Changes and Continuities in Patterns of Gendered Organizations During the COVID‑19 Pandemic: Evidence from the Russian Public Sector

Abstract

In response to the first wave of the spread of the COVID‑19 virus, the Russian federal government introduced several novel regulations, including the transfer to remote work. This article conceptualises the pandemic as an external shock that affected interactions in organisations at both the individual and structural levels. Focusing on female civil servants working in federal executive bodies, this article explores the following questions: what are the features of gender-­sensitive processes in the public civil service, and what significant changes have occurred in state bodies after introducing measures in response to the pandemic? To answer this question, we analyse the experience of female civil servants and their perception of the changes that have occurred in the workplace after the spread of coronavirus infection. Using analysis of the in-depth semi-structured interviews and detailed operationalization of Acker’s theory on gendered organizations, the article compares gendered processes that have remained unchanged and the ones which have undergone changes after the introduction of measures against COVID‑19. Thus, the study’s novelty lies in the conclusions on the main patterns and changes in organisational gendered processes in the Russian public sector. The results of this study suggest that despite the persistence of most gendered processes that disadvantage female public servants as well as the emergence of negative outcomes associated with staff redundancies, the administrative reform that promotes increased digitalization might mark the beginning of a shift towards greater gender equality and a greater representation of women in decision-­making positions in Russian public organisations, at least at the federal level.