Barriers for women in the workplace: A social psychological perspective

Abstract

We present a social psychological perspective on the barriers that women face in the workplace. We begin by reviewing the prevailing theories of gender differences such as social role theory, role congruity theory, and prescriptive gender norms and stereotypes and then extrapolate from these social psychological mechanisms for gender differences in organizations to explain various barriers, including discrimination, prejudice, performance devaluation, backlash, and more. The genesis of many of these barriers thus result from the prescriptive, at times constrictive, social expectations that influence both the external social sanctions applied to women's behavior as well as women's individual preferences. We then review four domains in which women and men differ in their preferences and behavior in the workplace: leadership, decision-making, negotiation, and influence. Finally, we acknowledge how the concept of gender is continuing to evolve, discuss its implications for economic inequality, and pose questions that will update our understanding of women in the workplace in the future.

Neural responses to gender‐based microaggressions in academic medicine

“…Interestingly, women demonstrated higher activation in the attention networks during control trials that showed social situations of equity (e.g., women leading discussions and making decisions for the team) compared to microaggression trials. Prior research has shown that women can face social judgment when exhibiting stereotype‐incongruent behaviors that violate their prescriptive gender norms (i.e., “assertive, independent, and agentic behavior” versus “helping, caring, and communal behavior”; Hanek & Garcia, 2022; Heilman & Eagly, 2008, 2008; Heilman & Okimoto, 2007; Heilman & Wallen, 2010). Therefore, one interpretation of our findings could be that female participants devoted more attentional neural resources to self‐related information in trials with a higher risk of being socially judged (i.e., control condition).…”

Breaking the Mold-Analyzing Gender Stereotyping in the Workplace Through Bibliometric and Content Analysis

“…They note that gender stereotypes play a significant role in shaping perceptions of women’s competence and suitability for leadership positions, as well as evaluations of women’s performance and opportunities for advancement (Heilman & Haynes, 2005). The authors also highlight how gendered expectations and scrutiny can undermine the authority and effectiveness of women leaders (Hanek & Garcia, 2022)…”

“…They note that gender stereotypes play a significant role in shaping perceptions of women's competence and suitability for leadership positions, as well as evaluations of women's performance and opportunities for advancement (Heilman & Haynes, 2005). The authors also highlight how gendered expectations and scrutiny can undermine the authority and effectiveness of women leaders (Hanek & Garcia, 2022) According to research (Eagly, 2012), women who create a leadership style that strikes a balance between interpersonal warmth and competence have greater influence as leaders and are viewed as more effective. They suggest that women may need to adopt a more assertive leadership style to overcome gender stereotypes, which often view women as less competent or less suitable for leadership roles.…”

“…According to King et al (2012), diversity training and a positive diversity climate were both associated with improved organizational performance, suggesting that organizations should invest in these initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion. A study by Hanek and Garcia (2022) suggests that future research should take a cross-level approach that explores the interplay between contextual and individual factors that contribute to gender gaps in organizations.…”

Gender and competitive performance: Closing gaps with smaller competitions

“…Although many factors contribute to these gender gaps, professional advancement and achievement often require competing against others vying for the same position or reward. Gender differences in the response to competition, therefore, can help explain these gaps as well as create avenues to close them (Croson & Gneezy, 2009; Hanek, 2022; Hanek & Garcia, 2022; Niederle & Vesterlund, 2008). In the present research, we explore how changing the size of the competition may close gender gaps in performance.…”