A Cross-Industry Comparison of How Women Leaders Experience Gender Bias

Abstract

Though gender inequality has recently received heightened attention from scholars and policy makers, it is estimated that economic parity remains more than two centuries away. It is established that overt and subtle forms of gender bias obstruct women’s advancement in organizations. While much research has examined the nature of such biases, little is known about how women leaders experience gender bias across different industries. We used a convergent mixed-method approach for data collection. Using survey responses and data from open-ended responses from four disparate industries in the United States (higher education, faith-based non-profit organizations, healthcare, and law), we assess how women leaders experience 15 different aspects of gender bias and compare these experiences across industries. The results of MANOVA and qualitative content analyses indicate that, while gender bias is prevalent in all industries, differences exist across the industries, suggesting a varied lived experience for women leaders.