Gendered Workplace Climate and its Impact on Productivity of Female Faculty Members in India: A Scoping Review

Abstract Book of the 4th World Conference on Teaching, Learning, and Education

Year: 2026

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Gendered Workplace Climate and its Impact on Productivity of Female Faculty Members in India: A Scoping Review

Dr. Soumya Jose, K. Muhammad Shafi

ABSTRACT:

A conducive work environment is fundamental to the psychological well-being, professional growth, and productivity of employees. However, women faculty members in higher education institutions often encounter workplace challenges that adversely affect their academic performance and career progression. Grounded in Eagly’s Role Congruity Theory, Morrison’s Glass Ceiling Theory, Ryan and Haslam’s Glass Cliff Theory, Social Cognitive Career Theory, and Gendered Organization Theory, this scoping review examines the existing literature on the relationship between male-dominated workplace environments and the productivity of female faculty in Indian higher education institutions. Following the PRISMA-ScR framework, the review synthesizes studies published between 2015 and 2026 retrieved from major databases, including Scopus and Web of Science. The review explores key workplace stressors such as gender discrimination, workplace incivility, excessive administrative responsibilities, work-life conflict, lack of institutional support, and exclusion from leadership and decision-making roles. It further examines the psychological consequences of these experiences, including stress, burnout, anxiety, emotional exhaustion, reduced job satisfaction, and diminished organizational commitment, and their influence on research productivity, teaching effectiveness, and career advancement. In addition, the study contextualizes these findings using secondary data from the All-India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) to highlight the representation and participation of women in Indian higher education. The review identifies significant research gaps and offers evidence-based recommendations for developing inclusive institutional policies, supportive organizational cultures, and gender-sensitive practices that foster the well-being, retention, and productivity of women faculty in institutions of higher education.

Keywords: Burnout; Career Progression; Emotional Exhaustion; Exclusion; Institutional Policies