Role Congruity Theory Research Articles

The Contingent Effect of Gender on Entrepreneurs’ Relationships Within an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

This paper examines the extent to which gender roles influence the types of relationships entrepreneurs enter with other actors in an ecosystem. We draw on role-congruity theory (Eagly & Karau, 2002) to suggest that because of the perceived incongruity between female gender roles and entrepreneurship as a profession, stakeholders are less likely to engage with female entrepreneurs in a collaborative capacity than male entrepreneurs. We studied this by collecting survey and interview data. The survey and interviews posed questions pertaining to the entrepreneurial ecosystem, as well individual’s personal relationships with other in the local startup community. The nascent entrepreneurial ecosystem we studied was in a rural mid-sized city in the Midwest US. From this data we were able to determine the overall network structure and collaborations and friendships networks within the ecosystem. Findings suggest that entrepreneurs are less likely to collaborate overall than non-entrepreneurs and female entrepreneurs are less likely to collaborate than male entrepreneurs and male and female non-entrepreneurs.

Social Role and Role Congruity Influences on Perceived Value of Women’s Leadership at Southwestern Research Universities

This qualitative survey study, framed by social role and role congruity theories, explored the perceptions and experiences of 33 women faculty and academic administrators at doctoral-granting highest research-intensive universities located in the Southwestern region of the U.S. The purpose of the study was to expand on our understanding of how social role and role congruity theories can explain and further our understanding of how women are perceived to be valued as leaders in the higher education space, and how society supports this continued valuation. For purposes of this study, social value is explored through the operational processes of higher education organizations. Findings from this study show that the participants perceived that women’s credibility as leaders continues to be questioned, resulting in less perceived value; the accepted role of women as leaders in higher education continues to be influenced by greater society; society continues to perceive leaders should be men; and organizational practices continue to support systemic barrier to women’s leadership success. By understanding the perceptions and experiences of women regarding their perceptions of value as leaders in higher education, we can begin to address and eliminate systemic barriers to further better support their advancement into leadership roles.

Confucian Culture, Gender Stereotype and Female Entrepreneur: Evidence from China

ABSTRACT Female entrepreneurship activities in China encounter a unique informal institutional situation – Confucian culture favouring masculinity. Drawing on Social Role Theory and Gender Role Congruity Theory, we explore whether and how Confucian culture affects female entrepreneurship. Using 20,531 entrepreneurs’ data from Chinese Private Enterprise Survey over the period of 2002–2014, we find that Confucian culture is negatively associated with female entrepreneurship. In addition, gender stereotypes based on Confucian patriarchal ideology have a partial mediation effect in this relationship. Further analysis demonstrates that managerial experience might be a potential way for women to achieve entrepreneurial breakthroughs in these adverse conditions.

Gender-contingent effects of leadership on loneliness.

This article builds from role congruity theory to develop and test a theoretical model about the gender-contingent experiences of loneliness for individuals taking on leadership roles. Across three complementary studies using diverse methods, occupying a leader role was associated with greater loneliness for women, but not for men. This effect was mediated by authenticity such that women experienced less authenticity when they occupied leader roles, but men did not. Study 1 applied a propensity score matching method to a longitudinal, archival data set. Study 2 replicated and extended Study 1 by examining the mediating mechanism of authenticity using a laboratory experiment. Study 3 adopted a two-wave survey design to address the limitations of the previous studies and replicate their results. The findings contribute to theory on how occupying leader roles affects incumbents' affective experiences by shifting the perspective of role congruity theory from observers' perceptions of leaders to leaders' subjective experiences, and accordingly contribute to understanding of the undesirable aspects of leader roles. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Effects of different service failure types and recovery strategies on the consumer response mechanism of chatbots

The increasing application of artificial intelligence to online retailing and the rapid deployment of online robots have made online robot service failures common. This study explores consumer response mechanisms to different types of service failures and recovery strategies of chatbots based on role congruity theory and psychological accounting theory. Questionnaires were used to collect data and test hypotheses. The study found the following. First, chatbot service failures can affect consumers' choice of different recovery strategies. After the functional failure of chatbots, consumers are more inclined for the chatbot to be involved in service recovery. After the nonfunctional failure of chatbots, consumers are more inclined toward human involvement in service recovery. Second, different service recovery strategies affect the level of perceived governance. Compared with humans involved in service recovery, robots have a higher level of perceived governance. Third, the level of perceived governance affects consumers’ willingness to forgive. Fourth, the level of robot intelligence plays a moderating role in the types of service failures affecting the choice of recovery strategies. The findings of this study can enrich the response mechanisms and boundary conditions of online robot service failure and provide important insights for online retail enterprises to effectively respond to robot service failure and make reasonable use of human-robot collaborative work.

