23 May 2023

Call for Papers for a Special Issue of the International Journal of Management Reviews (IJMR) - Towards an Integrated Theory of Gender, Time and Organisations

Call for Papers for a Special Issue of the International Journal of Management Reviews (IJMR)

Towards an Integrated Theory of Gender, Time and Organisations

Submission window: 1st - 30th January 2024

Special Issue Guest Editors

Introduction

This special issue aims to foster a discussion about the complex entanglement of gender, time, and inclusion in organisations. The aim is to stimulate a dialogue about the complex ways in which gender and time intersect and impact inclusion in organisational settings. The call is open to scholars from various disciplines and theoretical perspectives who are interested in exploring the gendered impact of time on inclusion in organisations. The special issue is seeking literature review papers that explore how different conceptions of time affect individual, relational, and organisational gendered experiences at work. Additionally, the call emphasises the need to investigate how these conceptions of time can either promote, ensure, or hinder inclusion management in the organisation.

The intersection of time, organisations, and gender is an essential area of inquiry in management and organisation literature. Time plays a crucial role in the experience of work, the organisation of work, and the perception of its meaning, with gender being a defining factor in this context (Rafnsdóttir & Heijstra, 2013; Devetter, 2009). For example, gender division in family and work life leads to different genders spending their time differently, highlighting the significance of discussing the structuring of time and time consciousness in the pursuit of gender equality (Bryson, 2007). The impact of organisational cultures centred around the masculine ideal of the “aggressive, always-available, commitment-free employee” on individuals’ autonomy and inclusion is widely acknowledged, emphasising the significance of context and time constraints in research on inclusion (Georgiadou & Damianidou, 2023).

Moreover, the practice of ‘long hours’ and the shift from clock-time to task-oriented work is increasingly prevalent in organisations. This has substantial impacts on employees’ health, psychological wellbeing, and inclusion, hindering initiatives aimed at promoting a sense of belonging in the organisation (Georgiadou & Antonacopoulou, 2021). Additionally, singles face “time-biases” in the workplace, as employers assume they have more time available for work than those with families (Wilkinson et al., 2017). The study of temporal regimes and orders, such as "waiting," "queuing," and "wasting time," as examined by Kinneret Lahad, advances our understanding of how hierarchies are created that separate individuals and locations into those who matter and those who do not, those who have arrived and those who have not (Lahad, 2012, 2017). Such regimes give space meaning through social-political developmental logic of how time should progress.

The efficient implementation of gender equality and inclusive organisational practices necessitates an understanding of the ways in which time is perceived, valued, utilised, and evaluated. This is due to the fact that marginalised populations, such as women, frequently face time poverty, as they are more likely to undertake unpaid domestic labour, especially in contemporary workplace arrangements. This restricts their ability to work extended hours or participate in decision-making processes, thereby depriving them of the opportunity to be viewed as "ideal workers" (Giurge, Whillians, & West, 2020). When women attempt to work as many hours as men, they often do so at the expense of their mental well-being, as they lack enough leisure time of sufficient quality. As a result, individuals with caregiving responsibilities increasingly perceive themselves as pressed for time, as stress is amplified not just by the amount of unpaid and paid work they undertake, but also by the intensity of their time use (Menzies & Newson, 2008).

Research has demonstrated that organisational cultures that prioritise embedded masculine values and assumptions can impose a time squeeze on individuals, reducing their autonomy and significantly affecting their health and well-being, thereby obstructing any efforts to foster inclusion and a sense of belonging within the organisation (Georgiadou & Antonacopoulou, 2021). Georgiadou and Damianidou (2023) have introduced the concept of "timeism," which refers to the utilisation of time abundance as a criterion for selecting those deemed suitable for sponsorship in the workplace and a tool for excluding employees who do not conform to the conventional masculine archetype of the aggressive, constantly available, commitment-free employee. Time inequality in unpaid labour is an important gauge of gender inequality and, therefore, exclusion.

Furthermore, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing turbulent socioeconomic conditions have significantly impacted employees' work experiences worldwide, highlighting the necessity for novel organisational and management strategies that are characterised by empathy, determination, flexibility, and a more humane attitude that recognises and respects employee needs (Georgiadou, Magrizos & Roumpi, 2021). Thus, understanding the interconnections of time, organisations, and gender is critical for developing effective management and organisation literature that promotes inclusive practices and gender equality. The efficient implementation of gender equality and inclusive organisational practices necessitates an understanding of the ways in which time is perceived, valued, utilised, and evaluated. This is due to the fact that marginalised populations, such as women, frequently face time poverty, as they are more likely to undertake unpaid domestic labour, especially in contemporary workplace arrangements. This restricts their ability to work extended hours or participate in decision-making processes, thereby depriving them of the opportunity to be viewed as "ideal workers" (Giurge, Whillians, & West, 2020). When women attempt to work as many hours as men, they often do so at the expense of their mental well-being, as they lack enough leisure time of sufficient quality. As a result, individuals with caregiving responsibilities increasingly perceive themselves as pressed for time, as stress is amplified not just by the amount of unpaid and paid work they undertake, but also by the intensity of their time use (Menzies & Newson, 2008).

