Australia: Eather Group and Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment

Introduction

The purpose of this brief study is to illustrate how gender equality and women's empowerment are exemplified in a small company, Eather Group, in an industry not notable for such attributes. If the subject company were to be in hairdressing, childcare or domestic service, its messages might be lost on exemplars of more masculine-orientated pursuits. The company described is engaged in heavy haulage, earthmoving, material supply and disposal and crushing and screening processes. Its particular distinction is to link and enhance the social value of these activities in what is described as a Circular Economy. This chapter is pertinent in that there is a substantial gender gap in the transport industry, internationally, women representing 17.3% of the workforce, while just 9.5% of those working as machinery drivers and operators are females (iMOVE, 2022 p. 297).

The central message is that gender equality is an objective attainable by companies of every stripe – and that its attainment is rewarding in diverse ways – which will be illustrated. An accompanying message is that a company that espouses a worthy objective like gender equality is inclined to adopt other aims and practices of community benefit: be it waste minimisation; caring for the environment; diversity in employment, particularly Indigenous employment; and support of the local economy in sponsorships and donations. Significantly, it has adopted the ‘Circular Economy’ (to be described). Such is the case with Eather Group, an Indigenous company located in the north west of Sydney.

The principal actors, in this case, are Peter Eather, founder and managing director, his wife, Sally-ann, general manager and daughter, Divinia, marketing manager and co-author (Fig. 1). Their details and those of other players are explored below.

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Fig. 1.

The Family Business Owners – Sally-ann Eather, Peter Eather, Divinia Eather (From Left) (Hired Gun Photography, n.d.).

Case Study Creation and Academic Context

The case study is undertaken in the knowledge of a very substantial flowering of academic interest in women's involvement in family business. The interest was previously chronicled by Campopiano et al. (2017) who identified 87 ‘recent’ academic articles on the subject. Later students, Nguyen et al. (2022, p. 166), identify an acceleration. Their analysis of publications found that ‘knowledge grew exponentially during the last three decades, mainly after 2003’. Acknowledging the ‘sharp increases in not only the overall number of research studies but also those within emergent sub-fields’ Maseda et al. (2021, p. 280) call for ‘periodic literature reviews…to keep track of how the field is developing’.

This case study showcases women's involvement in family business through a story-telling approach appealing to the general reader. For this particular case, it uses a case study approach where the researchers and actors are the same. In this sense, there is cooperative inquiry or participative research in which a principal is both author and actor, student and studied (Reason, 1998). In this study, Divinia Eather plays both roles.

Products and Services Offered by Eather Group

The figure below (Fig. 2) highlights the core services offered by Eather Group.

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Fig. 2.

Eather Group's Four Core Services and Sub-categories.

Vision and Mission

Eather's vision is to create and maintain a ‘Circular Economy’ in the infrastructure sector, re-purposing material to ‘Care for Country’ while supporting workforce equity and diversity.

Background to Eather Group

Eather Group, at first glance, is an Indigenous family business that is leading the construction industry to a Circular Economy, offering sustainable solutions to traditional construction issues, supporting a diverse team and always looking for opportunities to give back to the community. But the vision, legacy and passions that underpin every strategic decision are woven into a story that begins well before the company's establishment. As a young man who hadn't yet found his passion, Peter Eather found his way into construction through his father Albert (Hoss) Eather (Fig. 3), who taught him more than just how to handle the gear but the importance of integrity, honesty and reciprocity.

I was working alongside with my dad. I remember driving to work with him…He had this little old Navara Ute, no power steering and no air con…One day I looked over at him and I said to him “Dad, we’re better than this,” and I had that spark and fire in the belly that I wanted better for him. I wanted better for my family. (Peter EBA nomination video)

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Fig. 3.

Albert (Hoss) Eather c. 1970–1980 [Photo Credit Unknown].