Gender Diversity, Role Congruity and the Success of VC Investments

Building upon the gender role congruity theory, in this paper, we propose that the association between gender diversity and venture performance changes when roles played by individuals are not coherent with the gender-derived expectations of their ascribed social group. We test our theory in the context of early stage financing, investigating how gender diversity between entrepreneurs and VC managers influences the investment performance of VC-backed firms. Our sample consists of 5800 VC managers, who invested in 5075 different ventures in the period 2000–2019 and of 16,713 venture founders. We find that gender diversity is associated with better performance only when a female entrepreneur is matched to a male VC manager. Our analysis sheds light on the presence of several factors that moderate the observed association, related to the VC’s ability to provide value-added services to the invested ventures.

Gender, bottom-line mentality, and workplace mistreatment: The roles of gender norm violation and team gender composition.

Although gender has been identified as an important antecedent in workplace mistreatment research, empirical research has shown mixed results. Drawing on role congruity theory, we propose an interactive effect of gender and bottom-line mentality on being the target of mistreatment. Across two field studies, our results showed that whereas women experienced more mistreatment when they had higher levels of bottom-line mentality, men experienced more mistreatment when they had lower levels of bottom-line mentality. In another field study, using round-robin survey data, we found that team gender composition influenced the degree to which the adoption of a bottom-line mentality by female team members was perceived to be a gender norm violation, which subsequently predicted their likelihood of being mistreated. Specifically, women who had higher (vs. lower) levels of bottom-line mentality were more likely to be perceived to violate gender norms in teams with a lower proportion of women, and in turn, perceived gender norm violation was positively associated with being mistreated. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of our findings and directions for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Witnessing interparental violence and leader role occupancy: the roles of insecure attachment and gender

PurposeGiven the role leaders play in organizational effectiveness, there is growing interest in understanding the antecedents of leader emergence. The authors consider parental influence by examining how witnessing interparental violence during adolescence indirectly affects adult leader role occupancy. Drawing on the work–home resources (W-HR) model, the authors hypothesize that witnessing interparental violence serves as a distal, chronic contextual demand that hinders leader role occupancy through its effects on constructive personal resources, operationalized as insecure attachment. Based on role congruity theory, the authors also predict that the relationship between attachment style and leader role occupancy will differ for women and men.Design/methodology/approachTo test the hypotheses, the authors used data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R) (n = 1,665 full-time employees).FindingsAfter controlling for age, education, childhood socioeconomic status and experienced violence, results showed that the negative indirect effects of witnessing interparental violence on leader role occupancy through avoidant attachment was significant for females only, while the negative effects of anxious attachment hindered leader role occupancy across sexes.Originality/valueResults identify novel distal (interparental violence) and proximal (attachment style) barriers to leader role occupancy, showing empirical support for the life-span approach to leadership and the persistent effects of home demands on work.

Feminine traits improve transformational leadership advantage: investigation of leaders’ gender traits, sex and their joint impacts on employee contextual performance

PurposeThis research aims to examine the indirect relationship between feminine traits and employee contextual performance through transformational leadership. Additionally, it explored the role of leaders’ sex in moderating the relationship between feminine traits and transformational leadership through a moderated mediation model that subsequently influences employee contextual performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study tested and validated the moderated mediation model using a two-wave survey with 295 samples. Bootstrapping was adopted for model testing.FindingsThe results indicated that leaders’ sex moderated the relationship between feminine traits and employee contextual performance through transformational leadership, such that the indirect effect was stronger for female leaders than for male leaders.Practical implicationsFemale leaders can improve employee contextual performance by demonstrating transformational leadership with feminine traits. Organizations must implement measures (i.e. training) to promote the acceptance and application of leader gender and gender-role trait diversity, reduce the prevalence of gender stereotypes and help leaders benefit from learning and implementing the effective combination of leadership and feminine traits.Originality/valueThe study demonstrated the joint effects of leaders’ sex (difference) and gender-role traits on employee contextual performance through transformational leadership. These results provide female leaders with feminine traits to gain a leadership advantage and an in-depth understanding of role congruity theory from the perspective of leadership effectiveness.

