Gender equality in the workplace in Quebec: strategic priority for employers or partial response to institutional pressures?

Purpose This paper examines the challenges posed for employers by gender equality in the workplace, in a seemingly favourable institutional context (the province of Quebec, Canada), and the reasons why employers adopt (or not) gender equality measures (GEMs) exceeding legal requirements. Design/methodology/approach The approach draws on both institutional theory and the strategic human resource management (SHRM) approach. Our research is based on a quantitative study involving human resource management professionals in Quebec ( n = 296). Findings The results allow us to link GEMs with certain SHRM orientations (Yang and Konrad, 2011) and institutional pressures (Lawrence et al. , 2009). The findings show that, for approximately two-thirds of the employers in the sample, gender equality was not a strategic priority. Consistent with our hypothesis, a greater number of GEMs were found when gender equality was a strategic priority for the employer. Unionization and legal requirements were also positively correlated with the presence of GEMs. Originality/value The findings indicate a combined effect of SHRM and institutions on GEMs. They point out the relative dependency of employers on the pressures stemming from the institutional framework, and it captures some of the current challenges involved in adopting a SHRM approach with a view to achieving gender equality.