uk resource centre for women in science, engineering and technology

Workplace culture is created through the shared beliefs, values and behaviours of an organisation and its staff, the unwritten rules that exist in a workplace which everyone follows without questioning. However, the way things are done in an organisation can put some people at a disadvantage if they are not part of the majority. As women make up only 18.5% of those working in SET, while there may be no intention to discriminate, the effects of a workplace culture which excludes or disadvantages them can be just as damaging.

 

SET workplace culture is an issue for British industry. It is a factor in the skills shortages threatening to undermine these seectors, and with new equality legislation is increasingly becoming a significant concern for employers.

 

In order to create an inclusive workplace culture, companies need to ensure that diversity is put into practice through the ‘unwritten’ rules as well as written policy. These can consist of including women in social networking and tackling myths regarding women’s ability to work in SET. Diversity and gender equality needs to be embedded into the values of the organisation and the attitudes of all levels of staff in order for a shift to occur in women’s perceptions about working there.

 

 

The UKRC can help employers to assess their organisational culture and identify what steps to take to make a change.

 

Read the UKRC's Good Practice Guide to Workplace Culture (PDF).

 

 

The UKRC's Culture Analysis Tool (CAT) has been developed  to assist employers in understanding and benchmarking the culture in their workplace with respect to gender equality. The CAT assesses both the tangible and more intangible factors that contribute to the underlying workplace cultures, through three anonymous questionnaires, one for management, one for employees and a third short questionnaire for HR staff. The responses are analysed at the UKRC and a confidential report is then issued. A comprehensive action plan for culture change that is tailored to the organisation’s needs is developed with the company.

 

Many organisations in different sectors have completed CAT surveys. Many positive outcomes have resulted including some organisations wishing to repeat the CAT survey to monitor progress and some wishing to survey other sites or departments within their organisations.

 

For more information on the CAT, contact us.