ABSTRACT
Female labor-force participation has undergone a dramatic change in the past few decades, rising from approximately 30 percent of all women in the 1960s to over 50 percent by 1990. While women's work roles have changed dramatically over the past century, their workplace experiences do not mirror those of male workers. Extensive investigation of gender segregation in the workplace indicates women have not found job opportunities equivalent to those of their male counterparts (Reskin and Roos 1987). Not only is there a substantial degree of occupational gender segregation, with women becoming concentrated in a few occupations (Beller 1982, 1984), there are also gender-related distribution dynamics within occupations, or intraoccupational segregation (Bielby and Baron 1986, 1987). Such gender segregation is one of the major causes of the earning gap between men and women (Trieman and Hartmann 1981). This article will briefly discuss the segregation of women within organizations. First, the segregation of women within different types of organizations will be examined. Then, both the vertical and horizontal distribution of women within organizations will be discussed. Finally, major theories explaining gender segregation will be presented.
