Smoking policies in the workplace: The impact of gender

Objective. Increasing attention has been given recently to the imposition of restrictions on smoking in the workplace, especially following the publication of epidemiological evidence concerning the adverse impact on health of exposure to ''passive'' smoke. The purpose of this research is to focus on the various factors, such as industry, legislation, firm size, and occupational and gender composition of the workforce, which may explain the ultimate shape of corporate smoking policies. Methods. Interviews were completed with managers representing 470 private sector enterprises located in four counties in northern New England. Multiple regression procedures are used to assess the relative importance of the organizational factors. Results. The analysis shows that while gender has no independent influence on whether or not there is a formal written policy it does have a predominant impact on the practical restrictions placed upon smoking activity. Conclusions. The finding that the proportion of women in the workforce is a significant predictor of restrictions imposed on smoking raises more profound implications concerning gender-based organizational behavior. The possible processes through which female preferences are translated into collective behavior are reviewed. Another implication is that the workplace may prove to be an especially efficacious setting for the delivery of smoking cessation programs to women.