Pinkwashing and mansplaining: individual and organizational experiences of gender inequality at work during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has had adverse global impacts not only from a health perspective but also, and especially, in the work sphere. Drawing on the literature on gender inequality at work, this study developed four poetic inquiries to investigate how women’s working lives were affected by the pandemic in Italy. In particular, we focused on how women’s work experience has changed in their relationships with their organizations and with other workers. The findings of the study suggest that pinkwashing (i.e. a profit-driven hypocritical captatio benevolentiae adopted by companies) and mansplaining (i.e. the patronizing attitude of some men in explaining something obvious to a woman) are two critical phenomena that fuel gender inequality in organizations. Furthermore, this study provides pragmatic implications for management and policymakers by recommending a series of actions aimed at enhancing gender equality in the workplace.