Why gender and 'difference' matters: a critical appraisal of industrial relations research

Through a critical rereading of key UK workplace case studies this article explores why gender analysis matters to studies of people at work. We argue that the field of industrial relations could benefit from a greater engagement with feminist-influenced methodologies. In particular, we analyse three methodological approaches that can assist in understanding the lives of workers; a framework that recognises inter-sectionality; an account that accommodates both material and cultural explanations; and a research process that is reflexive and recognises positionality. These are identified as intrinsic to a gender-sensitive analysis, and through a comparison of key texts it is possible to highlight why their absence leads to much research in this field remaining 'gender blind'.