"Equal Opportunity? Women, Gender, and Leadership in the 21st Century"

Abstract

This symposium introduces new perspectives and applications of gender stereotypes in organizations via four presentations. The authors examine perceptions of leaders, leadership behavior, and occupational advancement through a gender lens. The first presentation uses archival and experimental data to highlight the emphasis placed on female politicians’ physical appearance and the detrimental effects appearance discussions have on observers’ perceptions of high-status women. The second presentation reveals that stereotypes associated with two forms of distributive justice (equity vs. equality) mirror the stereotype content model (masculinity/agency vs. femininity/communion). This intersection of justice and gender stereotypes poses significant implications for employees’ attitudes toward male and female managers. The third presentation demonstrates that women leaders are targeted with less hostility, particularly by conservative observers, when they reinforce the traditional gender hierarchy by engaging in “queen bee” behavior. The author discusses the bind women leaders may experience when employed in sexist environments. The fourth presentation examines the role of gender in leadership claiming (i.e., claiming leadership for oneself) and granting (i.e., accepting and encouraging others’ leadership), revealing that gender identity and gender stereotypic beliefs about leadership predict sex differences in leadership behaviors and perceptions. These four studies integrate numerous theories (e.g., gender role incongruity, fairness theory, prescriptive gender stereotypes), shedding light on the effects of gender roles and stereotyping on both women’s and men’s workforce advancement and leadership. The session will conclude with a discussion by Dr. Robin Ely, an acclaimed scholar on workplace diversity and women’s advancement. Does Reinforcing the Gender Hierarchy Reduce Conservatives' Hostility toward Gender Role Violators? Presenter: Alexander Garcia Muradov; U. of Toronto The Role of Gender in Claiming and Granting Leadership Presenter: Veronica C. Rabelo; U. of Michigan, Ann Arbor Presenter: Lisa A Marchiondo; Wayne State U. Presenter: Susan J. Ashford; U. of Michigan Is Distributive Justice Gendered? Reactions to Men’s and Women’s Allocation Violations Presenter: Suzette Caleo; Louisiana State U. The Mere Mention of Physical Appearance Negatively Impacts Women in High-Status Occupations Presenter: Victoria L Brescoll; Yale U.