Gender pay inequity: a question for corporate social responsibility?

This paper examines the extent to which contemporary business-led approaches designed to maximize female human capital are effective in reducing the gendered pay gap in the British labour market. In particular it asks whether the approach outlined by the latest Cabinet Office Review on women's employment and pay in Britain, headed by Denise Kingsmill, can help overcome the issue of gender pay inequality. The paper outlines Kingsmill's recommendations and then analyses their efficacy by means of a case study of a single organsiation which has adopted many similar employment practices, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The paper uses descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis to test both the successes and limitations of these recommendations in overcoming the gender pay gap within the BBC. It concludes by arguing that a partnership between innovative methods of human resource management and corporate governance on the one hand and government-centered mechanisms of social policy on the other offers the most likely solution to gendered pay inequality. This paper is available in hard-copy only. Please contact publications.