II assignment

Diversity is an aspect we acknowledge and deal within our daily lives. Diversity is measured in terms of gender, race in all organizations. In this study, diversity will focus on gender, which will serve as the independent variable. Gender diversity will be measured by the (a) level of support given to men versus women (b) amount and frequency of professional development training provided to men versus women (c) amount and timeliness of feedback provided to men versus women (d) opportunities for advancement available to men versus women and (e) incentives and rewards for good results to men versus women.

Organizations and companies for years have embraced workforce diversity and invested more in diversity programs to help attract a broader talent pools of employees. This increases the reputation and strengthens the cultural values of the organization. This research study seeks to examine the effect of gender diversity on individual job performance in the banking sector using control variables of age, ethnicity and education diversity. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be used in this study to establish the relationship between the variables using four research questions: (a) What relationship exists between the age and individual job performance? (b) What influence does an employee’s educational background have on their performance in an organization? (c) What is the relationship between ethnicity and individual job performance? (d) What relationship exists between gender diversity and individual job performance? The study will include a sample size of 230 middle managers from 13 headquarter banks because middle managers make employment decisions and interact with employees frequently. This is not the first study to focus on gender diversity in the banking sector, but there is little literature on the topic. One goal of this study is to add to the existing literature on the topic and provide the need for further research.

Religious diversity in social and educational realms is extremely important. This importance has been emphasized in current research. Ghosha stated an example of such emphasis is found in a study where Bergan and McContha (2000) discovered positive relation between religious diversity and happiness across three wide-ranging age groups (adolescents, young adults and adults). According to Ghosh, Walker (2003) analyzed various aspects of religion and morality and determine that the religious experience is significant in moral functioning. Ghosh explained that in another study, Roccas (2005) also emphasizes the correlations between religious diversity and moral values. This debate is reinforced by the social norm theory. The theory suggests that the religious norms of the local population in which the organization is built on impacts the management perspective towards risk, regardless of whether management itself is religious, considering the local population is an integral element of the environment which the managers live and operate (Ghosh, 2017). The influence on management is augmented by the need of organizations to maintain organizational legitimacy.

1.1 Basic Concepts of the Study

Gender diversity may add value to an organization such as increased social sensitivity when solving problems and increasing diverse thoughts which results in better company performance (Anitha, 2014). Many studies show evidence of a positive relationships between gender diversity on executive and board position and job performance of firms. There is significant relation between gender diversity on executive and board positions and employee job performance (Rizwan, Khan, Nadeem & Abbas, 2016). The dependent variable in this study will be individual job performance. Employee job performance will include (a) Quantity of output, (b) Quality of output (c) Timeliness of output, presence / attendance on the job (d) Efficiency of the work completed and (e) Effectiveness of work completed. Little is known about the effects of gender diversity on job performance in the banking sector. A research gap exists on this study and there is a need for further research. This study will include various research methods and design, using a suitable sample for efficient results, and research questions.

The study will use a descriptive research design. Descriptive research design is used to measure subjective aspects in business performance (Ghauri, Grønhaug & Strange, 2020). This research design involves various qualitative and quantitative methods to examine variables. A researcher observes and measures variables in this design. The main research tool for this study is a questionnaire. Using this mixed approach will help to collect suitable data to provide a better understanding of the topic. Most data collected in this study will be obtained using a quantitative research method.

The dependent variable is individual employee performance and the independent variable is gender diversity. The control variables in the study are ethnicity, age and education diversity. The questionnaire will be administered on a sample size of 230 middle-level managers. The study will target middle-level managers from the three tiers of commercial banks in ten states. The study will use a stratified random probability sampling technique. Data collection will be from primary and secondary sources using qualitative and quantitative methods. Data analyses for quantitative data will be done through descriptive statistics and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 21). Qualitative data will be analyzed through content analysis. An OLS multiple regression models will show the relationship between the dependent and independent variables.

