Are Leader Stereotypes Masculine? A Meta-Analysis of Three Research Paradigms

Koenig, Anne M.; Eagly, Alice H.; Mitchell, Abigail A.

doi:10.1037/e617292010-001

Cited by 32 publications

(58 citation statements)

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“…Since CEO personal characteristics are important indicators of behavior and subsequent performance (Hambrick and Mason, 1984), they provide a basis for the formation of stereotypes about successful CEOs. For instance, investors react negatively to the hiring of female CEOs in comparison to male CEOs as stereotypes of the CEO as a leader are dominantly masculine (Koenig, Eagly, Mitchell and Ristikari, 2011). Investors expect male CEOs to more closely conform to the masculinity stereotype, which leads to a perceptual bias against female CEOs.…”

Section: Stereotyping As Judgment Heuristicmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of CEO Extraversion on Analyst Forecasts: Stereotypes and Similarity Bias

Becker

Medjedovic

Merkle

2019

The Financial Review

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In an experiment with professional analysts, we study their reliance on CEO personality information when producing financial forecasts. Drawing on social cognition research, we suggest analysts apply a stereotyping heuristic, believing that extraverted CEOs are more successful. The between‐subjects results with CEO extraversion as treatment variable confirm that analysts issue more favorable forecasts (earnings per share, long‐term earnings growth, and target price) for firms led by extraverted CEOs. Increased forecast uncertainty leads to even stronger stereotyping. Additionally, personality similarity between analysts and CEOs has a large effect on financial forecasts. Analysts issue more positive forecasts for CEOs similar to themselves.

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Section: Stereotyping As Judgment Heuristicmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of CEO Extraversion on Analyst Forecasts: Stereotypes and Similarity Bias

Becker

Medjedovic

Merkle

2019

The Financial Review

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“…Although the "think manager, think male" paradigm is fading and people start to acknowledge the more communal, more feminine elements of leadership (Hoyt, 2010), meta-analytic evidence indicates that more people-particularly men-still attribute leadership to masculine attributes (Koenig, Eagly, Mitchell, & Ristikari, 2011). If only women then make use of work-life initiatives, they could in fact foster gender stereotypes (Vinkenburg & Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, E.C., 2009).…”

Section: Theoretical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender and leadership aspiration: The impact of work–life initiatives

Fritz

Knippenberg

2017

Human Resource Management

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Despite the increase in female leaders, women still remain a minority. As aspiration, defined as the interest for achieving a leadership position, is one predictor of advancement, it is important to understand conditions fostering female leadership aspiration. Because women face more domestic and child care responsibilities, we predict that there is an interaction between gender and work–life initiatives. These initiatives help employees balance their work and private life through simplifying the integration and diminishing tension between the two spheres. Because the work–life interface poses greater challenges for women, we hypothesize that work–life initiatives have a stronger influence on women's leadership aspiration. Results of a survey of N = 402 employed men and women supported this hypothesis. The interaction effect of gender and work–life initiatives on leadership aspiration was positive, implying that women's leadership aspiration is more influenced by work–life initiatives. Our other hypothesis which states that work–life initiatives—regardless of gender—are positively related to leadership aspiration was supported. Hence, men's leadership aspiration also was positively influenced by the availability of such initiatives. This study suggests that by implementing work–life initiatives, such as flexible work arrangements, leaves of absence, or on‐site child assistance, organizations may encourage leadership aspiration for both genders. Our data show that the interaction effect of gender and work–life initiatives was positively related to leadership aspiration, but this may particularly hold true for women.

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“…These mechanisms particularly apply to leader roles (Eagly & Heilman, 2016) as these are described to include male agentic qualities such as assertiveness, self-confidence, aggression, and ambition for leaders to be successful (Eagly & Karau, 2002). Thus, due to being seen as less agentic than men, women appear as less congruent with leader roles than men (Koenig, Eagly, Mitchell, & Ristikari, 2011) and are, therefore, less likely to emerge as leaders (Eagly & Karau, 2001).…”

Section: Gender Stereotypes and Support For Quotasmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because stereotypes with regard to agency are seen as an explanation for gender differences in leadership (Koenig et al, 2011), seeing women in stereotypical ways as less agentic (than men) also serves as a system justification (Jost & Kay, 2005). Thus, the more typical women are seen as being low with regard to agency, the more the gender gap in leadership may be explained and thus justified.…”

Section: Gender Stereotypes and Support For Quotasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Support for quotas for women in leadership: The influence of gender stereotypes

Mölders

Brosi

Bekk

et al. 2017

Human Resource Management

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This study examines support for quotas for women in leadership, a currently highly debated topic in management research and practice. Using a sample of German working adults (N = 761), our results suggest that stereotypes about women (n = 380) are significantly related to support for quotas for women in leadership. Ascriptions of agency to typical women, that is, the extent to which women are generally seen as assertive, active, and strong, were positively related to participants' support for quotas for women in leadership in male‐gendered industries and high hierarchical positions, whereas ascriptions of communality to typical women, that is, the extent to which women are seen as understanding, supportive, and caring, were generally positively related. This pattern emerged for both male and female participants. Unexpectedly, gender‐stereotypic ascriptions to men (n = 381) were also related to support for quotas for women in leadership—with a positive relationship with agency in male‐gendered industries and a general negative relationship with communality, although these results were less pronounced. Implications for organizations are derived from these results, highlighting how the introduction of quotas for women in leadership can be smoothed by addressing how employees see women in terms of agency and communality.

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Are Leader Stereotypes Masculine? A Meta-Analysis of Three Research Paradigms

Cited by 32 publications

References 0 publications

The Effect of CEO Extraversion on Analyst Forecasts: Stereotypes and Similarity Bias

The Effect of CEO Extraversion on Analyst Forecasts: Stereotypes and Similarity Bias

Gender and leadership aspiration: The impact of work–life initiatives

Support for quotas for women in leadership: The influence of gender stereotypes

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