Female Chiefs in Dagbon Traditional Area: Role and Challenges in the Northern Region of Ghana

Traditional forms of leadership are many and varied globally and throughout the continent of Africa, chieftaincy institution has recognized only male chiefs, (Von Trotha, 1996 & Engelbranner-Koff et al 1995). However, literature points to the existence of female chiefs since the ancient times but the question still remains especially, the role these chiefs play in the socio-economic and cultural development of their traditiobal areas. This study sought to ascertain the existence of female chiefs in Dagbon Traditional Area and the role they play in sociocultural and economic development of Northern Region of Ghana. Qualitative methods descriptive statistics and processes were used which included interviews, observations and focus group discussions and percentages for the primary data. The targeted population were Traditional Authority (Chiefs, their Elders, Tindanas, Magazias), Drum historians, People with special knowledge on the matter and the Community elders from the study areas. Data collected were analysed through the process of Thematic Content Analysis and guided by sociological theories such as Social Role Theory, Role Congruity Theory, Sociocultural Theory and Functionalists Theory. The results showed that the qualification and the selection or nomination for a title as female chief was based on lineage either a daughter or granddaughter of the overlord (Ya Naa). They assumed important sociocultural, spiritual and political roles especially, during funerals of the King of Dagbon and some other selected chiefs as well as during festivities. They are bedeviled with a lot of challenges including lack of recognition, support in terms of finances, ill-treatment by their female counterparts and humiliation. It is recommended that Regional and National Houses of Chiefs and the District Assemblies as a matter of urgency support female chiefs with quarterly allowances and sensitization of the public by district assemblies to realise the importance of female chiefs in the development of the traditional area.

Damned if she does, damned if she doesn’t: The interactive effects of gender and agreeableness on performance evaluation

The role congruity theory and research on gender stereotypes suggest that communion and agency tendencies explain gender discrimination in performance evaluations. We propose that high agreeableness, a Big Five personality trait, captures the communal dimension of an individual’s concern for others. Across two studies conducted in India and the United States, we found evidence that the relationship between agreeableness and performance evaluations is nonlinear for female employees. Women are rated as high performers when they exhibit moderate levels of agreeableness. For male employees, we find a communal bonus effect in which they benefit from being agreeable in the workplace. Our findings demonstrate the stability of these findings across Indian and North American cultures. Our findings contribute to the literature on role congruity, personality theories, and job performance.

Negotiation Power and the Impact of Gender Differences

This study focuses on the intersection of power and gender in negotiations, which is seldom challenged in previous research. In an experiment with 72 negotiators, we consider issue authority as a proxy of power in negotiations and investigate how different power allocations affect the negotiation success. We learn that an increase in issue authority for one of the two parties does not necessarily lead to an increase in success. Especially, female negotiators rely on their negotiation power, rather than systematically improving mutual utilities. This article contributes to Emerson’s power-dependence theory, social role theory, role congruity theory, and gender role conflict theory by combining analyzing the impact of gender differences and power on the success. This study attempts to close the gap in the literature by focusing on the prospective function of gender role orientation in explaining gender differences in negotiation. The theoretical contribution is that females are not per se inferior in negotiations, but their performance decreases in scenarios of power asymmetries. On the contrary, unbalanced power decreases the likelihood of success. Negotiators cannot rely on a power advantage to increase their success.

Biased perceptions against female scientists affect intentions to get vaccinated for COVID-19

Based on role congruity theory, we investigated how gender bias may influence public attitudes toward the vaccine in Turkey. Using a between-subjects design, we tested whether an emphasis on the female versus the male scientist as the vaccine's inventor in a news story influenced attitudes about the BioNTech vaccine and vaccination intentions. Partly confirming role congruity theory, three-way interaction results from 665 participants demonstrated that among male participants with a stronger belief in traditional gender roles (compared to males with lower belief), the presence of the female inventor, either by herself or together with the male inventor, decreased the perceived efficacy and safety of the vaccine and reduced intentions to be vaccinated by the BioNTech vaccine. We did not observe such differences for women. These findings highlight how gender bias may influence individuals' information processing and decision making in a way that may have negative consequences for public health.