Hence, an interdisciplinary approach is required to address the complex and interconnected issues arising from the intersection of time, organisations, and gender, including how individuals experience and perceive time in organisations, the impact of different conceptions of time on inclusion and cultural and institutional environments, and critical factors underlying the unequal distribution of time poverty across social and demographic groups. This research can inform personal, organisational, and public policies aimed at ensuring inclusion in the space of time, as well as explore the role of technology in breaking patterns of inequality between genders. Finally, the pandemic has brought new challenges to the interplay between time, gender, and inclusion, highlighting the significance of understanding the unspoken/tacit organisational cultural rules that impact time and gender experiences.

How the special issue fits with the aims and ethos of IJMR

The intersection of time, gender, and organisations is a critical area of inquiry in management and organisational literature. Within this literature, scholars have explored the ways in which career and performance management are shaped by the imperative of swift decision-making and the strategic pursuit of opportunities. These dynamics are predicated on the assumption that there is a "right" time for undertaking particular tasks and roles.

Despite the importance of time in shaping organisational processes and outcomes, there has been a relative lack of attention paid to the role of time in the management and organisation literature. This has resulted in a limited understanding of how different organisational constructs, such as career development and performance management, relate to one another in the decision-making process. Moreover, the lack of explicit consideration of time has resulted in a failure to address gender inequalities at the organisational and social level.

Recent research has emphasised the importance of examining the interplay between time and organisational constructs. For example, subjective conceptualisations of time are likely to influence decision-making processes, as individuals are likely to adapt their strategies to their time perceptions. Additionally, scholars have argued for greater attention to be paid to the relationship between organisational rhythms and socio-environmental rhythms (Shi & Prescott, 2012). Such an approach would enable a more nuanced understanding of the ways in which gender inequalities are reproduced and reinforced within organisational contexts. By examining the intersection of time, gender, and organisations, scholars can gain insights into the mechanisms through which decisions are made, and how these decisions impact organisational outcomes. Moreover, such research can provide a foundation for the development of policies and practices aimed at promoting greater gender equity within organisations.

In the context of managing emerging and complex EDI issues, literature reviews offer a valuable tool for developing both conceptual and methodological approaches. Specifically, literature reviews can facilitate the extension of well-established theories and the integration of existing concepts and research findings to analyse emergent phenomena. Given the crucial role of time in shaping gendered experiences in the workplace, it is important to incorporate temporal-spatial aspects into diversity management research. This can be achieved by extending, clarifying, or using existing theories in new and innovative ways.

Moreover, the evolving need to produce inclusive managerial techniques may require the development of new theories that explicitly consider the role of time in gendered experiences at work. Therefore, we advocate for multidisciplinary research that combines gender, time, and management to generate fresh theoretical ideas that can help organisations better understand the paradoxical difficulties they face in promoting inclusion.

In order to provide more holistic interpretations of the role of time in gendered experiences at work, it is essential to explicitly consider the temporal dimension when examining the organisational context. By doing so, we can shed light on the complex interplay between time, gender, and management practices, and develop more nuanced and context-specific understandings of the challenges and opportunities that arise in promoting diversity and inclusion.

Literature review papers from different fields are welcomed. We also encourage an interdisciplinary approach, acknowledging that gendered organisation of time has numerous intellectual roots and allies. The following issues are indicative, but not exhaustive, of our field of focus:

  • The subjective experiences and perceptions of time in work and organisational contexts, including for example how different gender identities influence these experiences.
  • The impact of different conceptions of time on the experience of inclusion and exclusion at work and in organisations, such as the role of deadlines, time pressure, and temporal flexibility.
  • The role of technology in shaping gendered experiences of time in the workplace, and how technology can be leveraged to reduce time-related inequalities.
  • The implications of time for different genders' career trajectories, including the impact of family responsibilities, caregiving duties, and flexible work arrangements.
  • The critical factors underlying the unequal distribution of time poverty across social and demographic groups, such as the intersection of race, gender, and class.
  • The personal, organisational, and public policies required to ensure inclusion in the space of time, including the implementation of flexible work policies, parental leave policies, and work-life balance programs.
  • The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the interplay between time, gender, and inclusion in work and organisational settings.
  • The impact of unspoken/tacit organisational cultural rules on time and gender experiences, including how implicit biases can shape organisational practices and policies.