The banking industry is exploding and has faced challenges like workforce diversity which has negative and positive impacts of performance depending on how workforce diversity managed (McCabe, 2018). Banks have embraced diversity as it is reflected on their websites through sections labeled “Diversity and Inclusion.” Banks worldwide have standardized highlighting new policies which help to ensure equal opportunities for people from all genders (Anitha, 2014). Few banks have been able to fully achieve gender diversity. A study by SKEMA on 71 banks in 20 countries in 2018 showed that although more women are joining the banking industry workforce, they also face the challenge of moving up the hierarchy. Diversity and inclusion lag in American banks. Many studies have focused on managing work diversity and performance of an organizational performance, but few studies have focused specifically on the effects of gender diversity and individual job performance in the banking industry in the United States.

Job performance is an important factor in determining the performance of any organization. Previous studies show that matching employees improperly to job characteristics can lead to low job performance. Correct matching of employees and job characteristics leads to higher job performance (Farooqui & Nagendra, 2014). Job performance shows the non-financial and financial outputs of employees related directly with the organizational performance. Several researchers have done studies on job performance with many hypothesized studies having a positive effect.

Gender inequalities have been a subject for debate for decades. Organizations are seen to hire more male workers than women because of the perception that males perform better and can manage their jobs better (Farooqui & Nagendra, 2014). Women continue to have an upper hand in domestic work and caregiving. Equal opportunity to women is important for improved performance in any organization. A study by Joshi and Jackson (2003) showed the relationship between gender diversity and job performance in the executive positions was positive. A study by Jayne and Dipboye (2004) found that gender diversity does not result in positive results like building commitment or improving talents. Recent studies show that gender discrimination affects employee performance.

Employers use the academic background of employees to judge their employability. Employers will not hire an employee whose education or training they deem inadequate. Studies have shown that employee productivity depends on their education level; a more educated employee is more productive (Mahy & Vermeylen, 2015). When advertising for vacancies, employers state mandatory education qualifications for a position.

Multicultural workforce has been a focus since the 1990s and it continues to gain momentum. Organizations are increasingly using teams to increase business performance and employee satisfaction and use greater participation (Anitha, 2014). The advantage of multicultural business is having different ethnical views in solving problem which results in increased performance of the team. Ethnicity is used as a proxy for cultural diversity and it can lead to positive performance relating to broadening the perspectives and viewpoints of a firm. According to Rizwan, Khan, Nadeem and Abbas (2016), high ethnicity diversity can lead to conflict and communication problems because of social categorization. As an organization becomes more diverse in ethnic lines, it calls for more management on how different people interact at work.

Many organizations are embracing age diversity including banks. Individuals tend to identify themselves with certain groups (Hoff, 2014). In the same way, if an employee’s age is considered relevant for distinction, it may lead to differences in age groups in an organization. This leads to emotional conflict and age discrimination which affects productivity and performance. Some researchers believe that increased age diversity can lead to challenges for HR management. Inmyxai and Takahashi (2008) argued that older people have more experience and are more mature while younger employees learn new things and ideas. Combining these two generations can create a viable corporate culture as the values complement each other. This leads to better performance.

Park and Roberson (2007) stated that an immense amount or research has explored the effects of a firm’s reputation on the key focus areas of social values and ethics, or corporate social performance, which integrates a diversity dimension. Diversity is defined in this research study as to how a firm’s treatment of the individuals employed, their employees as well as the hiring of minorities and women, has been highlighted as one of the most important elements of stakeholder impressions of corporate social performance (Park & Roberson, 2007). The results found in the study provide evidence of an association between corporate social and financial performance (Park & Roberson, 2007). The research also suggests that corporate social performance signals a responsiveness of the firm to social and environmental issues and, effective stakeholder management (Park & Roberson, 2007).

