Does Agency Type Matter for Female Federal Agents? Exploring the Offices of Inspectors General

In: Public personnel management, Band 50, Heft 1, S. 3-24

Abstract

Recent scholarship has examined the barriers women experience in well-known federal law enforcement agencies. However, there is scant research that examines a unique subgrouping of agents within the federal Offices of Inspectors General (OIGs). Drawing on survey data from 249 female agents, this study compares responses between female agents working in the OIGs and female agents working in all other federal law enforcement agencies to differentiate their experiences. Findings suggest that female agents in the OIGs experience less occupational barriers, namely, reduced number of relocations and incidences of sexual harassment, as well as higher agency adoption of family-friendly policies to promote work–life balance, resulting in women's higher representation at those agencies.