Editorial team

  • Dr Andri Georgiadou is an Associate Professor at Nottingham University Business School and the Director of the Equality Inclusion and Diversity Centre. Her research focuses on equality, diversity, and inclusion at work from relational and interdisciplinary perspectives. Her work has led to publications in leading peer-reviewed journals, such as Human Resource Management Journal, Gender Work & Organization, and European Management Review among others, and several book chapters. Dr Georgiadou sits on the editorial board of the journal of International Studies of Management & Organization as the Review Editor and is an Associate Editor for Gender Work & Organization. She is also the editor of two books published by Emerald: Diversity within diversity management: Country-based perspectives and Diversity within diversity: Types of Diversity in Organizations and has edited six special issues (four as the lead Guest Editor) in Journal of Organizational Behavior, Human Resource Management Journal, Journal of Business Research, Gender, Work & Organization and two in European Management Review.
  • Professor Yamila Martin-Ferlaino is a Full Research Professor at the School of Economic Sciences, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Chair of the ECO Decision Sciences Lab at CERADEC Research Centre. Her research interests focus on employability and careers from a sustainable perspective, behavioural economics applied to work, and data driven decisions in football management. Her work has led to publications in leading Latin American journals and participation in several international conferences. She is a member of the Society for Judgment and Decision Making and The Brunswik Society.
  • Dr Eleni Damianidou is a Scientific Collaborator at the Department of Education Studies, European University Cyprus. Her qualifications include PhD Education Studies, MA Adult Learning and Global Change, MA Education Leadership and Policy, MA Special and Inclusive Education, MSc Psychology of Work, PGCert Behaviour Management and BA Greek Philology. She has published numerous articles about inclusion at work and school, the role of teachers, and home-school relations in leading peer-reviewed journals, such as Gender, Work and Organization, International Journal of Inclusive Education and Disability and Society. She has participated in more than 50 international conferences as a presenter and a stream organiser. Her research focuses on inclusion at work and school, disability studies, effective teaching methods, teacher training and home-school relations.
  • Dr Grace Gao is a Lecturer in Leadership and HRM at Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University, UK. She serves as the Social Media Editor for Gender, Work and Organization. Her research mainly draws upon feminist theories (e.g., intersectionality), interrogating work on the gendered nature of non-traditional employment and the emergence of women in male-dominated sectors across borders. Her work has appeared in international outlets such as Gender, Work and Organization. She is also active in engaging with different writing methods and creative forms of writing, informed by feminist epistemologies, to explore issues of gender, diversity, embodiment, ethics, and affect in organisations. (She will help with reviewing the papers)
  • Dr Nasima M. H. Carrim is an Associate Professor at the at the University of Pretoria and the Chair for the Diversity and Inclusion Committee at the Economic and Management Sciences Faculty. She is also the Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Interest Group at the Society for Industrial and Organisational Psychology in South Africa (SIOPSA). Her research focuses on diversity and inclusion from an intersectionality and identity perspective. She has authored many articles in international journals such as in Gender, Work and Organization, The Journal of Men’s studies among others. She has also published several book chapters in international publications such as in the Handbook on Diversity and Inclusion Indices: A Research Compendium, Research handbook on new frontiers of Equality and Diversity at work and others, including encyclopaedia entries in The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Race, Ethnicity and Nationalism, and Oxford Research Encyclopaedia of Business and Management. Dr Carrim sits on the Editorial Review Board for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal. She is a convenor for the Gender, Work and Organisation conference to be held in Cape Town, South Africa in 2023.

Timeline for the special issue

  • May 2023: Initial Call for Papers
  • Blinded papers submitted between 1 and 30 January 2024
  • March 2024: Initial review of papers and review assignments made
  • May 2024: Reviews due, initial decisions made, and revision invitations extended
  • September 2024: Revised manuscripts due
  • November 2024: Subsequent decisions made and revision invitations extended
  • March 2025: Revised manuscripts due and final decisions made  
  • August 2025: Special issue processed and submitted

Submission guidelines

Manuscripts should follow the Author Guidelines set out by the International Journal of Management Reviews available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/14682370/homepage/ForAuthors.html  

Additionally, see also the Editorials at the site below:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/14682370/homepage/editorials

Manuscripts should be submitted online via https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ijmr highlighting that you wish to be considered for the Special Issue 'Towards an Integrated Theory of Gender, Time and Organisations'.

References

Bryson, V. (2007). Gender and the politics of time: Feminist theory and contemporary debates. Policy Press.

Devetter, F. X. (2009). Gender differences in time availability: Evidence from France. Gender, Work & Organization16(4), 429-450.

Georgiadou, A., & Antonacopoulou, E. P. (2021). Leading through social distancing: The future of work, corporations and leadership from home. Gender, Work & Organization28(2), 749-767.

Georgiadou, A., & Damianidou, E. (2023). Timeism. in Mills, J.H., Mills, A.J., & Bendl, R. Elgar Encyclopedia of Gender and Management. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Georgiadou, A., Magrizos, S., & Roumpi, D. (2021). Inclusion in the COVID-19 Era. 14th International Conference on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, EDI 2021, Bern, Switzerland.

Giurge, L. M., Whillans, A. V., & West, C. (2020). Why time poverty matters for individuals, organisations and nations. Nature Human Behaviour4(10), 993-1003.

Menzies, H., & Newson, J. (2008). Time, stress and intellectual engagement in academic work: Exploring gender difference. Gender, Work & Organization15(5), 504-522.

Rafnsdóttir, G. L., & Heijstra, T. M. (2013). Balancing work–family life in academia: The power of time. Gender, Work & Organization20(3), 283-296.

Shi, W., & Prescott, J. E. (2012). Rhythm and entrainment of acquisition and alliance initiatives and firm performance: A temporal perspective. Organization Studies33(10), 1281-1310.