Based on the information provided above on different diversities, there are inconclusive outcomes of diversity on job performance. This study seeks to contribute to the body of knowledge on the effects of gender diversity on individual job performance in the banking industry and contribute to the existing body of knowledge in the United States and other countries. The motivation is to examine if American banks have similar or dissimilar effects compared to the existing literature on the topic (Hoff, 2014). The focus of this study will be the banking sector because it is among the most regulated and best governed sector in the United States and one of the biggest employers in the country. Gender diversity is an ongoing subject that needs to be incorporated in the banking sector.

Modern-day workforce has become varied compared to previous iterations because of changes in demographic factors like immigration and globalization. The minority workforce in the United States is rising with an estimated 25% increase by 2050. Some countries like Korea and Japan are still highly male dominated and homogenous in all aspects of social life. These countries have experienced economic development over the recent decades that have led to fundamental changes in the labor market. More companies have adopted policies involving layoffs and downsizing. Managing diversity in Japan and Korea covers HR because of ethnic homogeneity, but the main debate is rooted in gender issues. A study done in 2003 in Korea showed that the participation of women in the economy was 48.9% while in Japan the rate of women participation was 48.3% in 2004 (Lee, Jang & Sarkur, 2008).

Some countries like Egypt have embraced diversity, which has been taking an increasing trend in the past couple of years. The workforce in Egypt is comprised of individuals who are fluent in several languages like Arabic, English, German and French with highly diverse education backgrounds. Nigeria is also ethnically heterogeneous and characterized by demographic diversities. Developing and developed countries have been caught up in the globalization web, which has led to demographic diversity in the workforce.

Diversity is a critical and fascinating issue in the current workforce. It is important to note that any organization that plans to be more dynamic and profitable should hold a borderless viewpoint and has a duty to ensure that workforce diversity is part and parcel of daily business operations. Understanding the effects of workforce diversity on organizational results such as employees’ job performance and the generic performance of the organization has become an important issue (Choi & Rainey, 2010). This trend was discovered in the 1980s and recognized as an opportunity for many organizations to strengthen creativity, increase the ability to reach potential markets and attain a competitive advantage. It is a challenging task to develop an organizational environment that supports creativity without workforce diversity. The challenge is because of the inadequate diverse perceptions and approach to problems, which is a consequence of the limited pool of diverse ideas. Many organizations face challenges to maintain a competitive advantage, because knowledge and skills might not available within the workforce.

The Significance of the Research to Practice and the Community of Scholars

Thanks to the internet and other related technologies and innovation, life moves at a faster rate. People are always adjusting and learning new ways of doing things and even demanding different innovation from our executives, leaders, and scientists. Without study and investigation, our demand for such innovation would go unanswered. Research pushes humanity forward. It is driven by curiosity: we are inquisitive, seek different opinions, and engage in learning everything there is to learn. Without research and curiosity, progress will slow down, and our lives will be entirely different.

Joëlle Panaccio and Waxin (2010) explained that PBQ banks net financial revenues in 2002 increased approximately 10%. Considering that PBQ is a medium sized bank which focuses on retail and small-business banking, and is comprised of just about 7000 employees, the increase was something to look forward too since that was also the case for other small and medium banks (Joëlle Panaccio & Waxin, 2010). More than half of the 7000 employees were a part of the union of a bank. In the latter of 2002, PBQ’s revenues had fallen 50% considering the difficult year most Canadian banks experienced. Françoise was aware that PBQ was stagnant and far behind on the diversity forefront (Joëlle Panaccio & Waxin, 2010). Members of obvious minority groups represented less than 6% of the workforce; PBQ employees were predominantly French speaking Quebecois Females comprised a noteworthy quantity of the workforce, yet they were under-represented in management jobs. Women did represent well over 80% of administrative and office employees, but only 18% of those women were senior managers (Joëlle Panaccio & Waxin, 2010). Since the initial launch of first Employment Act, in 1986, an immense amount of equity plans has been created, however none have led to permanent modifications. The sensitivity of such issues was never prioritized in the past. Françoise, the tenth HR Director was completely cognizant of the magnitude of the challenge, considering only nine people help the position of Human Resource Director between the years 1986 and 2002 (Joëlle Panaccio & Waxin, 2010).