In June 2010, five years after Albert's passing, Peter with the support of his wife Sally-ann founded Eather Transport Pty Ltd with one pink truck (Fig. 4) and one contract. Rebranded in 2012 as Eather Group, the company now has 18 trucks, 20 heavy machines and 40 staff members (Fig. 5) as of April 2023.

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Fig. 4.

The First Truck, Dubbed ‘Pinky’ [Photo Credit Unknown].

Still, the company has remained true to its founding purpose: to provide opportunities for the family. In addition to Peter and Sally-ann themselves as Managing Director and Executive Manager respectively, their daughter Divinia Eather has taken on the role of Marketing Manager, and Peter's sister Di Jones has handled Accounts Receivable for more than 10 years. In the past, other family members have found a place in the business; both Peter and Sally-ann's mothers, sisters, nieces and nephews have filled and grown into roles as needed.

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Fig. 5.

Eather Group's Fleet of Vehicles as of April 2023 (Peter Eather).

It is significant too that Eather Group is a family business full of other families, including two different sets of brothers in truck driving and operating roles and a mother–daughter duo working together in the office.

The Circular Economy

From the start, the company has been committed to what is now recognised as the ‘Circular Economy’. Peter Eather describes the organisation's achievements as relevant to all aspects of the ‘Circular Economy’, including gender diversity and equality, as something that has naturally developed out of the family's values and passions, rather than something that was extrinsically striven for as policy.

The concept of Circular Economy is finding its way into more and more policies and the term has various interpretations, generally described as an environmentally sustainable model, minimising waste and repurposing resources. The Circular Economy generally refers to an economic system that opposes linear economies and is based on the reuse and regeneration of materials or products, especially as a means of continuing production in a sustainable or environmentally friendly way.

The definition from Eather Group expands on this definition of the Circular Economy and positions it in their business.

“The way we see it, the values that underpin this model are not new. As individuals we all care about people having opportunities to live and thrive; about the neighbours and communities we’ve grown up in; about leaving the world a better place for our great-grandchildren. The Circular Economy is just a diplomatic way to show that we care. Business made human.” – Divinia Eather in her keynote presentation “The Circular Economy – Linking Sustainable Development with Success”

Through this lens, the work of the organisation is supported by policies and procedures, while being motivated and guided by its aspirations. The Eather family's Indigenous heritage has influenced the further breakdown of their ‘Circular Economy’ focus areas and initiatives into three pillars: Caring for Country, Caring for Community and Caring for Culture.

Caring for Country

To Eather Group, this means sustainability. On every project, an effort is dedicated to discovering solutions that achieve client budget and scheduling targets while minimising environmental impact. Eather Group is recognised for its award-winning ‘waste to resource’ initiatives. Most notable is the sourcing of ‘waste’ virgin excavated natural material (VENM) and excavated natural material (ENM) materials from major projects to be used in the manufacture of bricks (Fig. 6).

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Fig. 6.

Eather Group Processing Materials Ready for Use in Brick Manufacturing (Clarity Photography).

Over 13 years, the company has diverted more than 4 million tonnes of ‘waste’ material for this purpose; theoretically making enough bricks to build 250,000 houses. This initiative has therefore also prevented the unnecessary quarrying and transport of 4 million tonnes to compensate. More broadly, the decades of knowledge, experience and curiosity in key personnel translate to great respect for different types of materials. This is especially evident in both their select excavation speciality and land rehabilitation efforts, separating and managing different materials based on their individual properties, potential uses and availability.

Caring for Community

The organisation's commitment to gender equality is one facet of a broader mission to create opportunities for all. An overview of Eather Group's employees can be found in Fig. 7 below.

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Fig. 7.

The Diversity of Eather Group's Staff as of April 2023.

The organisation is proud of the diversity that extends into its supply chain, supporting social enterprises, women-owned, local, and family businesses, as well as more than 15 Indigenous organisations engaged regularly. Beyond internal opportunities, Eather Group supports the local community through sponsorships of events, fundraisers, groups and sporting teams.

