In an era where the pursuit of gender equality stands at the forefront of societal consciousness, the clash between a parent company’s overarching influence and its professed commitment to gender equality creates a challenging landscape. And it begets the intriguing question: can companies reconcile conflicting values across their stable of products and services?
This week’s incident involving Channel Nine’s altered image of Animal Justice MP Georgie Purcell, is a poignant illustration (AI generated of course!) of the complex interplay between corporate actions and proclaimed values.
Whilst we can look at it and say this incident involves the public mistreatment of a woman in politics (in her workplace), it raises very valid concerns about the incongruity between actions and principles.
Then there is Channel Nine’s co-owned digital platform Future Women – which recently received $8.7 million in government funding to launch their program to help women in upskilling, finding and being coached in the workforce.
Channel Nine’s photoshopping of a female politician’s image – with the apology blaming “the robots in AI did it”, adds complexity to the debate. Despite having four women on its board, the incident raises questions about the incongruity between actions and principles. The fact that Channel Nine co-owns Future Women, a platform dedicated to empowering women, further underscores the need to scrutinise one’s corporate practices.
How can a company engage in hegemonic practices while simultaneously offering products that endorse diverse ideals?
Some years ago now, parent company Unilever was faced with this problem. This successful case study serves as a compelling solutions-based good news story.
Unilever had two brands with very different values. It was supporting both the Dove “Real Beauty” brand and also the controversial Lynx brand which was famous for campaigns such as “Dirty Balls” and “Fallen Angels”.
Unilever seemingly promoted women’s self-esteem while perpetuating and reinforcing negative “dumb female and powerful man” stereotypes. As a result, attention was drawn to Unilever’s diverse brand portfolio and the paradox it reflected. The growing awareness among consumers about corporate practices and values, potentially jeopardised both the company’s and brand’s reputations.
Alas, this was a turning point for Unilever to walk the talk and stay consistent. And the directive came from the top of the company.
Proclaimed values vs. actual practices?
To bridge the gap between proclaimed values and actual practices, companies can make tangible changes with gender-intelligent decisions.
We have seen time after time that simple, yet impactful measures include fostering diverse leadership from the boardroom to the executive leaders, as well as ensuring gender basic hygiene such as HR-based solutions of equal pay, parental leave policies and yes- the mea culpa of transparently addressing controversies.
Now, more than ever, companies can leverage their influential positions to challenge societal norms and not perpetuate them.
Allowing these contradictions to go unnoticed poses significant risks. Not only does it erode the trust of consumers who increasingly demand authenticity and alignment between corporate messaging and actions but turning a blind eye propagates harmful stereotypes and undermines progress towards a more inclusive society ( you know… meeting the needs of a wider audience or culture).
Individuals and companies risk losing relevance and credibility if they fail to address the divergence between their professed values and actual conduct.
As the world strives towards gender-equal and gender-intelligent commercial practices, addressing inconsistencies within parent companies becomes imperative.
Board directors must fulfil their duties by ensuring concrete actions that reflect a genuine commitment to gender intelligence, avoiding the mere appearance of such values without addressing internal contradictions.
Balancing this duality requires companies to navigate the complex interplay between their products, practices, and not to mention the commercial gains to be had.
Easy wins lie in concrete actions that reflect a genuine commitment to gender equality, ensuring that the company lives its values from the inside out – a critical factor in talent attraction and retention.
It’s a long road but the good news is some roadmaps can take us there.