Evaluations of abusive supervisors: The moderating role of the abuser's gender

SummaryThe present research examines the role of leaders' gender in influencing how employees evaluate abusive supervision. This paper argues that abusive supervision is considered to be a less typical leader behavior for female leaders, compared to male leaders, because abusive behaviors violate the stereotypes traditionally prescribed to female leaders (e.g., communal and caring). As such, drawing from gender stereotype theories (e.g., the lack‐of‐fit model and role congruity theory), we propose that, among leaders who engage in abusive supervision, employees will rate female leaders as less effective than male leaders. However, we also propose that employees will attribute female leaders' abuse to internal characteristics to a lesser extent than male leaders. Results from both an experimental study (Study 1) and a field study (Study 2) conducted with working adults support our hypotheses. Namely, results suggest that female leaders' abusive supervision is viewed as less typical leadership behavior and, consequently, is associated with lower ratings of effectiveness compared to abusive male leaders. Conversely, because abuse is viewed as female‐atypical behavior, employees were less likely to make internal attributions for female leaders' abusive behaviors. Implications for theory and practice will be discussed.

Gender Role Violations and Voter Prejudice: The Agentic Penalty Faced by Women Politicians

ABSTRACT Role Congruity Theory (RCT) broadly suggests that when women step into leadership roles, they violate the expectations of their role as women. This article uses RCT to develop and directly test theories related to which types of gender stereotype role violations might cause voter bias toward women politicians. We argue and find that voter prejudice most likely results from an agentic incongruity–punishing a woman candidate who violates her gender role by displaying agentic, dominant traits such as being intimidating or arrogant. Backlash for this type of role violation is strong when the election context favors male stereotypical strengths.

Gender stereotypes in equity crowdfunding: the effect of gender bias on the interpretation of quality signals

Equity crowdfunding has the potential to democratize entrepreneurial finance and provide female entrepreneurs with new and equal access to early-stage financing. In this paper, we present first empirical evidence on gender stereotypes in the context of technology ventures in equity crowdfunding. Drawing on signaling and gender role congruity theory, we hypothesize that quality signals have different effects depending on whether they are sent by male or female entrepreneurs. Results taken from a sample of 263 equity crowdfunding campaigns run by technology ventures confirm our hypotheses. In line with gender stereotypes, management experience is beneficial for male entrepreneurs but detrimental for female entrepreneurs. Interestingly, media coverage as a third-party signal has the oppositive effect, being more effective for female entrepreneurs.

A triple whammy effect of employees' gender, job type, and service outcomes on consumer behavior

The extant literature reports inconsistent results regarding the effect of employee gender on customers' attitudes and behaviors. Furthermore, the previous research on congruency bias has mainly focused on female-dominant jobs. To address these issues, this study examined how customers' gender stereotypes affect their service evaluations and revisit intentions. Grounded in role congruity theory, congruency bias, and justification-suppression models, the results showed that employee gender and gender congruency with the norm for the job have differential impacts on customer evaluations. Furthermore, this study found asymmetric impacts of congruency bias on customer experiences. For example, customers showed lower satisfaction and revisit intention when female employees failed in a male-dominant job than when their male counterparts did. However, they showed equal levels of satisfaction and revisit intention when male and female employees failed in a female-dominant job. The results provide important insights into how to reduce customers' gender bias toward different gender-dominated jobs.

The Downside of CFO Function-Based Language Incongruity

The prior literature on role congruity theory has revolved around demographic-based expectations, emphasizing role incongruity derived from a mismatch between prescriptive expectations of distinct ...

Gender and quality signals: How does gender influence the effectiveness of signals in crowdfunding?

ABSTRACT Combining signaling theory and gender role congruity theory, this study examines if the quality signals of entrepreneurs and their ventures are perceived differently because of their gender, which, in turn, affects the crowdfunding performance. In a sample of 14,729 campaigns in Kickstarter, this study shows that gender determines the effectiveness of signals in enhancing funding performance, but not uniformly to the disadvantage of women. While females are rewarded less with the signals of competence and qualification, they benefit more from the signal of social ties. This study offers implications for evaluating entrepreneurial projects and strategies for crafting an effective pitch.

Men and women who want epistemic certainty are at-risk for hostility towards women leaders

ABSTRACT Researchers have spent the past five decades asking why women leaders face disproportionally more disapproval than their men colleagues. We extend recent research by investigating the need for cognitive closure (NCC), or the desire for stable and certain knowledge, to help answer this question. Consistent with Role Congruity Theory, we propose that individuals with this need are more likely to disapprove of women who break traditional gender roles as well as women leaders, a subcategory of nontraditional woman. We studied the NCC effect relative to the effects of gender and political orientation (i.e., women and political liberals are less likely to disapprove of women leaders). In four studies, including state and dispositional treatments of NCC and a brief meta-analyses, we argue that NCC has an indirect effect on negative attitudes toward women leaders through hostile sexism, among both men and women and from both sides of the political spectrum.