Going Along to Get Ahead: The Asymmetric Effects of Sexist Joviality on Status Conferral

Abstract

Social status is highly consequential in organizations but remains elusive for many professional women. Status characteristics theory argues that women are particularly status disadvantaged in masculine organizational cultures. These types of cultures valorize traits and abilities stereotypically associated with men, making it difficult for women in these settings to be seen as skilled and gain status. In the present study, we build and test novel theory explaining when and why masculine organizational cultures create the conditions for some women—those willing and able to skillfully navigate the espoused norms—to disproportionately gain status. We introduce and define the construct of a sexist culture of joviality, a type of masculine organizational culture representing the intersection of sexism and joviality that emerged inductively from our initial qualitative data. A sexist culture of joviality is characterized by norms promoting frequent sexist joking and teasing, along with underlying values and assumptions that support these sexist jovial behaviors. In a longitudinal mixed-methods field study, we demonstrate that participation in a sexist culture of joviality via engagement in sexist jovial norms is positively related to status for women but negatively related to status for men. In a follow-up experiment, we replicate this effect and demonstrate that differential perceptions of social skill mediate this interaction. Our findings illuminate the subtle ways sexism is perpetuated in organizations despite changing societal norms, underscoring the importance of disrupting these dynamics and revealing insights into how to do so.

Men's experience in masculine contest cultures

“…For instance, Cheryan and Markus's (2020) work on “masculine defaults” shows that men who fail to adhere to masculine norms are often informally sanctioned. Alonso and O'Neill (2021) demonstrate that women who successfully navigate masculine cultures by participating in them are perceived as savvy and socially skilled and accrue status as a result, while men who participate do not accrue the same status benefits. Our study extends extant research, demonstrating that men are not always the beneficiaries of cultures dominated by masculine norms by demonstrating that MCC can negatively impact men and their perceptions of procedural justice and that men who do not fully adhere to the masculine defaults or who choose to behave outside these norms are penalized.…”

“…Recent research notes that a full understanding of gender dynamics requires richer insight into the experiences of men and that “a lack of understanding of men leaves us unable to account for everyday observations” (Mazei et al, 2021, p. 108) at work. While studies on masculinity are emerging (e.g., Alonso & O'Neill, 2021), less research examines how MCC affect men.…”

The acceleration of emotional labor research: Navigating the past and steering toward the future

“…For example, the moderate unit display requirements found to be optimal for authenticity and well‐being by Christoforou and Ashforth (2015) may permit flexibility to show negative emotions in encounters where mistreatment is occurring, thus breaking the cycle. Beyond this, one must also ask how strongly positive organizational emotional cultures (e.g., positive affective climate where any negativity is discouraged, Parke & Seo, 2017; culture of sexist joviality, Alonso & O'Neill, 2022) perpetuate sexist behaviors and play a harmful role, versus a companionate love culture (Barsade & O'Neill, 2014) that may shift positive treatment of others to a culture's core.…”

Femme‐toring: Leveraging critical femininities and femme theory to cultivate alternative approaches to mentoring

“…Unfortunately, it does pay to be sexist; research shows that those who hold sexist views incur more positive advantages in the workplace (e.g., more promotions) than less sexist colleagues (Watkins et al., 2006). This is so even for women who, by participating in the sexist culture, receive status benefits (Alonso & O'Neill, 2022). Locke et al.…”

“…Unfortunately, it does pay to be sexist; research shows that those who hold sexist views incur more positive advantages in the workplace (e.g., more promotions) than less sexist colleagues (Watkins et al, 2006). This is so even for women who, by participating in the sexist culture, receive status benefits (Alonso & O'Neill, 2022). Locke et al (2021) found that women academics who were successful in leveraging opportunities in this neoliberal masculinist landscape, do so by reproducing "existing structures and inequalities in the university" (p. 1093).…”