A qualitative study of gender pay gap phenomenon : the case of Shenzhen maritime industry

Despite the international community, including China, championing gender equality through a series of policies and initiatives, the gender pay gap remains a persistent issue. Females continue to grapple with workplace inequality. The urgency to address this issue is underscored by the fact that it is unclear how effectively current social policies target and enforce gender pay inequality in specific industries. This qualitative study, focusing on the maritime industry, a sector with unique challenges, explores the complex issue of gender inequality and the gender pay gap in shore-based workplaces. The primary objective is to elucidate the factors that influence the distribution of gender pay as a crucial step towards achieving workplace equity. This study is directly relevant to the professional field of the maritime industry. It investigates the influence of factors on the pay gap for onshore female employees, a topic of great interest and concern to policymakers, industry professionals, and academic researchers. It also explores the impacts of these factors on female employees` long-term career planning, providing insights that can inform strategies for improving equality in the industry. This qualitative study has adopted a phenomenological research design to gain insights and obtain detailed empirical feedback with thematic relevance. Thirty-seven eligible female employees were selected from the maritime industry in Shenzhen, China, through a mixed method of purposive sampling and snowball sampling to participate in interviews for data collection. Thematic data analysis through inductive reasoning was adopted to aggregate female employees' deep feelings and perspectives on the inequality of shore-based work in the maritime industry. This study identifies multiple factors that influence the gender pay gap in the maritime industry. Negative performance expectations for female employees and bias in salary assessments played a role as organisational factors in such male-dominated workplaces. Gender stereotypes may primarily underpin gender bias as socialisation dimensions. Gender discrimination contributes to inequality in the shore-side workplace. This exploration reflects many challenges and barriers faced by female employees. The gender pay gap in the shore-side of the maritime industry causes economic losses in females' career cycles, aggravates the conflict between work and family, compresses the promotion space and representation, further consolidates the stereotype of females in decent work, weakens the confidence and self-realisation of female employees, and leads to further occupational isolation and talent shortage in the maritime industry. This study also reveals that current social policies must be more focused and implementable to reduce the gender pay gap. Organisational factors often drive gender discrimination in the workplace, while gender stereotypes may serve as its foundation. Strengthening organisational education on gender diversity, eliminating gender stereotypes, and reducing the scope for ambiguity in performance appraisals are crucially recommended. By substantively establishing accountability mechanisms for gender inequality, increasing the motivation of female employees to participate in the workforce, and reducing the cost of female family caregiving, among other measures, we can reduce the further widening of the gender pay gap.