Perception of gender discrimination in HRM practices and occupational turnover intention of women in STEM occupations: Evidence from Turkey, Jordan and USA

Women made significant progress in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. However, the gender gap in STEM workforce still exists. One reason that contributes to the formation of this gap is the withdrawal of women from these fields due to the discriminatory practices they are exposed to in the workplace. Gender discrimination in the workplace has many dimensions and reasons that can be examined at the individual, organizational and national levels. At the organizational level, discrimination against women occurs to a large extent through human resource management (HRM) practices that lead to various negative consequences and encourage women to leave their entire careers . In other words, discrimination perceived by female employees through HR practices is a common phenomenon in daily practice for many businesses. On the other hand, the perception of discrimination against women varies from culture to culture. It is possible to expect that different national cultural acceptances and codes will determine what behavior or practice women perceive as discriminatory. In this study, firstly, an answer is sought to the question of whether there is a relationship between the gender discrimination in HRM practices perceived by women and their occupational turnover intention. The second question of the study is whether that perceived level of discrimination and the relationship between this perception and intention to leave a career vary across different cultural contexts. In this study, the interaction between women's perceived gender discrimination in HRM practices and their occupational turnover intention was discussed and investigated within the framework of social cognitive career theory (SCCT). According to the SCCT, the aforementioned relationship may also be affected by women's beliefs about their self-efficacy and ability to overcome barriers in the workplace. Hence, the third problem of this study is about how general self-efficacy, one of the basic concepts of SCCT, plays a role in the relationship between the two core variables. Guided by career development, gender discrimination and national culture literature, this study uses quantitative analysis, drawing on comparable questionnaires targeting women in STEM occupations from three counties (USA, Turkey, Jordan). Results revealed that gender discrimination has a significant positive impact on occupational turnover intention in all samples except in Jordan, while general self-efficacy has a significant moderating effect in this relationship only in the US sample. Further, perceptions of gender discrimination and the impact size of perceived gender discrimination on occupational turnover intention significantly differ among different cultural groups. This study contributes to the research field by adding a cross-cultural perspective to the phenomenon and consequences of gender discrimination in STEM professions. On the other hand, research findings are important in explaining the results of HRM practices, the effects of discriminatory practices against women, and how these effects differ between cultures. The study reveals results that will contribute to both theoretical and practical literature, especially in terms of understanding and improving the HR practices of multinational companies and the applicability of SCCT in workplace conditions.