The research seeks to contextualize findings in a more extensive body of research and produce knowledge applicable outside the research environment. The result of this research may even have implications for policy and upcoming project implementation. Several studies have shown evidence of positive relationships between gender diversity for board of directors, executive positions, and job performance of organizations but less is known about the impacts of gender diversity on individual job performance within the banking industry (Madera, Ng, Sundermann, & Hebl, 2019; Jeong & Harrison, 2017). This research will have significance in helping the government form new banking regulations.

The research will also contribute to existing knowledge. This means that the study will create new knowledge and understanding based on the available knowledge by conducting innovative and extensive research. Research has been conducted to examine the effects of gender diversity on job performance. According to Joshi and Jackson (2003), there is a positive relationship between performance and gender diversity. According to Anitha (2014), gender diversity may add value to an entity resulting in more social sensitivity when dealing with problems and an increase in diverse thinking leading to better organizational performance. This research will, therefore, create new knowledge and understanding based on the above studies and several others and can be used to create further understanding of this study.

Data that exists primarily focuses on gender composition in the boardroom, but this sample size is small which makes it hard to test the effect of gender diversity in small magnitude. This study will expand on the correlation between gender and job performance in the banking sector by testing how gender diversity impacts individual job performance through a suitable research methodology.

This study will examine the impact of gender diversity on individual job performance in the banking industry. The measures of performance will include (a) Quantity of output, (b) Quality of output (c)Timeliness of output, presence / attendance on the job (d) Efficiency of the work completed and (e) Effectiveness of work completed. The population in this study will include 13 commercial banks headquarters in the state of ten states. The study will use an OLS multiple regression model to analyze data collected. Three control variables including age, education and ethnicity diversity will be used in this study.

This study will use a descriptive research design. According to (Cooper & Schindler, 2006), a descriptive research design is used to help the researcher to observe and describe the behavior of the sample population without affecting it. The study adopted descriptive research design because of the advantages of using interviews and questionnaires without changing the environment under study.

The independent variable in this study is gender diversity and the dependent variable is individual job performance. The control variables are age, ethnicity, and education diversity and any additional variables related to this study will fall under these three categories.

A list of all potential samples that can be sampled is a sample frame (Kothari, 2004). The sample frame is the middle level management in the banking industry for this study.

The stratified random probability sampling technique will be used to collect data from employees of the bank. The researcher will distribute 230 questionnaires to the valid respondents and attempt to collect 221 questionnaires after a proper response for a suitable sample size and response rate. The researcher selected this sample method because it would not be feasible to attempt to have every manager from 13 headquarter banks to take the survey. The researcher determined that bank managers supervised different areas (attributes) including human resources, finance, marketing, operations and ICT and subsequently from using a stratified random sampling process, five strata were created.

A sum of a subset of a population chosen for a study is a sample (Kothari, 2004). Using stratified random sampling, 30% of commercial banks will be selected for this study. This sample will be comprised of managers working in four (4) tier one banks, four (4) tier two banks, and five (5) tier three banks. The sample size includes 230 middle managers from 13 commercial banks headquarters from the following states: Arkansas, California, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.

The study will use secondary and primary data. The quantitative and qualitative tools will be used to collect primary data (Yin, 2008). The qualitative tools will be observations and interviews and the quantitative collection tool will include a questionnaire. Changing and adopting different questionnaires of related studies will help to construct the questionnaire. Questionnaires offer a cost-effective way of getting data from a large sample and allows for anonymity (Yin, 2008). The questionnaire will be open-ended and close-ended.