Caring for Culture and Diversity

To the Eather family, caring for culture not only includes the preservation and celebration of traditional knowledge and Indigenous culture but also the encouragement of learning between staff, passing of knowledge between new and experienced operators and collaboration in business partnerships.

From an inclusion perspective, caring for culture means fostering an environment that not only encourages diversity but maintains and supports that diversity. (Divinia Eather)

For a company with such a diverse workforce, especially through the lens of gender diversity, this prioritisation of culture means maintaining a safe and welcoming environment. Strategies have involved not only the communication of values but tangible infrastructural changes and costs including female utilities on construction sites and evolving roles to suit women with young children. About motivation and values, Sally-ann says, ‘We need to be profitable, and we are, but making money doesn't get us out of bed in the morning’ (Sally-ann Ester, Personal Communication, August 2023).

Eather Group was founded to provide opportunities for family, and both Peter and wife Sally-ann's extended families are predominantly women. Consequently, from the beginning, there has been a relatively high proportion of women at all levels of the company – parallelling Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #5 target 5.5 ‘Ensure women's full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life’.

Business Development, Diversity and Other SDGs

The intentions that motivate the SDGs have been tangible in Eather Group since its creation. But while an introduction to the goals didn't create a desire in Eather Group for positive industry change, it has validated that the already present desire introduced a support network of other SDG champions and widened the scope of possibilities. This first introduction to the SDGs themselves was through Sally-ann in 2019/2020 when she began studying at Western Sydney University Hawkesbury Campus. The university signed the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network Higher Education Commitment in March 2017 and is also host to a UN-endorsed Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development.

Significantly, SDG#5 has refined specific areas of concern and provided the language through which Eather Group can communicate its commitments both internally and externally. Communication of the company's commitments and expectations concerning SDG#5 differs for their external and internal audiences. Sales pitches, case studies and tender responses point specifically to the organisation's targets and support of the SDGs, in particular SDG#5, SDG#8, SDG#10, SDG#12 and SDG#17. This aligns with their marketing goal to be recognised as an industry leader in the Circular Economy in its many forms. For communications with staff, the intention of SDG#5 is preserved in the company's corporate culture. Their value of respect explicitly emphasises gender diversity as well as recognising the value of this diversity.

As part of their marketing strategy, the company has implemented target #5.b ‘Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women’ and #5.c ‘Adopt and strengthen sound policies…for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels’.

By taking opportunities to showcase the challenges and achievements of their female employees, the company has aimed to:

• be recognised as an employer of choice for all people, but especially for women, locals and Indigenous peoples, and preserve their culture by attracting individuals who already share its values;

• show women who haven't previously considered a career in construction that they can belong in the industry and that many women are already excelling there.

In newspaper articles and on social media platforms, they have posted interviews and profiles to highlight the diverse experiences of individual employees (Fig. 8). At conferences and forums, they have made known the triumphs of their female drivers and operators and why equality in construction is a worthwhile goal. They have celebrated their employees through award nominations, and they have facilitated workshops with school careers advisors and young students themselves to reveal the possibilities for success that women can find in the construction industry. Sally-ann sees increasing awareness of this as crucial for the construction industry, particularly as it faces labour shortages. In an interview, she quoted the findings of a Hewlett Packard internal review that has circulated through all industries, ‘Men will apply if they think they meet 60% of the job criteria; women won't unless they think they meet them all!’ (Harvard Business Review, 2014).

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Fig. 8.

Eather Group Featured in the Leading National Transport Magazine (Big Rigs, n.d.).

