Are Women More Likely to be Sourced for Knowledge? | WIP Seminar with Shannon Potter

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Meeting ID: 831 9331 0015

The dissemination of knowledge throughout an organization is crucial, but it also requires labour. Frequent requests for information and ideas can lead to burnout or disengagement. Women often perform a disproportionate share of “office housework” and other non-promotable tasks within an organization. Co-authors, Shannon Potter and Laura Lam, explore whether this pattern extends to the knowledge space: Are women more likely to be relied upon as knowledge sources? In addition to performing certain types of labour, women may be perceived as more communal making them more likely to be approached with requests. However, when it comes to knowledge requests specifically, stereotypes about women’s competence might make them less likely to be sought out. In their first study, Potter and Lam will conduct an experiment to examine whether women are more likely to be drawn upon as knowledge sources. In their second study, they will explore the potential individual and organizational consequences of being frequently relied upon as a knowledge source. In this seminar, Shannon will present their early-stage work on the methods for the first study.

Bio: Shannon Potter is a PhD candidate in the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources. After earning her MA in Economics at UBC’s Vancouver School of Economics, she gained hands-on experience in the labour movement both as an active rank-and-file member and in various leadership roles. This spurred her research interests in the internal structure of the Canadian labour movement, especially in the areas of internal democracy and the role of cross-union coalition building. Her dissertation research focuses on the role of inter-union competition and on the cross-union dynamics of strike activity. In a separate research agenda, Shannon is also interested in the tension women face between pursuing a career and having a family, which she explores via studies on the gender earnings gap and the drop in earnings women experience after the birth of a child (i.e. the “motherhood penalty”).

Our CIRHR Work-In-Progress Seminar series allows members of our community to discuss early-stage research. Future guest speakers include:

• October 9, Laura Lam, CIRHR PhD Student
   
• October 16, Farzam Boroomand, University of Minnesota, PhD Student (virtual talk)
   
• October 23, Shawn Meikle, CIRHR PhD Student
   
• November 20, Xiner Xu, UofT Economics PhD Student
   
• December 4, Dikla Yogev, CIRHR Post-Doc