Abstract:

Gender inequality remains a persistent challenge within the UK engineering sector, despite widespread organisational commitments to equality, diversity, and inclusion. While existing research has examined gender disparities across STEM broadly, less attention has been paid to how men and women experience organisational practices differently within engineering and how these experiences contribute to the persistence of the gender gap. Addressing this gap is particularly urgent given the sector’s ongoing skills shortages and reliance on attracting and retaining diverse talent.

This study examines gendered organisational experiences in the UK engineering sector and evaluates the perceived effectiveness of current gender equality initiatives. Adopting a sequential mixed-methods design, the study combines quantitative and qualitative data to capture both breadth and depth of experience. Quantitative survey data were collected from 97 engineering professionals and analysed using Mann–Whitney U tests to examine gender differences across recruitment, workplace culture, career progression, work–life balance, mentorship, organisational support, and career satisfaction. This was complemented by qualitative open-ended survey responses from eight participants, which provided deeper insight into lived experiences and contextualised the quantitative patterns.

The findings reveal consistent and statistically significant divergences between men’s and women’s perceptions across nearly all organisational domains. While men generally perceive engineering workplaces as fair and inclusive, women report experiences of bias, exclusion, and limited access to opportunity. Key barriers identified include microaggressions, undermining of competence, restricted access to sponsorship and informal networks, and a persistent flexibility stigma that penalises women for using work–life balance policies. Importantly, both men and women express scepticism regarding the visibility and effectiveness of existing gender equality initiatives, suggesting a disconnect between organisational intent and lived practice.

Building on these integrated findings, the paper introduces the ACCOUNT framework, an original, practice-oriented model that explains why gender equality initiatives often fail in practice and outlines how organisations can address structural, cultural, and relational drivers of inequality. The framework emphasises auditing organisational practices, transparency in progression criteria, managerial accountability, equitable access to opportunities, normalisation of flexibility, networked sponsorship, and systematic tracking of outcomes.

The study contributes context-specific empirical evidence to gender and management scholarship and advances a theoretically informed framework with practical relevance. By foregrounding lived experience and accountability, the paper offers actionable insights for engineering organisations seeking to foster more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable workplaces.

Please choose your submission type: Full Paper

Primary Track: Gender in Management

Keywords: Gender diversity and inclusion policies and practices;Gender discrimination and industry specific features

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Ms. Sian Doyle