Introduction
The lack of gender equality is evident in many spheres and takes many shapes. The recent issues related to sexual harassment have transformed into discussing the gender pay gap in Hollywood (Rose, 2018, Singh & Kirk, 2017). It is reported that the highest-paid actress is only number 15 on the gender-neutral list of Hollywood top-earning stars (Robehmed, 2018). One of the effective solutions to the problem can be developed with the help of the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (also referred to as TKI). This paper provides a brief description of the model and how it can be applied to the gender pay gap in Hollywood.
Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument
TKI is based on the dual concern model implying such major dimensions as assertiveness and cooperativeness (Yu & Kersten, 2018). The model consists of five approaches to conflict resolution: competing, accommodating, avoiding, collaborating, and compromising (Ramirez, 2013). It is possible to describe five ways to address the gender pay gap in Hollywood using the instrument. The parties can focus on competing, which may have rather negative effects on the situation. The stakeholders will try to pursue their interests without paying much attention to the needs and wants of other people who are involved in the conflict. The gap is likely to remain significant, and the tension will increase.
Avoiding means one of the party’s (or all parties’) attempts to postpone the resolution of the conflict (Ramirez, 2013). This strategy has been used for years in Hollywood as well as other industries. However, it has proved to be ineffective as the tension has grown, and the conflict seems rather serious. New trends in the society and public’s demands have put the issue forward.
Compromising is another strategy that can be employed to resolve conflicts (Ramirez, 2013). This approach consists of stakeholders’ readiness to satisfy their opponents’ requirements to some extent, but not to accommodate completely. Compromising usually results in the partial satisfaction of the parties’ needs, which is often insufficient and associated with growing tension. The outcome can be the dissatisfaction of both parties and the establishment of previous patterns.
The Most Effective Strategies
Collaborating can be employed to address the problem of the gender pay gap in Hollywood. This approach involves the parties’ attempts (or the efforts of one of the parties) to work with their opponent and find ways to satisfy all stakeholders’ needs (Ramirez, 2013). To close the gender pay gap in Hollywood, it is possible to encourage male and female filmmakers to negotiate and work on solutions that could be satisfactory for all the parties. Trippe and Baumoel (2015) state that the third party can help in addressing issues. In the case under analysis, public opinion can be the third party that can oversee the negotiation process. Public opinion has quite a considerable weight in the sphere of cinematography as people can simply vote with their pockets. Actors are likely to be cooperative as they are willing to maintain or create a positive image.
Accommodating implies the complete satisfaction of the opponent’s requirements and demands (Ramirez, 2013). In contrast to competing, this dimension is the least power-oriented and is on the other side of the power-assertiveness axe. Assertiveness is a typical behaviour pattern of men, which is facilitated by their position in power. Since male stakeholders hold almost complete power, they are unlikely to be willing to lose money by simply giving away their income to females. Due to these factors, accommodation is quite a difficult model to realize. It will require men’s use of different behavioural modes opposite to their habits and features of character.
At the same time, it is another viable method to close the gender pay gap persistent in Hollywood. This approach will have positive long-term outcomes, although it can seem rather ineffective in the short-term perspective. Men will need to share their power, which can seem a complete surrender of their interests and needs. Nevertheless, males’ will gain more if they accommodate since they will be able to develop a positive image.
Contemporary viewers value equality and transparency rather than competitiveness. It is noteworthy that the dimension of accommodation is appropriate in this case since females (as well as the public) do not require complete domination. The focus is on equal payments and opportunities, so male filmmakers do not have to self-sacrifice, which is often the case with accommodating. Additionally, it is critical to set certain standards and norms applied when developing offers to Hollywood stars. These standards and measurements can involve ratings of the star’s popularity, potential budget and earnings of the film, previous appearances, previous years or awards and nominations. The discussion should involve a wide audience, and the final format of the standards should be made public.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is necessary to note that using the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument in addressing the gender pay gap in Hollywood can be effective. It is possible to choose to collaborate and to accommodate as the most appropriate approaches. The involved stakeholders have quite different interests and opinions on the matter. However, they all largely depend on public opinion as viewers can simply ignore certain films and products. To eliminate or minimize the existing gender pay gap in Hollywood, it is necessary to introduce some transparent measurements affecting actors’ and actresses’ money. People will understand that offers and incomes are justified, so gender is unlikely to be the factor affecting Hollywood stars’ earnings. The collaboration between female and male filmmakers is the key to solving the problem. Men will also have to be less assertive and power-centred. All stakeholders will have to accept that equality is beneficial for the industry as a whole, which will be obvious in the long run.
References
Ramirez, C. M. (2013). Teams: A competency based approach. London, England: Routledge.
Robehmed, N. (2018). How time’s up could help close Hollywood’s pay gap. Forbes. Web.
Rose, L. (2018). The hard truth about Hollywood’s gender pay gap: Optics vs. reality. The Hollywood Reporter. Web.
Singh, A., & Kirk, A. (2017). Hollywood gender pay gap revealed: Find out who are the highest paid stars. The Telegraph. Web.
Trippe, B., & Baumoel, D. (2015). Beyond the Thomas-Kilmann Model: Into extreme conflict. Negotiation Journal, 31(2), 89-103.
Yu, B., & Kersten, G. E. (2018). Impact of negotiators’ predispositions on their efforts and outcomes in bilateral online negotiations. In Y. Chen et al. (Eds.), Group decision and negotiation in an uncertain world (pp. 70-81). Cham, Switzerland: Springer.