KPOs: Bridging the Gendered Divide?

Martina MettgenbergManchester Business School

June 2006

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Divides- digital, gender and other

Literature about the digital divide focuses on access to the internet

Market forces and falling prices have been given rise to the idea of affordability for all

Yet: despite the seemingly cheap equipment, internet use depends on skills, education, preferences, class even gender, which are markers of identity other than economic

= the divide is not digital but social/cultural/gendered

These markers play a role in the division of labour on an organisational, national and international level.

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Exploring Divides in UN Policies

• ITU: fixed lines, mobile connections and internet access

• ILO 2001: access increases success = trickle-down• 2004: indicators for gender gap and bridging it:

- employment by status - employment by sector

- wages and earnings• MDGs - Focus on Poverty, but not on Growth and

Sustainability• Yet: a lot of the ICT use is facilitated by corporations

and private businesses rather than development org’s• UNRISD findings on impact of liberalisation• What are the implications of that?

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One Research Project and its Research Questions

Project broadly looks at social implications of offshoring and follows up some of the issues looking at corporate organisation as areas of production and consumption.

Main Questions:1. What role do KPOs play in processes of

globalisation in India? What chances do they offer employees? In what ways and to what ends do employees use their employment in KPOs?

2. What do KPOs offer and how does this satisfy/advance/shape female employees’ life choices and aspirations?

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Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO)

Recent Interviews about the research project and in particular BPO and KPO revealed the following:

Similarities:• Demographics• Staff turnover• Wages and status Differences:• Working hours/conditions• Level of Skill Possibilities for Growth in Skill and Life ??

Interviews, perhaps unsurprisingly, revealed discrepancies between leadership perceptions of women’s aspirations and women’s actual expectations.

They did so in two ways: - obvious discrepancy, but an awareness- Complete denial and emphasis on meritocracy and equality

Implications of that?

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Thanks.

martina.mettgenberg@gmail.com