The data analysis process will involve organizing the collected data to efficiently and easily communicate results. Data analysis in this study will involve qualitative and quantitative methods. The quantitative data analysis will be done through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 21) (Bryman, 2003). Descriptive statistics helped in analyzing quantitative data. These included standard deviation, frequency distribution, mean and percentages. The data will be presented using tables. Descriptive statistics is used to organize and review data. The study will use content analysis for qualitative data and present the results as prose. An OLS multiple regression model will help to show the relationship between the dependent and independent variables.

The OLS multiple regression model is:

Performance = a + b*gender + Controls+ error term

Y = β0 + β1X1 + β2X2 + β3X3 + β4X4+ E

where Y= employee performance in the banking industry

β0= constant term

β1, β2, β3 and β4=beta coefficient

X1= Gender diversity.

X2= Age diversity.

X3= Ethnicity diversity.

X4= Education diversity

E= error term

The results will add to the body of literature on the impact of gender diversity on individual job performance in the banking sector. Results from this study will provide banks and future researchers with a reference. The study will use research methods for data accuracy.

Research on effects of gender diversity in the banking sector has focused mainly on boardrooms and executive positions (Campbell & MÃnguez-Vera, 2008). This creates a problem because the resulting sample is too small to account for the general population. It also makes it difficult to detect the statistically significant effect of gender diversity and ignores the broader corporate sector. This results in varied empirical results making it hard to determine the effects of gender diversity on job performance in the banking sector (Joshi, 2017). Few researchers have conducted research on the effects of gender diversity on job performance.

Cowan University Professor Leonie Still conducted a study in which she researched the career prospects and opportunities for women in the banking and financial industry (McAllister, 1997). The study began July 1996, and the goal of the researcher was to determine if there were any obvious career barriers challenging women’s progress in banking. This study could not have taken place without the jointure of the Human Rights organization and EEO Commission and Westpac industry (McAllister, 1997). The study was comprised of an attitude survey given to 10% of employees and a sequence of focus groups discussions with male and female employees. The focus groups represented all hierarchical levels and employment types.

According to McAllister (1997), findings from the attitude survey revealed significant variances in perceptions between male and female employees. The topics that were addressed within the survey ranged from respect in recruitment, selection, promotion and transfer, conditions of service and personal qualities. Digging deeper into the survey results, it was found that women felt underprivileged whereas men believed that women were showed favoritism by being given more opportunities to progress in the financing and banking industry (McAllister, 1997). Men also felt that the culture was more than supportive the women’s goal and aspirations within the industry.

Perceptual differences were some of the reasons revealed during the focus group discussions. Other issues were noted during the discussion such as the lack of career structures for part-time employees and lack of flexible working hours (McAllister, 1997). The study disclosed that there is a definite need for more policies, training, mentoring and networking arrangements, to assist women to make more lateral career moves (McAllister, 1997).

Researches from scholars, research organizations, and institutions of higher learning related to the topic were limited. The results would help to enlighten readers and scholars on the effects of gender diversity on job performance in the banking sector in the United States. There exists a significant gap in data on gender composition by hierarchy within organizations (Joshi, 2017). This study seeks to fill the gap by adding more material and information in this body of research. The study seeks to explore the effects of gender diversity on individual job performance in the banking sector. The dependent variable is individual job performance in the banking sector. The independent variable is gender diversity. The control variables in this study are age, ethnicity, and education diversity.

It is important to consider all variables that results to gender diversity within the workforce. Most of the variables including ethnicity, education and age are critical as it has diverse influences on the individuals which contributes to the general job performance. There is influence on the sense of belonging, especially when there are diverse ethnic groups within the organization. Employees feel they are part of the group which might provide intrinsic motivation to increase the performance. Diversity with regards to education provides a pool of skillsets that makes it possible to have a pool of ideas for proposing solutions. Employees can consult each other especially when they face difficult because of the diverse expertise with regards to the daily emerging issues. Team members should integrate best practices based on the counsel that they can get from other members of the group.

