature review following four stages (see Figure 1). The phases are (1) planning the review, (2) conducting the review, (3) analysis, and (4) reporting and dissemination (Liberati et al. 2009; Tranfield et al. 2003; Wong et al. 2013; Mulrow 1994; Palmatier et al. 2018).

We used an integrative literature review method to examine the knowledge base and then critically review, reconceptualize, and expand the theoretical basis of the topic during the review process. The topic of sustainability strategy in the management of women in business, as a set of practices and models based on empirical evidence, could open spaces for reflection and provide guidelines to support a sustainable business transition process. An exploratory meeting indicated that research on gender-related “social sustainability” would be of interest to HR departments.

Analysis

The search strategy was conducted using keywords that take into account scientific production from 2002 to 2020. The keywords used were gender diversity, women on board, conflict management, sustainability, work-life balance, human resource management, gender equity, gender equality, sustainability and human resources, sustainability and women, sustainability and gender diversity, organizational sustainability and gender diversity, organizational sustainability and women, and organizational sustainability and human resources. The selected keywords were derived from existing articles, abstracts, and conclusions, as well as disciplinary terminology and a literature search. The databases used were standard scientific search engines, as shown in the appendix (see Appendix A,

Table A1. Search strategy.

Search Variables
Date	Search Fields/Keywords	Databases:
from 2002 to 2022	- gender diversity; - woman on board; - conflict management; - sustainability; - work-life balance; - human resource management; - gender equity; - gender equality; - sustainability and human resource; - sustainability and woman; - sustainability and gender diversity; - organizational sustainability and gender diversity; - organizational sustainability and woman; - organizational sustainability and human resource.	- Scopus; - Open Athens; - Ebook Open Access; - Google Scholar; - Academia.edu; - EBSCO for academic libraries; - Taylor and Francis; - Research.net; - Orcid; - ResearchGate; - Vanvitelli University On-Line Library; - Papers in the main scientific journals on HR and sustainability.

, for further details). The selected journals belonged to areas such as managerial behavior and human resources. The literature search activity found a total of 156 scientific articles. To analyze the literature, we constructed an Excel table with a brief description of the article type, research question, methodology, and theoretical and practical implications and results. This allowed us to code the articles and obtain a clear picture of the contributions to the topic.

In a review of the initial abstracts and full texts of the 156 articles, 116 provided useful information on social sustainability, in line with the research objective (for further details, refer to Section 3). From the study of these 116 articles, we then identified four organizational themes: gender equity, gender equality, gender gap, and gender diversity management (Table 1 and Section 3). More specifically, the themes that can contribute to the achievement of organizational sustainability, identified through inclusive policies, are grouped into four categories.

3. Findings and Discussion

The search yielded a total of 156 articles. These are divided into four subject areas, most of which fall under the fields of economics, management, and accounting, followed by social sciences, business, and finance. Figure 2 shows the percentage of articles in each area.

We used textual analysis to group the articles into 12 clusters (

Table 2. Clustering of articles.

Cluster	No. of Papers
1.  Management and sustainability	8
2.  Organizational skills and behavior	7
3.  Organizational behavior	9
4.  Diversity management	10
5.  Open innovation	8
6.  Leadership	10
7.  Soft skills	12
8.  Conflict	4
9.  Women on boards	14
10.  Gender diversity	10
11.  Change management and inclusion	34
12.  Organizational sustainability	30

and Figure 3).

The results of our analysis of 156 articles show that 116 articles provide valuable information on social sustainability. This highlights the growing interest and attention given to this topic in academic research. The literature review found that inclusive and sustainable human resource management policies have been classified into four gender-related concepts. Therefore, our identification of four distinct organizational areas, namely gender equity, gender equality, gender gap, and gender diversity management, emphasizes the recognition of gender issues as integral aspects of social sustainability.

We then developed an organizational sustainability model to synthesize and systematize the contributions (Figure 4). This identified the action items, generating an idea of “gender sustainability” to contribute to organizational sustainability. The basic assumption is the positive vision of how the full inclusion of women can generate good performance and a good organizational climate in organizations.

In addition, the organizational model is intended to be a stimulus for future scientific applications.

Reviews should position articles as fundamental to future research or theories and, when reconceptualizing a problem, introduce new relationships and unexplored perspectives (see Section 3.1, Section 3.2, Section 3.3 amd Section 3.4).

