Understanding Perceptions of Female and Male Leaders

Abstract

Although the representation of women in top management positions has increased in recent years, there remains a gender imbalance at upper levels in organizations (U.S. Department of Labor, 2009). Past research revealed that this gender gap can be explained through a biased evaluation of female leaders such that when exhibiting the same behavior as male leaders, female leaders are less favorably evaluated than their male counterparts (Heilman, 2001). In this symposium, we include five papers that explore factors influencing this biased evaluation, namely leader emergence (Presentation 1), individuating information about and positions of leaders (Presentation 2), leader role-based behavior (Presentation 3), leader body posture and gender (Presentation 4), and degree of match of individuals’ Implicit Leadership Theories (ILT) with their own leader identity (Presentation 5). Following the presentations, Lynn Shore will serve as the discussant to highlight both theoretical and practical implications and lead a...