Eather Group Business Model

Eather Group aims to provide sustainable solutions to traditional construction issues, offering transport and haulage, bulk material handling and waste management services that help major infrastructure projects generate positive environmental and community outcomes. While the term ‘Circular Economy’ has gained popularity as a description of an environmentally sustainable model focused on minimising waste and repurposing resources, Eather Group has expanded its meaning to also encompass:

• making the most of opportunities given to them by creating opportunities for others;

  • engaging a diverse supply chain, helping others grow;

• investing in the development and happiness of staff;

  • encouraging a sustainable work–life balance;

  • creating opportunities for women, locals, Indigenous people and youths;

  • maintaining an environment that supports diversity;

• developing mutually beneficial relationships;

  • discouraging competition and collaborating with other organisations for much larger positive impacts;

• cycling money by investing profits into communities;

  • sponsoring and supporting community institutions and events;

• maintaining integrity and sticking to their values.

This expanded view not only of what the Circular Economy can be but what environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) targets a relatively small business in the construction industry can commit to and achieve continues to support Eather Group's adoption of SDG#5's targets.

We don’t just want to have diversity; we want to provide an environment that is supportive of that diversity. (Divinia Eather)

The development of an anti-discrimination and equal employment opportunity (EEO) policy formalised the company's non-tolerance of any kind of gendered abuse, in line with targets #5.1 and #5.2. Any reports of bullying over the radio or sexual harassment on sites are immediately acted upon, and their chain of responsibility clarifies the appropriate lines of communication to raise concerns. The company's executive team, with a ratio of more than 50% women, opens career progression opportunities equally to all interested employees, which honours target #5.5. Further, where possible, Eather Group engages women-owned businesses in their diverse supply chain, also identifying other companies which share a commitment to gender equality. The organisation's strong community and media presence that regularly showcases endeavours to cultivate a diverse and more gender-balanced workplace line up with target 5.b, aiming to break down stereotypes of what a truck driver or operator looks like and what kind of behaviour is acceptable in the industry.

I believe the key to attracting more women to the industry is by changing the narrative.

(Bianca Clark quoted in Big Rigs, 2021)

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Fig. 9.

Bianca Clark Driving a Kenworth 909 With 18-Speed Road Ranger Gearbox [Photo Credit Clarity Photography].

What are the Challenges of Working with SDG#5?

How do Key Stakeholders Relate to the SDG Championed by the Organisation?

Business and the Greater Good

Peter and Sally-ann Eather describe Eather Group as ‘more than just a business’, but a legacy and an opportunity to ‘turn every project we're awarded into real outcomes…’ As regards gender equality and the targets of SDG#5, Eather Group is having an impact in the local community, in the New South Wales (NSW) construction industry, and on a national level. An example of this is through the ‘Working with Impact’ Tour and Showcase Day as mentioned above. There were significant outcomes from this activity. Expenditures associated with the event were related to:

• 66% went to Indigenous businesses;

• 52% went to women-owned businesses;

• 93% went to local businesses.

The organisation has presented and appeared on panels to discuss its Circular Economy model and the achievements and opportunities of women in the industry at several national forums including:

• The 8th Annual Indigenous Economic Development Conference;

• The National Economic Development Conference;

• Women in Family Business' Elevate Summit;

• NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce Infrastructure and Construction Forum;

• Family Business Association National Conference.

Other benefits and impact include workshops with high school students to discuss what a career in construction could look like, and continued conversations with career advisors have led to several girls reaching out for extra information and direction to get started. The company has paired with industry awards, featuring on the front page of the national Big Rigs magazine, as well as in other smaller magazines, local newspapers and podcasts, the company has been explicit about its intentions and hopes to spark interest in a trend of change in their industry.

