Comparing successful gender gap closure in education system to failure at the professional level using Porter’s Diamond Model

Gender disparity is a global issue affecting every field, particularly at professional level even in the developed economies. Many conclude that while the main causes of female resignment at the age 25-40 are sociocultural imbalance issues, numerous organizational restrictions act as major obstacles after age 40. This paper attempted to draw policy implications by analyzing the differences between school years and workplaces using Porter’s Diamond Model.  The four elements, or corners of Porter’s Diamond, are found to pose different effects on different categories of gender equality. Accounting the simple gender structure in school level, gender equality issue is rather straightforward in alignment with other values like justice and diligence. Having no conflict of interests, strategy enforcement only requires good policy drivers. Unfortunately, the situation gets complicated in workplaces as individual circumstances vary case by case. The situation is further thwarted in South Korea with diminishing childbirth rate and aging society. As improving fertility rate is another national agenda, conflicting governmental policies are introduced to cause confusion in society. It is now clear that there is no one-fits-all-solution, and conflict of interests arises in multiple directions: among adults depending on the number of dependents and between the generations as children are also entitled to human rights. Hence, the policy should now aim to decouple women empowerment from child welfare. For this purpose, increasing flexibility in the labor market in terms of jobs types, working hours, and working status is critical to remove unnecessary struggles towards gender equality: equal opportunity to empowerment available to any capable individual, regardless of gender and circumstances.

Keywords: Porter’s Diamond Model, gender equality, national competitiveness, glass ceiling, professional level, STEM