Fair Share: Dismantling Outdated Work Norms with David Smith

In this seminar, David Smith will present research from his new book Fair Share: How Men and Women Can Create a More Equitable Workplace Together, revealing how outdated workplace norms undermine careers, caregiving, and gender equity—and what leaders can do to fix the system. Despite decades of progress, women still face barriers to advancement while men who embrace caregiving responsibilities encounter stigma, creating a disconnect that holds everyone back. Drawing on organizational research and real-world cases, David will demonstrate how systemic change requires leadership action in three critical areas: rethinking company culture and work structures, fully supporting caregiving through benefits and policies, and embedding gender equity into routine organizational processes. The talk will offer evidence-based strategies for breaking down the structural barriers that prevent women from reaching leadership and men from fully participating in caregiving—and show how creating truly equitable workplaces benefits everyone.

David Smith, PhD, is co-author of the book, Fair Share: How Men and Women Can Create a More Equitable Workplace Together, and a Professor and Co-Director of the Gender & Work Initiative in the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. As a sociologist, he focuses his research on gender, work, and family issues including allyship, inclusive leadership, mental load, gender bias in performance evaluations, and dual career families. He is the co-author of Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace, Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women, and numerous journal articles and book chapters that focus on gender and the workplace.