Our industry affords us the unique opportunity to shape the very landscape of our environment, to influence the way our community views progression, and to inspire the way our industry will conduct business in the years to come. Not just to make ourselves proud, but to make proud the generations after us who will remember us by the mark we’ve left on the world. (Divinia Eather)

Since the company began to showcase its intentions and values for the first time in 2020, there has been an outreach of support and recognition even extending beyond state boundaries. It inspired a woman from Brisbane to write this, on reading the Eather Group website:

“I am a female truck driver, previous senior sales account manager and business development manager within the logistics/freight industry (long and short haul around Australia) … … I have worked within the construction industry my whole adult life due to my family’s construction business. With this all in my experience it is a goal of mine to work for a company that has an impeccable work ethic of its own and through LinkedIn I believe your company is as such. As I am aware this is a long shot I still would like to implore Eather Group to consider expanding its business to greater Brisbane, Queensland; as I can assure you we are lacking an inclusive construction company of Eather’s calibre, ethical and professional standards up here. It would be an amazing opportunity to work with a company such as yourselves and I hope with great consideration you look to expand interstate and if so, would love the opportunity to work with The Eather Group. (Davinia Eather, Personal Communication, August 2023)

The long, inflexible hours of the industry has long been a barrier for many women, who are more likely to be the caregiver of children or elderly parents (Target 5.4). In an endeavour to work with this fact rather than against it, Eather Group have explored the possibility of casual and part-time driving roles, something the company has not offered before. This has led to the employment of a young mum who has committed to driving a truck two days a week until her son is of school age. This compromise is a relatively unique employment offering that has only been made possible by an understanding and supportive management team. Beyond company-led impact, Eather Group has been supportive of the endeavours of individual staff members.

Key Milestones in Recent Years

A representation of the company's diversity and sustainability milestones is shown in Fig. 10.

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Fig. 10.

Eather Group's Key Diversity and Sustainability Milestones.

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Fig. 10.1.

The Indigenous Circular Economy in Action Pilot Project [Photo Credit Clarity Photography].

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Fig. 10.2.

Nepean Business Park (Credit Hired Gun Photography).

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Fig. 10.3.

Sally-ann Eather Announced Road Freight NSW Transport Woman of the Year.

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Fig. 10.4.

Four Auto HR Trucks Were Purchased as Part of the Internal Women in Trucking Training Programme.

What’s Next for Eather Group?

Eather Group is currently on their journey to becoming a BCorp-certified organisation, one of the first in its industry. As part of this journey, they expect to formalise intentions and targets by refining measurement and reporting strategies (target #5.c). As the owners recognise the need for continuous movement towards eliminating discrimination found in the wider industry, they will wish to explore further educational opportunities to spread awareness and discourage behaviours that threaten the company's female employees and deter women from joining the industry (targets #5.1 & 5.2). The organisation is currently developing a training programme in partnership with Komatsu which will allow women who are new to the industry to gain experience with machines (Fig. 11), and also provide the opportunity to upskill and prepare female employees for supervisory and other leadership positions (target 5.5).

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Fig. 11.

Divinia, Peter and Sally-ann Eather Pictured With Brand New Komatsu Dozer [Photo Credit Hired Gun Photography].

Additionally, Eather Group has invested $1,000,000 in purchasing four automatic 8-wheeler tippers to upskill women who wish to make trucking a career. In the first month of the programme, they helped an Indigenous aunty to get experience in a watercart vehicle before passing her Heavy Rigid (HR) licence, and she will now be moving into one of these trucks. The programme will allow women who are either new to driving and are gaining confidence in HR vehicles or are keen on making the transition between HR and Heavy Combination (HC) licences.

Eather Group is scaling up their marketing endeavours across both traditional and social media platforms to continue shedding light on the treatment of women in the industry (both positive and negative), the opportunities available to women, and what a day in the role of a driver or operator involves (target #5.b). Most significantly, the organisation is exploring the viability of supporting parents through maternity and paternity leave, something that will be extremely new to the industry and a deliberately bold stance for a company of its size (target #5.4 & #5.6).

Eather Group’s passion for gender diversity in construction isn’t new, and as the years go by it seems our peers are catching on. Currently, our industry is going through a significant transition, partly out of want and partly out of necessity. Experienced drivers and operators are in high demand, and companies are being forced to make internal changes and cast a much wider and more diverse net to attract employees. There has never been a better time for women in construction! (Divinia Eather)