Nonverbal affect responses to male and female leaders: Implications for leadership evaluations.

Abstract

It was hypothesized that female leaders would elicit more negative nonverbal affect responses from other group members than male leaders offering the same initiatives. Male and female subjects participated in 4-person discussions in which male or female confederates assumed leadership. During the discussion subjects' nonverbal affect responses to the confederates were coded from behind oneway mirrors. Female leaders received more negative affect responses and fewer positive responses than men offering the same suggestions and arguments. Female leaders received more negative than positive responses, in contrast to men, who received at least as many positive as negative responses. The data demonstrate a concrete social mechanism known to cause devaluation of leadership, and thus support a more social interpretation of female leadership evaluations, in contrast to previous interpretations based on private perceptual bias.This study hypothesizes an objective social-situational cue that could account for the devaluation of women's leadership (

Internal Medicine Residents' Perceived Ability to Direct Patient Care: Impact of Gender and Experience

“…Heilman et al, 11 in a randomized study where evaluators rated assistant vice presidents for identical accomplishments, found that women but not men who were competent in leadership positions typically held by men were viewed as unlikable and that competence and likability were independent predictors of being recommended for institutional rewards. Butler and Geis 17 found that when women perform as a single leader in a work group, they are subject to more subtle negative affective responses from other members of the team than men following identical scripts. The negative consequences for women in the corporate world who lead with a style associated with male gender schema have even led to the creation of workshops called Bully Broads to teach capable high-ranking women how to assume more socially acceptable, stereotypically female communal behaviors.…”

“…Furthermore, when women behave in a more stereotypically masculine way, it may trigger negative reactions. 9,17,18 Performing a meta-analysis of experimental studies in which only the sex of the leader varied, Eagly et al 19 found that women leaders who adopted a stereotypically masculine, autocratic style received lower evaluations than men exhibiting the same style of leadership. Heilman et al, 11 in a randomized study where evaluators rated assistant vice presidents for identical accomplishments, found that women but not men who were competent in leadership positions typically held by men were viewed as unlikable and that competence and likability were independent predictors of being recommended for institutional rewards.…”

Role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders.

“…In general, the competent task contributions of women are more likely to be ignored or to evoke negative reactions than those of men (Altemeyer & Jones, 1974;Ridgeway, 1978Ridgeway, , 1981Ridgeway, , 1982. Also, women who genuinely exert influence are less likely to be liked or recognized as influential than men who exert influence (Butler & Geis, 1990;Walker et al, 1996).…”

Gender, Teaching Evaluations, and Professional Success in Political Science

“…Butler and Geis ( 1990 ) used experimental approaches to examine the role of gender and leadership in the reactions of observers. They focused on nonverbal responses-in particular, positive or negative facial reactions of participants who observed leaders making suggestions for certain courses of action.…”