SMOKING POLICIES IN THE WORKPLACE - THE IMPACT OF GENDER

Objective. Increasing attention has been given recently to the imposit ion of restrictions on smoking in the workplace, especially following the publication of epidemiological evidence concerning the adverse imp act on health of exposure to ''passive'' smoke. The purpose of this re search is to focus on the various factors, such as industry, legislati on, firm size, and occupational and gender composition of the workforc e, which may explain the ultimate shape of corporate smoking policies. Methods. Interviews were completed with managers representing 470 pri vate sector enterprises located in four counties in northern New Engla nd. Multiple regression procedures are used to assess the relative imp ortance of the organizational factors. Results. The analysis shows tha t while gender has no independent influence on whether or not there is a formal written policy it does have a predominant impact on the prac tical restrictions placed upon smoking activity. Conclusions. The find ing that the proportion of women in the workforce is a significant pre dictor of restrictions imposed on smoking raises more profound implica tions concerning gender-based organizational behavior. The possible pr ocesses through which female preferences are translated into collectiv e behavior are reviewed. Another implication is that the workplace may prove to be an especially efficacious setting for the delivery of smo king cessation programs to women.