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 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 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.