Does the Faculty’s Perception of Gender Discrimination Relate to Its Assessment of Organizational Democracy in the University?

Abstract

This work aimed to study the relationship between the perception of organizational democracy and gender discrimination at a Chilean public university. It is known that organizational democracy is not only about organizational life but also about democratic perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors in social life, as found in academic contexts. The methodology used factor analysis and descriptive and inferential statistical techniques to analyze data from a survey administered to 704 university faculty members, with a response rate of 58.1%. The gender distribution of this respondent population was 67% male and 37% female, values equivalent to the Chilean public university system (60% and 40%, respectively). The results highlight the importance of gender perspective in higher education. Indeed, academics who perceive greater gender discrimination toward women appreciate the deployment of organizational democracy to a lesser extent. Moreover, a high perception of discrimination on the part of women is confirmed (46%), them being, in turn, the ones who show a greater predisposition toward gender equality. This research intends to contribute to the development of strategies to remove obstacles to gender equality and improve the commitment of the academic community to institutional progress.