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What Works? How Combining Equal Opportunity and Work–Life Measures Relates to the Within-Firm Gender Wage Gap

Author

Listed:
  • Charlotte K. Marx

    (Faculty of Sociology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany)

  • Martin Diewald

    (Faculty of Sociology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany)

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate how organizational equal opportunity and work–life measures when combined are associated with the gender wage gap within large German establishments. By looking at both kinds of measures as parts of a comprehensive personnel strategy, we provide a novel way to distinguish between a career-supportive implementation of work–life measures versus implementation as a compensating differential. Using a linked employer–employee dataset, we performed a cross-sectional multilevel regression analysis with fixed effects for 6439 respondents within 122 establishments. The results indicate that work–life measures that support employees in their parenthood responsibilities are linked to a significantly higher GWG, particularly for parents. Our results indicate that the implementation of work–life measures is used as compensating differentials, primarily for mothers. Particularly, this can be found when looking at the combination of multiple measures. In combination with equal opportunity measures for women, work–life measures that highlight the long-term absence from the workplace are associated with a higher GWG for parents.

Suggested Citation

  • Charlotte K. Marx & Martin Diewald, 2022. "What Works? How Combining Equal Opportunity and Work–Life Measures Relates to the Within-Firm Gender Wage Gap," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-34, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:11:y:2022:i:6:p:251-:d:834249
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    7. Ellen Ernst Kossek & Ariane Ollier-Malaterre, 2013. "Work-Life Policies: Linking National Contexts, Organizational Practice and People for Multi-level Change," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Steven Poelmans & Jeffrey H. Greenhaus & Mireia Las Heras Maestro (ed.), Expanding the Boundaries of Work-Family Research, chapter 1, pages 3-31, Palgrave Macmillan.
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    1. Al Amin Al Abbasi & Mohammad Jahangir Alam & Subrata Saha & Ismat Ara Begum & Yu Sheng & Maria Fay Rola‐Rubzen, 2025. "Does Rural Transformation Reduce the Gender Wage Gap? An Empirical Study of Sustainable Development in Bangladesh," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(6), pages 8802-8820, December.

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