Attracting Employees: A Critical Analysis of Gender in KMD's Employer Branding
Translated title
At tiltrække arbejdere: En kritisk analyse af køn i KMDs employer branding
Author
Pilgaard, Frida
Term
4. term
Publication year
2025
Submitted on
2025-06-02
Pages
67
Abstract
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan kønnede organisatoriske normer, værdier, kultur og associationer i ekstern employer branding påvirker en organisations evne til at tiltrække kvindelige ansøgere. Med afsæt i Backhaus og Tikoos employer branding-ramme og Joan Ackers teori om kønnede organisationer fokuserer studiet på KMD, en mandedomineret IT-organisation, og anvender multimodal analyse samt multimodal kritisk diskursanalyse af employer branding-videoen KMD – Where ambitions meet experience (2020). Det overordnede forskningsspørgsmål er, hvordan KMD på basis af employer branding og teorien om kønnede organisationer kan tiltrække flere kvinder. Analysen viser, at videoen koder KMD gennem maskuline idealer, herunder kønnet sprogbrug (fx ambition, at lede) og iscenesætter mænd i aktive, bærende roller, mens kvinder primært fremstår som passive observatører, der understøtter fortællingen. Sådanne repræsentationer kan præge kvinders oplevelse af organisatorisk match og deres lyst til at søge. I diskussionen peges der på behov for yderligere forskning og på, at et kritisk feministisk blik kan fungere som et praktisk redskab til at undgå eller minimere kønnet employer branding. Undersøgelsen er afgrænset til én ekstern video, men bidrager med indsigter i, hvordan mere inkluderende employer branding kan understøtte tiltrækning af kvinder i mandedominerede felter.
This thesis examines how gendered organizational norms, values, culture, and associations communicated through external employer branding influence an organization’s ability to attract female job candidates. Drawing on Backhaus and Tikoo’s employer branding framework and Joan Acker’s theory of gendered organizations, the study focuses on KMD, a male-dominated IT organization, and applies multimodal analysis and multimodal critical discourse analysis to the employer branding video KMD – Where ambitions meet experience (2020). The guiding research question asks how, based on employer branding and gendered organizations theory, KMD can attract more female employees. The analysis finds that the video codes KMD through masculine ideals, including gendered language (e.g., ambition, leading) and the portrayal of men in active, narrative-carrying roles while women appear mainly as passive observers supporting the story. Such representations may shape women’s perceptions of fit and willingness to apply. The discussion notes the need for further research and suggests that adopting a critical feminist lens can serve as a practical tool to avoid or minimize gendered employer branding. While the scope centers on a single external video, the case offers insights into crafting more inclusive employer branding to attract women in male-dominated fields.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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