Perceptions of Female Managers in Male-Dominated Industries: Effects of Gender Rarity, Performance, and Diversity Justification

Two experimental studies were conducted to measure the effects of contextual and situational factors on employees’ perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors toward female managers in traditionally male-oriented jobs. Study 1 manipulated the contexts (gender rarity and diversity justification) of female perceivers through the mediating effect of social identity, while Study 2 manipulated the contexts (gender rarity and performance) of female and male targets. Results for Study 1 indicate that: (a) rare female perceivers are more likely to perceive female managers as being dominant (a stereotypically male trait) and adopt these traits, (b) rare female perceivers are also more likely to believe that they have to try harder to prove themselves in the organization, and (c) female perceivers in companies with legal compliance diversity justification are less likely to encourage prospective females to join the company. Results for Study 2 indicate that companies with female targets in positions of gender equality were assumed to have affirmative action hiring policies more often than companies with female targets in positions of gender rarity – this provides evidence for future research about the types of organizations in which rarity evokes assumptions of preferential hiring. Overall, these studies contribute to the debate over the use of affirmative action policies by providing insight into 1 Shefali Patil is a recent alumna of the undergraduate Stern School of Business, New York University, with a double major in Management & Organizations and Marketing. This research paper was completed while she was a participant of the Senior Honors Program 2008. She would like to sincerely thank her advisor, Dr. Steven Blader, Associate Professor of Management, for his guidance, keen insights, strong enthusiasm, and honest advice throughout this research process. He was the first one to welcome her to the world of academic research, and she is very grateful to him for his continued efforts and encouragement. She would also like to thank her mother and father for their never-ending care and dedication, her brother, Akhil, for his love and companionship, and her roommate and close friend, Belig Borjiged, for her help with these studies and unflagging friendship. She greatly appreciates the constant support from the aforementioned people. Comments are welcome at [email protected]. THE MICHIGAN JOURNAL OF BUSINESS 40 the unintended consequences of their implementation. Results indicate that increasing female representation in male-typical professions is not enough to counter negative perceptions and behaviors toward traditionally underrepresented minorities – equal gender representation must be coupled with a culture that believes that diversity is intrinsically advantageous, in order to mitigate some of the effects of implicit sex-based discrimination in the workplace. 41 Perceptions of Female Managers in Male-Dominated Industries