3.1. Gender Equity Sustainability

The literature grouped under the sustainability theme of gender equity shows that to promote equal opportunity, the first step is to adopt policies that detect unequal treatment of men and women and counter gender stereotypes. Practical implications include the importance of introducing management policies that allow all employees to aspire to the same placement and career opportunities (Huse and Solberg 2006; Iannotta et al. 2015; Romano and Petruccioli 2020; Rigolini and Huse 2021; Seierstad et al. 2017).

The concept of work-life balance has emerged as a key factor to be considered in the implementation of social policies to promote equal opportunities and remove inequalities. It is important not to take the reconciliation of the work and family dimensions of each individual’s life for granted (Cervia and Biancheri 2017; Romano and Petruccioli 2020). Women are often culturally identified as the hub of the family and may need work–life balance policies that help them balance family and work. Some authors (Romano and Petruccioli 2020), however, stressed that it is also important to pay attention to work–life balance distortions. They argued that work–life balance policies inherently have discriminatory aspects. They must be carefully evaluated to ensure that they do not intensify, rather than solve, the problem of family–work imbalance (work–life conflict). A study by Faisal (2010) found widespread dissatisfaction among women regarding the effectiveness of work–life balance and work–life conflict policies. This led to an effect called “horizontal hostility”, because this dissatisfaction reduces the number of women in top positions (Huse and Seierstad 2013). To reduce the problem, Faisal (2010) identified four strategic actions: the creation of guidelines for the formulation of gender equity policies and actions that take into account the characteristics of different organizational types and are therefore not general or universal; the dissemination of career opportunities and encouragement for women; professional development pathways to increase gender awareness and reduce biased practices; and support for the professionalization of women.

3.2. Gender Equality Sustainability

The literature on gender equality includes many contributions that emphasize the equality of men and women in business with respect to equal opportunity, including all those that discuss the concept of the “glass ceiling” (Smith 2015). This describes the phenomenon whereby women may have a brilliant educational background but continue to have less access to stable employment. There is an increasing presence of women in fields traditionally considered male, but this has not been associated with either a reduction in the difficulty of entering or an improvement in the quality of work offered to women (Oakley 2000). This has led to precarity, which in turn affects work–life balance and stress (Ozkazanc-Pan 2021). Universal barriers common to all sectors and organizational settings include a gender-based rather than skill-based division of labor, unequal reward and incentive systems, lack of institutional commitment to ensure a corporate welfare system, and unfavorable turnover (Nielsen and Huse 2010).

Some studies have also examined vertical and horizontal segregation. Strachan et al. (2015) found underrepresentation of women in top management and governance positions, as well as discrimination against women, unequal pay, treatment gaps, and exposure of women to precarious jobs. “Glass ceiling” theories suggest the need to investigate the barriers that prevent women from assuming top positions in public and private companies (Smith 2015). These include gender stereotypes, leadership styles, and lack of experience.

3.3. Gender Gap Sustainability

This theme included studies on the number of women on boards of directors and pink quotas (Burton et al. 2020; Frigotto and Della Valle 2018; Shukla and Teraiya 2022). Several empirical studies have found a positive relationship between business success and the presence of women on boards of directors (Nielsen and Huse 2010). Heterogeneity in management teams is critical to achieving positive outcomes and increasing the number of women on boards (Sumedrea 2016). Female quotas on boards are also directly related to fraud reduction. This may be because women tend to be more diligent in monitoring, which results in a healthier and more transparent environment and reduces fraud by all stakeholders inside and outside the organization (Capezio and Mavisakalyan 2016). Nielsen and Huse (2010) found that women are more likely to form alliances and devote more attention to board preparation and dynamics, generating a more peaceful and sustainable climate.

3.4. Gender Diversity Management Sustainability

The topic of gender diversity management contains contributions such as that of Romano and Petruccioli (2020), who highlight two different types of drivers of gender diversity management. Both are anti-discriminatory and egalitarian policies for restoring gender balance (Deprez et al. 2012; Lee et al. 2018; Lyu and Liu 2021; Young et al. 2018). The first is “soft” legal provisions, i.e., codes of conduct that contain recommendations in favor of gender rebalancing but do not have a binding effect. The second is “hard” legal provisions, which are mandatory and are designed to provide greater legal protection to underrepresented groups.