1. What relationship exists between the age and individual job performance?

2. What influence does an employee’s educational background have on their performance in an organization?

3. What is the relationship between ethnicity and individual job performance?

4. What relationship exists between gender diversity and individual job performance?

The measurement of these questions will be done through several variables. The independent variable is gender diversity while the dependent variable is individual employee performance in the banking sector. The control variables will be age, ethnicity, and education diversity

A research study by Joshi’s (2017), like other studies, is based on diversity in corporate board rooms. Few studies have focused on gender diversity in the overall banking sector. This study will add to this little body of literature and become a reference point for banks. Future researchers will use this study in their research.

Human resource departments are focusing more on implementing diversity in the workplace. This study examines the effects of gender diversity on individual job performance in the banking sector by examining a sample size of 230 managers in 13 bank headquarters in ten different states. The control variables in this study are age, ethnicity, and education diversity. Four research questions were used to examine the problem in this study. The measures of performance are profitability, efficiency, corporate reputation, and talent recruitment and retention. To answer these research questions, the study will use an appropriate research method and design.

This study will use a descriptive research design to describe the population systematically and accurately by answering the how, when, and where questions (Williams, 2007). A researcher using this design does not control the variables but observes and measures them. This study used this research design because not much is known about the problem. The study will involve eliciting the opinion of different managers in different banks. The study will include questionnaires as the tool to examine the variables. The researcher adopted a descriptive design because of the advantage of using observations, interview, and questionnaires without changing the environment under study (Kothari, 2004).

Using questionnaires is cost effective when collecting data from a large sample and allows for anonymity. Using questionnaires in this study will be efficient in finances, energy, and time. Pre-testing was done before administering the questionnaire to determine if the questions were relevant and understandable. The pre-testing phase helps determine the reliability of research tools (Creswell, 2006). In this study, pretesting involved 23 staff selected through a simple random sampling method. The rule in pretesting is to test the survey with at least 12 to 50 people before pilot testing. Twenty-three people in this study represent 10% of the sample which is a cost, time and energy efficient number.

Validity of a study refers to the extent to which data analysis results embodies the study. The two types of validity are content and face validity. Content validity in this study will be attained by seeking an expert opinion in this field. The probability of a question being misunderstood is the face validity (Creswell, 2006). Pretesting increases the probability of face validity.

Reliability involves measuring the consistency of the results depending on the research tools used. This study used internal consistency to statistically measure questionnaire reliability. The measure of internal consistency was through Cronbach’s Alpha with 0–1 alpha. As the value increases, reliability also increases. The 0.6–0.7 coefficient shows an acceptable reliability while 0.8 and above show good reliability (Greener, 2008).

Data collection will be from secondary sources and primary source through questionnaire. The researcher had informed about consent from respondents before administering the questionnaires (Bryman, 2003). The drop and pick method will be used to administer the questionnaires. This method is effective to increase response rate and reduce non-response bias.

The data analysis process will be qualitative and quantitative in this study. Analysis of quantitative data will be completed through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 21) (Bryman, 2003). The questionnaires will be numbered for easier referencing before data collection and analysis. The variables will be chronologically coded to coded variable number. Numbered questionnaires and coded variable number will make it simple to identify and make corrections in data entry (Creswell, 2006). Quantitative data will be analyzed through descriptive statistics. Data presentation will be completed through tables. Coding qualitative data will be thematical, and the evaluation will be done statistically. The analysis will be done through content analysis and prose will be used for data presentation.

Summary

There are inconclusive outcomes of diversity on job performance. This study seeks to contribute to the body of knowledge on the effects of gender diversity on individual job performance in the banking industry and contribute to the existing body of knowledge nationally and worldwide. The focus of this study is the banking sector because it is among the most regulated and best governed sectors nationally and one of the largest employers domestically. Gender diversity is an ongoing subject that needs to be incorporated in the banking sector. A descriptive research design will be used because little is known about the problem and the researcher could observe the sample without changing the environment. Data collection and analysis for the study will be conducted using qualitative and quantitative methods.

