Revisiting Acker's gendered organizational theory: what women overcome to stay in the superintendency

Despite key improvements to social, political, and economic status, women remain underrepresented in key leadership positions across the United States, including the superintendency. Feminist research underscores that androcentric systems maintain, valorize, and reproduce the experiences and knowledge claims of upper middle-class, heterosexual, white men. Documented in related fields, gender inequity within public school systems is thus in part, the result of bias, discrimination, and highly gendered organizational practices. Part of a larger qualitative descriptive study conducted in spring 2021 of the COVID-19 pandemic, the purpose of this research was to examine normative culture within the New York State (NYS) Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) superintendency, and how professional and personal supports affect women superintendents and ultimately their decision "to stay" in their position. The guiding research question for this part of the study asked how and why the NYS BOCES superintendency was gendered? Guided by and building upon Joan Acker's gendered organizational theory, 32 semi-structured, in-depth interviews were completed with NYS BOCES women superintendents. The BOCES organization was purposefully selected, in contrast to one of the 731 NYS public school districts, because of the level of political and economic power that BOCES superintendents have at the state level - and to that end, the role of women leadership in a highly influential state educational organization. Overall, study results are consistent with Acker's research, finding that the NYS BOCES is a highly gendered organization, and also in specific ways tied to contemporary context. Chief among these included that women superintendents face countless gender inequities and barriers associated with staying in their leadership role, but professional legacy, the extent to which the work benefited families, and appropriate work-life balance were motivating factors. Concluding with implications for research and practice, study findings are significant because this study is the first to empirically examine the NYS BOCES and the career trajectories of its women superintendents - and to do so from a feminist epistemological perspective and gendered theoretical framework focused creating transformative change within research and practice.

Rebalancing gender inequity and the digital divide: Unintended consequences of working from home

Working-from-home (WFH) models represent one of several types of flexible work practices gaining ground in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of particular interest is the increase in the use of digital technology platforms for work collaboration and communication. These have been largely well received in terms of their potential to mitigate disruptions to business activity and employee work life in the absence of in-person work contexts. Research indicates that the sales and adoption of many digital platforms have witnessed sharp increase since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. These have contributed to creating seamless organisational collaborations, shared access to electronic data and new organisational processes to mirror previous in-person work arrangements. Many organisational members have had to upskill at rapid rates to catch up with these developments. Despite the benefits to employees, managers and organisations in terms of facilitating continued remote work, we illuminate the hidden inequities within this work model and highlight the unintended consequences from the standpoint of gender, race and the digital divide. We identify key aspects of WFH that represent underlying factors which create conditions for inequities and illustrate these with a case study. Additionally, we analyse the role of technology as a platform for WFH, noting impacts on employee well-being, team dynamics, as well as manager-employee relations. We conclude by raising implications for managers, offering recommendations to rebalance the inequities identified, such as developing an inclusive organisational culture, creating systems to access and evaluate employee feedback as well as developing appropriate response mechanisms that support particularly vulnerable groups. © 2022 Kemi Ogunyemi and Adaora I. Onaga. All rights reserved.

Attention to Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health at the Street Outreach Office.

The aim of study was to understand care strategies for homeless women, focusing on aspects of sexual and reproductive health from the perspective of Street Outreach Office strategy professionals. This is a qualitative study carried out in a large city in the countryside of São Paulo, Brazil. Data were collected from December 2020 to April 2021 through semi-structured interviews, and the results were obtained through content analysis and thematic modality. Nine health professionals participated in this study, and the analysis of the interviews allowed identifying three thematic categories: (i) being female and sex on the streets (violence and oppression); (ii) gynecology as a gateway to comprehensive care for homeless women; and (iii) pregnancy, puerperium and motherhood in the context of the streets. This study contributes to the reflection of professional practices within the Street Outreach Office, allowing the understanding of challenges in assisting homeless women, aiming to raise awareness of professionals and services that make up the health care network.

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Professional Career of Women in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

The COVID-19 pandemic altered all facets of society on a fundamental level, impacting work, mental health, and family life. Female surgeons experienced gender inequity and bias before COVID; therefore, women in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) were affected disproportionately by the repercussions of the pandemic. Well-established inequalities are intensified during times of crisis. This article enlightens readers regarding the preexisting inequalities in the OMS specialty, how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these ubiquitous issues, and how the specialty should accommodate these inequities moving forward.