Clarke’s (2011) contribution was aimed at women managers with strong leadership skills. The author described a pathway with various activities such as coaching, workshops, and case studies to enhance useful components of a career pathway to promote vertical de-segregation. Some studies have also examined aspects such as soft skills, emotional intelligence, personal attitudes, and noncognitive skills (Tomo et al. 2022; Cicellin et al. 2015). These studies could be the basis for further work on factors that can influence and shape women’s soft skills, such as environment, family, and education. These studies can provide techniques, insights, and policy mixes that can improve management’s ability to manage diversity through an inclusive and sustainable organizational culture (Marcenaro-Gutierrez et al. 2021).

4. Limitations and Future Perspectives

From the literature review, it is clear that future research should focus on examining the relationship between the variables of interest, gender and sustainability. Two potential research steps could explore the impact of HR policies on the correlation between these two variables: gender and sustainability. The extent to which the relationship between these two variables influences scientific discourse can be addressed in the following questions:

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How do corporate policies influence gender equity and sustainability, particularly in the context of hybrid–fluid work?

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What impacts does gender diversity have on sustainability in a flexible work environment, and how can we improve corporate management for more effective and inclusive sustainability?

Potential limitations of this literature review-based research could arise from limitations in access to relevant data sources and dependence on already published information. In addition, the lack of original empirical data may affect the validity and completeness of the conclusions. To overcome these limitations, future research could also consider empirical implementations, such as case studies or field research. We suggest that future research could use quantitative methods to analyze whether organizations that adopt inclusive gender management policies are also committed to social and organizational sustainability and whether this has an impact on competitive advantage. This could help supplement theoretical approaches with hard data, improving the robustness and applicability of the study.

5. Conclusions

Through this first phase of this research, which uses the integrative literature review method, the authors intended to synthesize, integrate, and compare the existing literature. The organizational model that has been developed is intended to be a phase to be tested later.

In conclusion, the integrative literature review stands as a significant catalyst to inspire further exploration of the topic at hand. The provocation inherent in this type of review lies in its ability to generate new ideas and offer direct directions for the advancement of the research field. The critical evaluation of literary sources helped identify gaps and unresolved issues, laying the groundwork for further exploration. The process of reconceptualizing issues inevitably brought to light new connections and perspectives not previously explored, enriching our understanding of the context studied.

The literature review highlighted the need to formulate key questions to guide future research and curricula. In particular, thoroughly addressing the shortcomings identified during the authors’ literary critique emerged as an essential step in advancing knowledge in the field. The presentation of challenging research questions to pique the interest of fellow researchers is an effective conclusion tool for this scholarly contribution.

In conclusion, we aim to make a scientific contribution by organizing the different contributions into thematic groupings. These thematic groupings have facilitated our understanding of the scope of the literature related to issues of gender and sustainability, along with how these elements are addressed. The idea that emerges from the initial literature review is that sustainable enterprises must consider people as physical dimensions of business actions.

One of the goals of the 2030 Agenda is for organizations to develop innovative management techniques that increase employee satisfaction and result in long-term competitive advantages. All studies analyzed in this paper show that inclusive policies generate peaceful and sustainable environments in organizations, supporting sustainable business models.

In general, there is a widespread belief, highlighted by the conducted review, that in order to build economic success, organizations can no longer neglect the consideration of sustainability in terms of its effect on people.

In addition, the literature review highlights the importance of exploring the implications of hybrid–fluid work on organizational culture and values.

Most of the literature reviewed agrees that fostering a culture of inclusion, transparency, and trust becomes critical to ensuring the sustainability of HR practices in the face of hybrid–fluid work dynamics.

To date, this is an ongoing debate that seems to be gathering ideas, comparisons, and controversy. However, there is a growing willingness to implement the Council Recommendations on Gender Equality in Public Life (OECD 2016). These recommendations urge member states to strengthen accountability and oversight mechanisms on gender equality and initiatives within and across government institutions.

This literature review aims to provide an initial synthesis to support future steps in gender and HR sustainability research. These steps aim to encourage the advancement of studies and organizational change focused on cultural transformation before structural transformation, as part of a process toward an inclusive civilization of society.