7.0 Definition of Key Terms

To prevent confusion and misuse of the intended meaning, the following key terms are

defined:

Employee Performance: Refers to the behaviors of workers in the environment and how well they perform their job (Anitha, 2014).

Workforce Diversity: Represents the similarities and differences among employees (Rizwan, Khan, Nadeem & Abba, 2016).

Gender Diversity: Equitable representation of people with different gender (Healey & Stepnick, 2020).

Ethnicity: The state of belonging to a particular social group with a common cultural tradition (Healey & Stepnick, 2020).

Education background: Refers to all the educational experience one has undergone since childhood (Silva, Leite, Vilas-Boas & Simões, 2019).

Competitive advantage: Leverage over competitors through offering something special (Akewushola, Elegunde & Saka, 2018).

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Annotated Bibliography

1. García-Meca, E., García-Sánchez, I., & Martínez-Ferrero, J. (2015). Board diversity and its effects on bank performance: An international analysis. Journal of Banking & Finance, 53, 202-214. Doi: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2014.12.002

This article shows the effects of board diversity, gender, and nationality, on the performance of the bank. This study focused on the board which played a vital role in steering the performance of the bank. This research was built on two hypotheses; that gender diversity does not affect the performance of the bank and that the board nationality diversity does not affect the performance of the bank. One hundred and fifty-nine banks from nine different countries were put under observation between 2004 and 2010 to test the hypothesis. Out of this research, 877 observations were recorded. Throughout this period, the characteristics of the board members were noted from the Spencer & Stuart Board Index databases. Conversely, data and information used to measure performance were derived from the Compustat database.

The results of this study suggested that the type of diversity may have different effects on the bank’s performance. The results suggested that nationality diversity in the board had negative effects on the bank's performance, conversely, gender diversity proved to have positive effects on the work performed. This research study is useful to financial institutions especially when it comes to the appointment of board members while ensuring diversity.

2. Thanh Tu, T., Huu Loi, H., & Hoang Yen, T. (2019). Relationship between gender diversity on boards and firm’s performance - Case Study about ASEAN Banking Sector. Doi: 10.5430/ijfr.v6n2p150

This is study aimed to establish the relationship between gender diversity in the board of management and directors, and job performance in the banking industry. The study focused on the ASEAN banking system, which included countries with growing development but low rates of gender diversity. The study incorporated a literature review from past researches and afterward a research process that they conducted. The methodology involved a sample of 100 banks from four countries in four years. Information for these banks in the period of observation was derived from databases. In three of the selected countries, the results showed that women’s presence on the board led to higher profitability. The remaining which showed negative implications of women being on the board of directors revealed these kinds of results because of other factors like economic and cultural background.

The results obtained from the data were scientifically analyzed to give a conclusion. Further research should be conducted on the same, focusing on different countries to get a conclusive theoretical explanation of this relationship. It is, however, clear that diversity in terms of gender has positive implications on the performance of the bank.

3. Kramaric, T., & Pervan, M. (2016). Does board structure affect the performance of croatian banks? Journal of Financial Studies and Research, 1-11. Doi: 10.5171/2016.158535

This study was aimed at analyzing how and to what extent board structure influences a bank’s performance. The board structure being analyzed was the gender of the president, female members in the management board, board size, and supervisory board female members. The study involved a sample study that focused on the banking sector in Croatia. The research focused on all Croatian banks that were active between 2002 and 2013. To measure the performance of the bank, Return on Equity was employed as a variable. From the results, the gender of the president did not affect the performance of the bank. On the contrary, the analysis from the results showed that gender diversity affected the bank’s performance negatively. The researchers concluded that the call for gender diversity was not derived from the need for job performance, but rather from sociological needs.

