Report: Company Culture Key to Addressing Gender Inequality

Emma Okonji

A research report from Accenture has identified 40 workplace factors that can create a culture of equality, including 14 factors that matter the most.

The research, published recently in the company’s “Getting to Equal 2018” report, detailed the most-effective actions that business leaders can take to accelerate advancement and help close the gender pay gap.

The research is based on a survey of more than 22,000 working men and women in 34 countries, to measure their perception of factors that contribute to their workplace cultures. The survey was supplemented with in-depth interviews and a detailed analysis of published data on a range of workforce issues.

According to Women Executive Sponsor and Country Finance Controller at Accenture Nigeria, Toyin Osungbesan, “Our research shows that in companies with cultures that include the workplace factors that help women advance, men thrive too, and we all rise together,” said “We see this research as a powerful reminder that building a culture of equality is essential to achieving gender equality because people, not programs, are what make a company inclusive and diverse.”

The Accenture’s research found that in companies where the 40 factors are most common, everyone benefits to the extent that 92 per cent of employees are satisfied with their career progression; 93 per cent of employees aspire to get promoted; 97 per cent aspire to become senior leaders in their organisations and everyone has a better opportunity to advance.

It also found out that women are 43 per cent more likely to advance to manager or above and 3.5 times as likely to advance to senior manager/director or above; Men are 25 per cent more likely to advance to manager or above and nearly twice as likely to advance to senior manager/director or above.

While both women and men advance in companies in which the 40 factors are common, women have the most to gain.
According to the report, if all working environments in Nigeria were like those in which the 40 factors are most common, then it is likely that for every 100 male managers, there could be as many as 87 female managers, up from the current ratio of 100 to 46; Women’s pay could increase 122 per cent, or up to an additional $17,560 per year; Women could earn $87 for every $100 a man earns, helping to close the pay gap and lifting women’s total earnings by $11.4 billion nationwide.

Setting clear diversity targets, the research finding is a crucial step for leaders who want to strengthen their cultures.

“Culture is set from the top, so if women are to advance, gender equality must be a strategic priority for the C-suite,” said Osungbesan.

The report, which builds on Accenture’s 2017 research on how digital fluency and technology can close the gender gap in the workplace, grouped the 14 core factors proven to influence advancement into three categories of bold leadership, comprehensive action and an empowering environment.

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations.