MBA661 Gendered Workplace Environments Report 2 Sample

MBA661 Gendered Workplace Environments Report 2

Your Task

1. Conduct a comparative audit on the gender equality status of two ASX200 companies.

2. Students should report their findings and give a recommendation on which company is the most gender equal.

3. Students should discuss whether gender equality is an important factor in selecting a company to work for and why? Would gender equality be a major factor for you in choosing a company to work for and why?

Assessment Description

The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) has been tracking gender diversity progress since 2015. Their latest report shows promising figures for the largest 200 Australian Securities Exchange (ASX200) companies as of 2021.

The AICD website (report available), the ASX200 Companies Report, and relevant reports are available from the Women in Leadership (WIL) Hub.

The report entitled “Gender Diversity Report” is a collection of statistics, interviews and case studies from individuals and organisations, all focussed on the task of increasing the gender diversity of boardrooms and executive pipelines in Australia. The report covers the summary of its findings, which students can use to select two case study companies. 
These two selected companies are going to be compared to find out which one stands above the other in its commitment to gender equality within its workplace.

Students will need to do further research on the selected companies through the Kaplan Library industry reports database or other companies' websites to find more information.

This assessment allows students to get into the details of what these influential companies are doing driving gender equality, diversity and inclusion.

Assessment Instructions

Using the Gender Diversity Progress Report (available from the WIL Hub), select two companies from the hierarchical list of companies with women on their boards for you to compare.

1. Use research terms such as “gender”, “diversity” and/or “inclusion”, collect data on the measures that have been taken or are planning to be taken to increase gender equality within the company.

2. Find up to 2 (two) additional resources, such as media reports, to add to your data.

3. Compare and contrast both companies’ efforts in creating a workplace that is committed to and is displaying results of creating gender equality within its workforce and on its Board.

4. Students should discuss whether gender equality is an important factor in selecting one of the chosen companies to work for and why?

Write a 5-minute audio script to prepare for your Podcast. This script will be recorded in a podcast format discussing the role that gender equality plays in your chosen company, how it has affected (or not) the success of the company and how important are issues of gender equality to you in in choosing a company to work for and why Throughout the trimester there will be a Workshop on how to record and upload your podcast and how to upload a one-page reference list with at least 2 (two) resources in addition to the references that have been used in preparing for the podcast to the same MyKBS submission link.

Your podcast should be informative – the key is clear, concise, contemporary use of language and structure; be professional – your podcast should be able to be publicised within the company for staff to listen to; be no longer than 5 minutes and contain evidence of the criteria listed in the Assessment Marking Guide.

Solution

Comparative audit of gender equality status of AGL Energy Ltd and BHP Group Ltd 

AGL Energy Ltd is one of the leading energy services providing both renewable and non-renewable. Considering the areas of women in leadership this company has a total of 4 female directors in board contributions 43% of the total board members (Australian Institute of Company Directors 2023).  In the year 2022, this organisation has been recognised to be the first company to have a family-inclusive workplace as per national standards of Australia (AGL Energy Annual Report 2022). As per the MBA Assignment Expert, This company is committed to gender pay equity and there is no difference in remuneration for specific job roles. Considering an inclusive workplace culture this company supports its female employees to engage with women rising program of Microsoft for skill development and Gender diversity action plan (GDAP) has been considered by this company to increase female representation in workforce (AGL 2022). 

On the other hand, BHP Group Ltd operates in four major segments including petroleum, copper, iron ore, and gas. It is one of the leading companies in the mining sector of Australia.  Considering gender equality status, 4 female board members represent 40% of the board executive (Australian Institute of Company Directors 2023). BHP has considered achieving a gender-balanced workforce goal by 2025. It has focused on determining gender-based pay disparities and potential bias in remuneration during recruitment (BHP 2023).  BHP has introduced a WA iron ore programme to increase the women workforce in the mining sector by providing the opportunity and skill development (BHP 2023). Thus it is clear that both of the companies have engaged with gender equality standards. 

Recommended Company-based Gender Equality Initiative 

Based on the comparison it can be identified that AGL Energy Ltd. has better gender equality initiative than BHP as it has not only focused on equal pay but also on improving professional skills of employees. Also, current female representation on board is 43% in case of AGL whereas it is 40% in BHP (Australian Institute of Company Directors 2023). Thus AGL Energy Ltd is most gender equal based on comparison with BHP. 

Reason Gender Equality is an Important Factor for Selecting Employer 

Concept of gender equality can be explained as ensuring equal rights and opportunities for men and women in terms of freedom of choice and scope of improvement (Altuzarra, Gálvez-Gálvez & González-Flores, 2021). There is scope for better productivity and improvement in the company in terms of fair opportunities for career development. Equal scope of training, development, professional growth, and lesser vulnerability to discrimination make employers with gender equality standards attractive. Presence of gender equality in the workplace signifies better creativity and learning opportunities and such employment opportunities are beneficial for individuals’ professional growth (Churchill & Craig, 2019). Thus it acts as a major factor while searching for an employer.  In my opinion, gender equality is a necessary factor to be maintained in the workplace to ensure equal chances for all and ensure the human and constitutional right of freedom of speech and decision. Thus I will always select a company with a standard gender equality policy as per government rules and regulations for professional growth and get remuneration based on skill and performance and not being judged based on gender.
 

Reference list 

AGL 2022, Our commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging, Retrieved 25 August 2023,< https://www.agl.com.au/about-agl/who-we-are/our-commitments/our-commitment-to-diversity-and-inclusion-lgbtq-inclusion>

AGL Energy 2022, Annual Report 2022, Retrieved 25 August 2023,

Altuzarra, A, Gálvez-Gálvez, C & González-Flores, A 2021, ‘Is gender inequality a barrier to economic growth? A panel data analysis of developing countries’ Sustainability. Vol.13, No.1, p.367. doi.org/10.3390/su13010367

Australian  Institute  of Company Directors 2023, Gender Diversity Progress Report, Retrieved 25 August 2023,< https://elearning.kbs.edu.au/pluginfile.php/1553907/mod_resource/content/7/gender-diversity-progress-report-q2-march-to-june-2023-web.pdf>

BHP 2023, Annual Report 2022, Retrieved 25 August 2023,< https://www.bhp.com/-/media/documents/investors/annual-reports/2022/220906_bhpannualreport2022.pdf>

BHP 2023, Our pathway to gender equity in WA iron ore, Retrieved 25 August 2023,

Churchill, B & Craig, L 2019, ‘Gender in the gig economy: Men and women using digital platforms to secure work in Australia’, Journal of Sociology, Vol.55, No.4, pp.741-761. DOI: 10.1177/1440783319894060