A CROSS-LAGGED STUDY OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION IN ENTRY-LEVEL JOBS: A VULNERABILITY THEORY PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This study contributes to understanding early-career entry-level women's discrimination by analyzing the drivers of gender discrimination in entry-level jobs in the Malaysian retail sector. It uses vulnerability theory to explain the susceptibility of women and the conditions and perceptions that lead to their discrimination through a cross-lagged study. The study sample consisted of 349 women working in the Malaysian retail industry in Klang Valley. The findings reveal that several factors make women vulnerable in the Malaysian retail sector, including economic compulsion, organizational injustice, stereotyping and perceived social discrimination. Perceptions and practices become stronger over time. However, resilience can moderate vulnerabilities and, therefore, reduce women's discrimination. The significance of this study lies in its ability to understand vulnerability-enhancing discriminators and the utilization of resilience to address them.