Structural Gender Inequality at Work: How integration and the accumulation of advantages shape (in)equality

Abstract

Why does workplace gender inequality persist even as women’s representation improves? This book moves beyond headcounts to show how inequality is structurally shaped by two overlooked mechanisms: informal social integration and cumulative (dis)advantage, where early successes or setbacks grow into large career gaps over time. Drawing on employee social network data from nine countries and six sectors, the research finds gender-diverse networks to benefit both men and women; yet many diversity policies fail to foster them. A large-scale simulation study further reveals that common analytical approaches often miss how inequality accumulates. Applying an improved approach to 2.8 million US patent applications, the book shows that early-career setbacks lead to lasting disadvantages for women, while men are far more likely to recover. Current policies, like board quotas, often arrive too late. To build a fair workplace, policymakers must shift their focus from headcounts to early-career interventions and meaningful social integration.