4. Nunley, J., Pugh, A., Romero, N., & Seals, R. (2015). Racial discrimination in the labor market for recent college graduates: Evidence from a field experiment. The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 15(3), 1093-1125. Doi: 10.1515/bejeap-2014-0082

This article is aimed at presenting experimental evidence on racial discrimination among graduates. The study involved random creation of resumes that were sent to different online advertisements in various economic sectors, including banking, finance, and management. The resumes were sent to seven different cities in the United States. Eight names were used for the whole process, in which there were four males and four females. Among the four males and female names, two were white names and two were black female names. For each advertisement, four resumes were sent, maintaining equality among white and black names. The results observed were analyzed using the regression method. It was observed that out of all the applications, black applicants received fewer invitations for an interview as compared to white applicants. Racial discrimination was seen more on the jobs that required more interaction with customers. One strength of this research study was that it ensured uniformity among the participants and the resumes were distributed evenly in the different organizations. This uniformity ensures the accuracy of the study. It creates a need for further study changing other factors like the type of degree.

5. Flory, J., Leibbrandt, A., Rott, C., & Stoddard, O. (2019). Increasing workplace diversity: Evidence from a recruiting experiment at a Fortune 500 Company. Journal of Human Resources, 0518-9489R1. Doi: 10.3368/jhr.56.1.0518-9489r1

This article contains a research study conducted to show how workplace diversity can be enhanced and emphasizes the need for diversity in the workplace. The need for this study was triggered by the fact that minority groups like Hispanic and black Americans are underrepresented in leadership roles. This research involved the use of experiments to test hypotheses related to effective ways of attracting minority groups in top professions. The three hypotheses used included the following: making diversity an organizational value, attracting employees from different fields of training, and including information to support claims on diversity. The experiment design used in this research involved a firm that intends to recruit fresh graduates into its program in careers in financial services. This process involves the sending of advertisements to various networks where applicants get the links that guide them to the application process. Once they click on the link, applicants are required to fill their names after which they are subjected to random treatments. These treatments involve the use of certain messages that may influence the applicants. Different types of signals were sent to the applicants, and the results were analyzed to determine how effective the signals were on the minority groups. Based on the results, this study suggested that signals addressing workplace diversity have a great impact on the people applying for jobs, especially in the financial industry. This research study creates a need for further research on other ways that can be used to attract diversity in the workplace. This is because diversity in the workplace is an area of major concern today.

6. Rizwan, M., Khan, M. N., Nadeem, B., & Abbas, Q. (2016). The impact of workforce diversity on employee performance: Evidence from the banking sector of Pakistan. American Journal of Marketing Research, 2(2), 53-60.

Workforce diversity can be achieved in various forms like age diversity, ethnicity, and gender diversity. Diversity has been proved to have positive outcomes for any organization. This article focuses on research that was conducted to determine the effect of diversity on the performance of employees, in the banking industry in Pakistan. Among many other questions, this research sought to answer the relationship between workforce diversity and employee performance. The technique used to conduct this research was a random sampling method that involved the distribution of questionnaires to participants from different banks in Lahore. The data collected was analyzed using the regression analysis. The results showed that ethnicity has a positive impact on employee performance. An increase in ethnicity diversity increases employee performance. This research created opportunities for further research to be conducted on the same. This will help in the making of informed decisions especially by human resource management during recruitments. Further research should be conducted on other minority groups like the physically challenged to reduce discrimination during recruitment. The study conducted is significant because it has focused on a specific effect, employee performance, which results from diversity. Other potential effects of diversity include employee turnover and employee satisfaction. From the annotated bibliography, work force diversity has an impact on the performance of any organization. One of the gaps created in this literature is that gender diversity creates negative impacts while other articles have shown positive impact. My research topic will focus on gender diversity, as one of the work force diversity, and how it affects performance of an organization.