Gender Stereotypes in Leadership: How Threatening Are They?
Women's persistent underrepresentation in management has prompted a considerable body of research to better understand how gender stereotyping contributes to this disparity. One possible explanation for the impact of stereotyping on women in management is stereotype threat (i.e., the risk of confirming negative stereotypes as true). Experimental research concerning stereotype threat as it affects women within the domain of leadership has been limited, with no published study specifically manipulating stereotype threat and testing effects on subsequent leadership performance. This thesis expands upon the current literature by replicating classic stereotype threat experimental designs and applying such a design to a leadership context. No significant performance effects or affective reactions to a stereotype trigger were found. Implications, limitations, and future research directions are presented.
Gender stereotypes, Leadership, Stereotype threat, Women, Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Industrial and Organizational Psychology
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