Intra- Gender Dynamics Beyond Numbers: Challenges Faced by Female Employees in Female-Dominated Workplaces

A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Bullying is humiliating, damaging, and cruel. However, its significant impact on the psychological well-being of the victim is often overlooked. In addition, bullying within the workplace affects productivity, staff turnover, morale, and motivation of employees. This paper is based on the thesis that was compiled which explored the effects of female-to-female employee bullying within a female-dominated workplace at the Department of Social Development, Gauteng Province. The study adopted a qualitative approach and a phenomenological design to explore participants’ perspectives on their experiences, actions, and events. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 10 participants who were employees working in a female-dominated workplace at the Department of Social Development, Gauteng Province. Semi-structured interviews were used for collecting the data which was then analysed using semi-structured interviews. The study findings contribute to filling the research gap on female-to-female workplace bullying in South Africa. Therefore, this paper addresses the challenges that female employees experience in a female-dominated workplace while they strive for success and reach the glass ceiling.